Queens Grid

Daily Queens Puzzle — August 18, 2026

Tuesday · 9×9 · Easy · Medium · 17 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 3 to 19 cells.

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

How this board is solved

Solving this 9x9 board takes 17 deductions and needs the intermediate group-lock techniques, drawing on 6 distinct techniques. It opens by ruling cells out rather than placing a queen. The queens resolve in the order F9 → G7 → C5 → E6 → D8 → B1 → I2 → H4 → A3. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (17 deductions)
  1. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out E7.

  2. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out F8.

  3. Two-region group lock intermediate

    Two-region group lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 8 and row 9. Rules out A8, B8, G8, H8, I8, G9, H9, I9.

  4. Lines use the same regions intermediate

    Lines use the same regions. 3 columns can only be filled by 3 colours, using them up. This reasons over column 7 and column 8 and column 9. Rules out D5, E2, E3, E4, E5, F1, F2, F3 and 4 more.

  5. Last cell in a line essential

    Last cell in a line. Column 6 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F9. This reasons over column 6.

  6. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out H2.

  7. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out H7.

  8. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out C7, D7.

  9. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use row 6, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 6. Rules out A6, B6, C6, G6, H6, I6.

  10. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G7.

  11. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C5.

  12. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E6.

  13. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D8.

  14. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B1.

  15. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I2.

  16. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H4.

  17. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A3.

Answer: queens at F9, G7, C5, E6, D8, B1, I2, H4, A3.