Daily Queens Puzzle — August 19, 2026

Wednesday · 9×9 · Steady · Hard · 22 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 2 to 21 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 22 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 6 distinct techniques. It opens on row 1, ruling cells out before any queen goes down. The queens resolve in the order A8 → E7 → F1 → I2 → H6 → C5 → G4 → D9 → B3. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (22 deductions)

Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 1, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 1. Rules out A1, B1, C1, G1, H1, I1.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 1, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 1. Rules out A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 9, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 9. Rules out A9, F9, G9, H9, I9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A8.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E7.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out H2, H3.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out F2.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. A queen here would leave another colour with nowhere to go, so it is out. Rules out I5.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. A queen here would leave another colour with nowhere to go, so it is out. Rules out G5.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. Following the consequences of a queen here reaches a dead end, so it is out. Rules out D1.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F1.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out I3.
Multi-region group lock intermediate
Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 4 and row 5 and row 6. Rules out B4, B5.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out C4, D4, H5.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. A queen here would leave another colour with nowhere to go, so it is out. Rules out C6.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. Following the consequences of a queen here reaches a dead end, so it is out. Rules out G3.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I2.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H6.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C5.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G4.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B3.

Answer: queens at A8, E7, F1, I2, H6, C5, G4, D9, B3.