LinkedIn Patches #96 Answer & Analysis

Start with the top-left 4, which is forced into the only compact 2x2 corner shape. Then place the top-center 2 as a vertical pair, because that narrow space is the only clean fit. After that, the top-right 6 settles into the remaining upper rectangle and defines the whole first band.

Next, place the small left-middle 2 in the short open strip beneath the top-left region. The center 4 then fills the long horizontal space beside it, which prevents the middle row from becoming fragmented. This is the main separator for the rest of the board.

Now the lower-left 6 can only work as a connected block in the left column area, because the upper cells are already committed. The other 6 sits beside it in the center-lower area, and together they fill the board without isolating any cells. This is the key step in How to solve LinkedIn Patches #96.

Use the remaining open space on the right edge for the small 2 and the tall 4. The 2 must stay in a short, narrow region, while the 4 needs a longer edge run. Placing them here prevents any disconnected leftovers in the right half of the grid.

The last open area is the bottom band, where the 5 stretches across the remaining connected space. Once that is placed, every patch has the correct size, every region is connected, and the full grid is covered with no overlap. That gives the finished today's Patches solution.