Queens Grid

Daily Queens Puzzle — July 16, 2026

Thursday · 10×10 · Tricky · Hard · 19 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 30 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 19 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 7 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is A9. The queens resolve in the order A9 → F4 → E1 → B2 → J3 → I7 → H5 → G8 → D6 → C10. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (19 deductions)
  1. Single-cell region essential

    Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A9.

  2. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use column 10, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 10. Rules out J4, J5, J6, J7, J8, J10.

  3. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use row 7, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 7. Rules out B7, C7, D7, E7, F7, G7.

  4. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out C2.

  5. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out I2.

  6. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out H6, I6, H8, I8.

  7. Multi-region group lock intermediate

    Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 1 and row 2 and row 3. Rules out D1, I1, D2, E2, F2, B3, C3, D3 and 4 more.

  8. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F4.

  9. Multi-region group lock intermediate

    Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 8 and column 9 and column 7. Rules out H1, H2, H3, G1, G2, G10.

  10. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E1.

  11. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B2.

  12. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J3.

  13. Ruled out either way expert

    Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out H7.

  14. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I7.

  15. Test a queen expert

    Test a queen. Following the consequences of a queen here reaches a dead end, so it is out. Rules out G6.

  16. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H5.

  17. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G8.

  18. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D6.

  19. 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 A9, F4, E1, B2, J3, I7, H5, G8, D6, C10.