Daily Queens Puzzle — September 2, 2026

Wednesday · 9×9 · Steady · Hard · 16 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 1 to 23 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 16 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 7 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is F1. The queens resolve in the order F1 → D6 → E4 → G3 → A2 → C9 → I8 → H5 → B7. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (16 deductions)

Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F1.
Single-cell region essential
Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D6.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E4.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out B2.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out B8.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out H8.
Multi-region group lock intermediate
Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 1 and column 2 and column 3. Rules out C2, C3.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out H2, H3, G7, G8.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. A queen here would leave another colour with nowhere to go, so it is out. Rules out B9.
Test a queen expert
Test a queen. Following the consequences of a queen here reaches a dead end, so it is out. Rules out H7.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G3.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A2.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C9.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 8 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I8. This reasons over row 8.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H5.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B7.

Answer: queens at F1, D6, E4, G3, A2, C9, I8, H5, B7.