Daily Queens Puzzle — June 12, 2026

Friday · 11×11 · Hard · Hard · 20 deductions

11 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 11x11 board split into 11 colour regions, needing 11 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: Friday is set to hard. Every daily puzzle has one solution and needs no guessing.

How this board is solved

Solving this 11x11 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 D4. The queens resolve in the order D4 → J6 → B8 → A5 → G7 → F3 → I9 → E1 → K2 → H11 → C10. 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 D4.
Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J6.
Two-region group lock intermediate
Two-region group lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 1 and row 2. Rules out A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2, E2, F2 and 1 more.
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, H3, I3, K3.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 1, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 1. Rules out A8, A9, A10, A11.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 2, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 2. Rules out B9, B10, B11.
Line uses one region intermediate
Line uses one region. 1 columns can only be filled by 1 colours, using them up. This reasons over column 3. Rules out E9, E11, F9.
Split-line region lock intermediate
Split-line region lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 5 and row 7. Rules out B5, B7, C7, E7, F7, H7.
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 A5.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G7.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F3.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out I1.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out H10, I10.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. Following the consequences of a queen here reaches a dead end, so it is out. Rules out E10.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I9.
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 E1. 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 K2.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H11.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C10.

Answer: queens at D4, J6, B8, A5, G7, F3, I9, E1, K2, H11, C10.