Queens puzzle answer — September 23, 2026 (Hard)
Stuck on the September 23, 2026 hard Queens puzzle? Here's the complete solution to the 9×9 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.
Full written solution — all 18 steps
- All of the purple region's remaining squares sit in column 3, so that column's other squares can be crossed off.
- The teal and gray regions must take the queens in columns 1 and 2 between them, so other regions' squares in those columns can be crossed off.
- Trying a queen at row 1, column 4 (the red region) leads to a dead end, so that square can be crossed off.
- Trying a queen at row 2, column 5 (the yellow region) leads to a dead end, so that square can be crossed off.
- All of the yellow region's remaining squares sit in column 4, so that column's other squares can be crossed off.
- Trying a queen at row 2, column 8 (the red region) leads to a dead end, so that square can be crossed off.
- Trying a queen at row 3, column 3 (the purple region) leads to a dead end, so that square can be crossed off.
- Trying a queen at row 3, column 4 (the yellow region) leads to a dead end, so that square can be crossed off.
- Column 4 has only one square left — the queen must go there (row 2, in the yellow region).
- The red, green, and blue regions must take the queens in rows 1, 3, and 4 between them, so other regions' squares in those rows can be crossed off.
- Column 3 has only one square left — the queen must go there (row 5, in the purple region).
- The orange region has only one square left — the queen must go there (row 6, column 5).
- The green region has only one square left — the queen must go there (row 3, column 6).
- Row 4 has only one square left — the queen must go there (column 9, in the blue region).
- Row 1 has only one square left — the queen must go there (column 7, in the red region).
- The teal region has only one square left — the queen must go there (row 7, column 1).
- Row 8 has only one square left — the queen must go there (column 8, in the tan region).
- Row 9 has only one square left — the queen must go there (column 2, in the gray region).
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