Daily Queens Puzzle — February 26, 2026
10 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 10x10 board split into 10 colour regions, needing 10 queens: one per row, one per column, one per region, none touching. Regions run from 1 to 31 cells.
The daily board is the same for everyone and gets harder as the week goes on: Thursday is set to tricky. Every daily puzzle has one solution and needs no guessing.
How this board is solved
Solving this 10x10 board takes 18 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 6 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is B1. The queens resolve in the order B1 → G5 → F2 → H7 → I10 → E4 → C3 → A6 → J8 → D9. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.
Techniques this board needs
- Single-cell region
- Forced queen
- Region line lock
- Shared diagonal neighbour
- Ruled out either way
- Test a queen
Full solution, step by step (18 deductions)
- Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B1.
- Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, 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 F2.
- Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H7.
- Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 10, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 10. Rules out A10, C10, D10, E10.
- Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out I9, J9.
- Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 10, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 10. Rules out J3, J10.
- Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I10.
- Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 4, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 4. Rules out A4, C4, J4.
- Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out 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 C6.
- Test a queen expert
Test a queen. Following the consequences of a queen here reaches a dead end, so it is out. Rules out D4.
- Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E4.
- Test a queen expert
Test a queen. Following the consequences of a queen here reaches a dead end, so it is out. Rules out D6.
- Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C3.
- Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A6.
- Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J8.
- Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D9.
Answer: queens at B1, G5, F2, H7, I10, E4, C3, A6, J8, D9.