Daily Queens Puzzle — August 23, 2026

Sunday · 13×13 · Toughest · Hard · 22 deductions

13 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 13x13 board split into 13 colour regions, needing 13 queens: one per row, one per column, one per region, none touching. Regions run from 1 to 46 cells.

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

How this board is solved

Solving this 13x13 board takes 22 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 9 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is E4. The queens resolve in the order E4 → H8 → I6 → G3 → A2 → B12 → C5 → D1 → F10 → K7 → J13 → L11 → M9. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (22 deductions)

Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E4.
Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H8.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I6.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out B2.
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 F1, G1, J1, K1, L1, M1, C2, D2 and 4 more.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G3.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 2 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A2. This reasons over row 2.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B12.
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 D1.
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 6. Rules out J10, J11.
Split-line region lock intermediate
Split-line region lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 11 and row 13. Rules out F11, M11, F13.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out M10, L13.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out K9.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. A queen here would leave another colour with nowhere to go, so it is out. Rules out K10.
Two-region group lock intermediate
Two-region group lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 12 and column 13. Rules out L7, M7.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. A queen here would leave another colour with nowhere to go, so it is out. Rules out L10.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 10 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F10. This reasons over row 10.
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 K7. This reasons over row 7.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J13.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at L11.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at M9.

Answer: queens at E4, H8, I6, G3, A2, B12, C5, D1, F10, K7, J13, L11, M9.