Hard Queens

Queens puzzle answer — August 17, 2026 (Hard)

Stuck on the August 17, 2026 hard Queens puzzle? Here's the complete solution to the 7×7 board — every queen placed with pure logic, one deduction at a time, no guessing. Step through it below, or brush up on the rules first.

The final answer

♛
♛
♛
♛
♛
♛
♛

One queen per row, per column, and per color region — and no two queens touching, even diagonally.

Step through the solve Step 0 of 16
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕
♛✕

Full written solution — all 16 steps

  1. All of the purple region's remaining squares sit in column 7, so that column's other squares can be crossed off.
  2. All of the orange region's remaining squares sit in column 1, so that column's other squares can be crossed off.
  3. The purple, orange, and teal regions must take the queens in rows 5, 6, and 7 between them, so other regions' squares in those rows can be crossed off.
  4. All of the blue region's remaining squares sit in row 4, so that row's other squares can be crossed off.
  5. The red and blue regions must take the queens in columns 2 and 3 between them, so other regions' squares in those columns can be crossed off.
  6. All of the yellow region's remaining squares sit in column 4, so that column's other squares can be crossed off.
  7. Trying a queen at row 2, column 5 (the green region) leads to a dead end, so that square can be crossed off.
  8. Trying a queen at row 3, column 2 (the red region) leads to a dead end, so that square can be crossed off.
  9. Trying a queen at row 3, column 3 (the red region) leads to a dead end, so that square can be crossed off.
  10. Column 3 has only one square left — the queen must go there (row 4, in the blue region).
  11. Column 4 has only one square left — the queen must go there (row 2, in the yellow region).
  12. Row 3 has only one square left — the queen must go there (column 6, in the green region).
  13. Row 1 has only one square left — the queen must go there (column 2, in the red region).
  14. Row 5 has only one square left — the queen must go there (column 7, in the purple region).
  15. Row 6 has only one square left — the queen must go there (column 1, in the orange region).
  16. Row 7 has only one square left — the queen must go there (column 5, in the teal region).

Rather solve it yourself?

This puzzle is free to play, along with a new hard Queens board every day.

Play this puzzle Today's Queens puzzles Sign up free
← Previous hard
All solutions
Next hard →

This step-by-step walkthrough is generated by the TryHard Puzzles solver to teach Queens solving technique.

TryHard Puzzles is an independent puzzle site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by LinkedIn. Every Queens puzzle here is an original board of our own making.