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A Match Puzzle

A spatial question

A common format for logic puzzles is to have a pile of matches arranged in a particular way. The puzzle then asks you to move only a set number of matches to accomplish a goal. Consider the following pile of 8 matches

I count that there are 14 squares in this pile. 9 that are 1x1, 4 that are 2x2, and 1 that is 3x3. Make sure you understand how I got that, because it’s crucial for the next step.

Can you remove only two matches to make the arrangement have only 3 squares remaining instead of 14?

The solution is below. Take your time to solve this one! If you peek early, you hurt no one but yourself. Once you look, the problem is gone forever.

If you’re stuck, I recommend just removing different matches and seeing how many squares remain.