Daily Queens Puzzle — September 18, 2026

Friday · 11×11 · Hard · Medium · 20 deductions

11 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 11x11 board split into 11 colour regions, needing 11 queens: one per row, one per column, one per region, none touching. Regions run from 3 to 28 cells.

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

How this board is solved

Solving this 11x11 board takes 20 deductions and needs the intermediate group-lock techniques, drawing on 5 distinct techniques. It opens on column 11, ruling cells out before any queen goes down. The queens resolve in the order C11 → D6 → B8 → F7 → E10 → G1 → I5 → K4 → J9 → H3 → A2. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (20 deductions)

Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 11, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 11. Rules out K1, K2, K3, K7, K8, K9, K10, K11.
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 J5.
Two-region group lock intermediate
Two-region group lock. 2 colours fit in only 2 columns, reserving them. This reasons over column 1 and column 2. Rules out A4, A5, A6, A10, A11, B3, B4, B5 and 5 more.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C11.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D6.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 1, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 1. Rules out A1, B1, H1, I1, J1.
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 B8. This reasons over column 2.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out F2.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out J4.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out E9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F7.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E10.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G1.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use row 9, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 9. Rules out H9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I5.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at K4.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H3.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A2.

Answer: queens at C11, D6, B8, F7, E10, G1, I5, K4, J9, H3, A2.