Queens Grid

Daily Queens Puzzle — October 10, 2026

Saturday · 12×12 · Tough · Medium · 21 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 26 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 21 deductions and needs the intermediate group-lock techniques, drawing on 7 distinct techniques. The first queen you can place for certain is G5. The queens resolve in the order G5 → I1 → E2 → B3 → A6 → L7 → F8 → J4 → K9 → C12 → D10 → H11. Every step follows by logic, so you never have to guess.

Techniques this board needs

Full solution, step by step (21 deductions)
  1. Single-cell region essential

    Single-cell region. This colour covers only one cell, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at G5.

  2. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out I2.

  3. Multi-region group lock intermediate

    Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 1 and row 2 and row 3. Rules out F1, J1, K1, L1, F2, J2, K2, L2 and 9 more.

  4. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use row 4, so nothing else can. This reasons over row 4. Rules out A4, B4, C4, D4, E4, K4.

  5. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out A7.

  6. Multi-region group lock intermediate

    Multi-region group lock. 3 colours fit in only 3 rows, reserving them. This reasons over row 6 and row 7 and row 8. Rules out E7, I7, J7, K7, A8, C8, D8, E8 and 5 more.

  7. Lines use the same regions intermediate

    Lines use the same regions. 3 columns can only be filled by 3 colours, using them up. This reasons over column 10 and column 11 and column 12. Rules out H7, H9, H12, I4, I6, I9, I10, I11 and 1 more.

  8. Last cell in a line essential

    Last cell in a line. Column 9 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at I1. This reasons over column 9.

  9. Forced queen essential

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

  10. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at B3.

  11. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at A6.

  12. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at L7.

  13. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at F8.

  14. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at J4.

  15. Region line lock essential

    Region line lock. This colour must use column 3, so nothing else can. This reasons over column 3. Rules out C9, C10.

  16. Region line lock essential

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

  17. Last cell in a line essential

    Last cell in a line. Row 9 has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at K9. This reasons over row 9.

  18. Shared diagonal neighbour intermediate

    Shared diagonal neighbour. Every remaining option for this colour touches these cells, so they are out. Rules out C11.

  19. Forced queen essential

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

  20. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at D10.

  21. Forced queen essential

    Forced queen. This colour has one legal cell left, so its queen goes there. Place a queen at H11.

Answer: queens at G5, I1, E2, B3, A6, L7, F8, J4, K9, C12, D10, H11.