Independent Pursuits: Puzzle

THE FOOD ran out at a party at our house the other day and everyone suddenly developed a passion for a piece of fried chicken, so they sent me out to get enough to give everybody exactly one piece.

I'm afraid the mission was impossible. The local takeaway could offer me only boxes of six, nine or 20 chicken pieces and there was no way I could make up exactly the required number of pieces in such combinations.

The odd thing was, though, that if there had been any greater number of people at the party, I would have been able to bring them back exactly one piece each.

How many people were at the party? (Answer tomorrow).

This is the first in a new series of daily puzzles, old and new, that will appear in this space. If you have any favourite puzzles you would like to inflict on a wider audience, we shall be happy to consider them at: Puzzles, The Independent, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL.