Daily Queens Puzzle — March 26, 2026

Thursday · 10×10 · Tricky · Hard · 20 deductions

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 26 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 20 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 9 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is J7. The queens resolve in the order J7 → I1 → D10 → H4 → C8 → E2 → B3 → A5 → G6 → F9. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (20 deductions)

Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J7.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I1.
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, E10, F10, G10, H10.
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 G4.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out C9.
Lines use the same regions intermediate
Lines use the same regions. 2 rows can only be filled by 2 colours, using them up. This reasons over row 8 and row 9. Rules out E3, E4, F4, C5, D5, E5, A6, C6 and 3 more.
Multi-region group lock intermediate
Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 1 and column 2 and column 3. Rules out B10, C2, C3, C10.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D10.
Two-region group lock intermediate
Two-region group lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 2 and row 3. Rules out G3, H3.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 8, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 8. Rules out H6, H8, H9.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out G5.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out H5.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H4.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Column 3 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C8. This reasons over column 3.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Column 5 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E2. This reasons over column 5.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B3.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A5.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G6.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F9.

Answer: queens at J7, I1, D10, H4, C8, E2, B3, A5, G6, F9.