Queens Grid

Daily Queens Puzzle — August 29, 2026

Saturday · 12×12 · Tough · Medium · 24 deductions

12 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 12x12 board split into 12 colour regions, needing 12 queens: one per row, one per column, one per region, none touching. Regions run from 1 to 48 cells.

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

How this board is solved

Solving this 12x12 board takes 24 deductions and needs the intermediate group-lock techniques, drawing on 7 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is H1. The queens resolve in the order H1 → J3 → E11 → I7 → L8 → K10 → A9 → B2 → F4 → G6 → D5 → C12. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (24 deductions)
  1. Single-cell region essential

    Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H1.

  2. Single-cell region essential

    Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J3.

  3. Single-cell region essential

    Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E11.

  4. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use column 4, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 4. Rules out D2, D4, D7, D8, D9.

  5. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use column 7, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 7. Rules out G4, G7, G8, G9, G10, G12.

  6. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use row 12, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 12. Rules out I12, K12, L12.

  7. 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 12. Rules out K6, K7, K8.

  8. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out C5, C6.

  9. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out F5, F6.

  10. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out B9.

  11. Two-region group lock intermediate

    Two-region group lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 5 and row 6. Rules out A5, B5, I5, K5, L5, A6, B6, I6 and 1 more.

  12. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I7.

  13. 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 11. Rules out F8, F9.

  14. 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 B4, B8, C2, C4, C8, C9.

  15. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out L9, L10.

  16. Split-line region lock intermediate

    Split-line region lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 2 and row 4. Rules out L2, L4.

  17. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at L8.

  18. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at K10.

  19. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A9.

  20. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B2.

  21. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F4.

  22. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G6.

  23. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D5.

  24. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C12.

Answer: queens at H1, J3, E11, I7, L8, K10, A9, B2, F4, G6, D5, C12.