Daily Queens Puzzle — April 25, 2026

Saturday · 12×12 · Tough · Hard · 25 deductions

12 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 12x12 board split into 12 colour regions, needing 12 queens: one per row, one per column, one per region, none touching. Regions run from 2 to 50 cells.

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

How this board is solved

Solving this 12x12 board takes 25 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 7 distinct techniques. It opens on row 3, ruling cells out before any queen goes down. The queens resolve in the order L2 → K11 → J5 → E7 → C6 → D3 → A4 → B8 → I9 → H12 → G10 → F1. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (25 deductions)

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, B3, E3, F3, G3, H3, I3, J3 and 2 more.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 5, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 5. Rules out A5, B5, C5, D5, E5, F5, G5, H5 and 2 more.
Line uses one region intermediate
Line uses one region. 1 rows can only be filled by 1 colours, using them up. This reasons over row 1. Rules out A2, B2, C2, D2, E2, F2, G2, H2 and 19 more.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 2 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at L2. This reasons over row 2.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at K11.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J5.
Line uses one region intermediate
Line uses one region. 1 rows can only be filled by 1 colours, using them up. This reasons over row 4. Rules out A6, B6.
Line uses one region intermediate
Line uses one region. 1 rows can only be filled by 1 colours, using them up. This reasons over row 6. Rules out A7, B7, C7, A8, A9, B9, A10, B10.
Line uses one region intermediate
Line uses one region. 1 rows can only be filled by 1 colours, using them up. This reasons over row 7. Rules out E8, F8, F9, F10.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out C4.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out D7.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E7.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C6.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D3.
Two-region group lock intermediate
Two-region group lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 1 and column 2. Rules out A1, B1, B12.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. A queen here would leave another colour with nowhere to go, so it is out. Rules out H8.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. A queen here would leave another colour with nowhere to go, so it is out. Rules out H9.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. A queen here would leave another colour with nowhere to go, so it is out. Rules out H10.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. Following the consequences of a queen here reaches a dead end, so it is out. Rules out B4.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A4.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B8.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H12.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G10.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F1.

Answer: queens at L2, K11, J5, E7, C6, D3, A4, B8, I9, H12, G10, F1.