Queens Grid

Daily Queens Puzzle — August 27, 2026

Thursday · 10×10 · Tricky · Hard · 18 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 24 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 18 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 9 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is A4. The queens resolve in the order A4 → F7 → I3 → B6 → G5 → J1 → C2 → D8 → E10 → H9. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (18 deductions)
  1. Single-cell region essential

    Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A4.

  2. Single-cell region essential

    Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F7.

  3. Two-region group lock intermediate

    Two-region group lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 9 and row 10. Rules out B9, C9, D9, J9, B10, C10, J10.

  4. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out C6.

  5. Multi-region group lock intermediate

    Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 2 and column 3 and column 4. Rules out D2, D3, D10.

  6. Split-line region lock intermediate

    Split-line region lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 5 and row 6 and row 8. Rules out I5, J5, J6.

  7. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I3.

  8. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use column 8, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 8. Rules out H1, H5, H6, H8.

  9. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out G9, G10.

  10. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use column 5, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 5. Rules out E1, E2, E5.

  11. Ruled out either way expert

    Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out D6.

  12. Last cell in a line essential

    Last cell in a line. Row 6 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B6. This reasons over row 6.

  13. Last cell in a line essential

    Last cell in a line. Row 5 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G5. This reasons over row 5.

  14. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J1.

  15. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C2.

  16. Forced queen essential

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

  17. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E10.

  18. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H9.

Answer: queens at A4, F7, I3, B6, G5, J1, C2, D8, E10, H9.