Daily Queens Puzzle — March 4, 2026

Wednesday · 9×9 · Steady · Hard · 16 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 1 to 27 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 16 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 7 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is I5. The queens resolve in the order I5 → C9 → D7 → E1 → H2 → B3 → A6 → G4 → F8. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (16 deductions)

Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I5.
Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D7.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 1, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 1. Rules out A1, G1, H1.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 8, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 8. Rules out A8, H8.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. 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 G3.
Multi-region group lock intermediate
Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 6 and column 7 and column 8. Rules out F1, F4.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out B1.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E1.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out H3.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Column 8 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H2. This reasons over column 8.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 3 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B3. This reasons over row 3.
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 G4.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F8.

Answer: queens at I5, C9, D7, E1, H2, B3, A6, G4, F8.