Daily Queens Puzzle — February 18, 2026

Wednesday · 9×9 · Steady · Hard · 21 deductions

9 queens left to place.

Tap once to rule a cell out, twice to place a queen. Right-click marks an exclusion directly. Arrow keys move between cells.

A 9x9 board split into 9 colour regions, needing 9 queens: one per row, one per column, one per region, none touching. Regions run from 2 to 19 cells.

The daily board is the same for everyone and gets harder as the week goes on: Wednesday is set to steady. Every daily puzzle has one solution and needs no guessing.

How this board is solved

Solving this 9x9 board takes 21 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 6 distinct techniques. It opens on column 3, ruling cells out before any queen goes down. The queens resolve in the order G5 → I4 → C1 → A2 → D3 → F8 → H9 → E6 → B7. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (21 deductions)

Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 3, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 3. Rules out C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 6, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 6. Rules out F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F9.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out B2.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out B1, D1, D2.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 1, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 1. Rules out A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out E7, G7, E8, G8.
Multi-region group lock intermediate
Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 1 and row 2 and row 3. Rules out H1, I1, H2, I2, G3, H3, I3.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 4, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 4. Rules out B4, D4, E4, G4.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G5.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I4.
Split-line region lock intermediate
Split-line region lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 5 and column 8. Rules out E1, E2, E3.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 3, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 3. Rules out A3.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out C2.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C1.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A2.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D3.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out F7.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F8.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E6.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B7.

Answer: queens at G5, I4, C1, A2, D3, F8, H9, E6, B7.