Daily Queens Puzzle — September 24, 2026

Thursday · 10×10 · Tricky · Hard · 20 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 3 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 20 deductions and needs expert techniques, including testing a queen, drawing on 7 distinct techniques. It opens on column 3, ruling cells out before any queen goes down. The queens resolve in the order D1 → H7 → J2 → A3 → G4 → I5 → B10 → C8 → F9 → E6. 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 3, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 3. Rules out C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C10.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out B8, D8.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out H8.
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 A1, A2, A6, A7, B1, B2, B3, B6 and 1 more.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D1.
Region line lock essential
Region line lock. This colour must use column 10, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 10. Rules out J6, J7, J8, J9, J10.
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 H2, H3, H4, H6, H9, H10, I2, I3 and 2 more.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out F4.
Ruled out either way expert
Ruled out either way. These cells are ruled out no matter where this colour's queen goes. Rules out H5, G6.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Column 8 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H7. This reasons over column 8.
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 F2, G2, E3, F3, G3, E4, E5, E9.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 2 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J2. This reasons over row 2.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 3 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A3. This reasons over row 3.
Last cell in a line essential
Last cell in a line. Row 4 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G4. This reasons over row 4.
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.
Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate
Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out B9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B10.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at C8.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F9.
Forced queen essential
Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at E6.

Answer: queens at D1, H7, J2, A3, G4, I5, B10, C8, F9, E6.