This is without doubt the most common and well known burr. The puzzle is formed by six rods with equal length. The six pieces are grouped in three pairs which stand perpendicular to each other. Many combinations are possible in this puzzle: First hundreds of possible pieces can be made and second the amount of combination between the pieces is even more. There are enthusiasts which have designed the most difficult puzzles on this principle. It is possible to design a Chinese Cross Puzzle in where the pieces has to be slide first several times before removal of the first piece. Some puzzles are so hard that the solution can only be found by using a computer.

This Puzzle is also frequently named 'six-piece-burr'

If you want to make a Chinese cross puzzle by yourself you can chose from a lot of possibilities. You can even make your own design. The large group of Chinese cross puzzles is divided into two groups. The first, and more simple, group are those puzzles which are completely solid. These puzzles can be simply put together in six moves. The last piece is often a solid rod. The first two examples in the diagram below belong to this group. The second group are puzzles in where all pieces have notches. Some pieces has to be slid first before the first piece can be removed. The term 'level' is of importance in this group. A level 2-3 puzzle means that one piece has to be moved two times and a second piece three times before the first piece can be removed.

Below four examples of the Chinese cross puzzle are given. The first is a very simple puzzle, but the last very hard. This puzzle has a 7-4 level.