Queens Grid

Daily Queens Puzzle — September 16, 2026

Wednesday · 9×9 · Steady · Medium · 19 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 26 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 19 deductions and needs the intermediate group-lock techniques, drawing on 6 distinct techniques. It opens on row 7, ruling cells out before any queen goes down. The queens resolve in the order A8 → I5 → H7 → F6 → G4 → B1 → C3 → E2 → D9. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (19 deductions)
  1. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use row 7, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 7. Rules out A7, B7, C7, D7, E7, F7, G7.

  2. Line uses one region intermediate

    Line uses one region. 1 rows can only be filled by 1 colours, using them up. This reasons over row 9. Rules out D5, E5, D6, E6, B8, C8, D8, E8 and 4 more.

  3. 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 A8. This reasons over row 8.

  4. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out G5.

  5. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out H6, I6.

  6. Line uses one region intermediate

    Line uses one region. 1 rows can only be filled by 1 colours, using them up. This reasons over row 6. Rules out F5.

  7. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out H4.

  8. Two-region group lock intermediate

    Two-region group lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 8 and column 9. Rules out H1, H2, H5, H9, I1, I2, I9.

  9. 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 I5. This reasons over row 5.

  10. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H7.

  11. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F6.

  12. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G4.

  13. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use row 3, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 3. Rules out B3, E3.

  14. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use row 2, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 2. Rules out B2, C2.

  15. Last cell in a line essential

    Last cell in a line. Column 2 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B1. This reasons over column 2.

  16. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out D3.

  17. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C3.

  18. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E2.

  19. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D9.

Answer: queens at A8, I5, H7, F6, G4, B1, C3, E2, D9.