Daily Queens Puzzle — July 22, 2026

Wednesday · 9×9 · Steady · Hard · 18 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 19 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 18 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 10 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is B1. The queens resolve in the order B1 → I4 → A5 → E6 → H7 → D8 → C3 → G2 → F9. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (18 deductions)

Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B1.
Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I4.
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 1. Rules out C5, C6, C7, C8.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out G7.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out E7.
Split-line colour lock intermediate
Split-line colour lock. 3 rows can only be filled by 3 colours, using them up. This reasons over row 2 and row 3 and row 5. Rules out A6, A7, A8, A9.
Lines use the same regions intermediate
Lines use the same regions. 2 columns can only be filled by 2 colours, using them up. This reasons over column 3 and column 4. Rules out E2, E5, E8, E9, F2, F8.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out F5, G6.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 8, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 8. Rules out H2, H9.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. Following the consequences of a queen here reaches a dead end, so it is out. Rules out A3.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A5.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out E3.
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 E6. This reasons over column 5.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 7 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H7. This reasons over row 7.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 8 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D8. This reasons over row 8.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C3.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G2.
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 B1, I4, A5, E6, H7, D8, C3, G2, F9.