Expert Star Battle

Expert Star Battle answer — July 27, 2026

Stuck on the July 27, 2026 expert Star Battle (also called Two Not Touch)? Here's the complete step-by-step solution to the 9×9 grid — every star placed with pure logic, one deduction at a time, no guessing. Tap Next to step through it, or brush up on the rules first.

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Full written solution

Every deduction from the walkthrough above, in order. Each technique is explained in the Star Battle strategy guide.

  1. Starting position — the grid is split into regions (bold outlines). Each row, column, and region needs exactly two stars, and no two stars may touch.
  2. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
  3. Triple analysis (Region 7 + Region 2 + Row 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 5).
  4. Triple analysis (Region 7 + Region 2 + Row 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 9).
  5. Triple analysis (Region 2 + Row 2 + Region 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 5).
  6. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R7C5 and R8C5 would touch (row 4, column 4).
  7. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R1C6 and R2C6 would touch (row 4, column 2).
  8. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 1 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 4, column 8).
  9. Triple analysis (Region 7 + Column 8 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 7).
  10. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 2 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 4, column 9).
  11. Generalized counting (rows 1-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 5, column 2).
  12. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 3, column 2).
  13. Joint analysis (Region 9 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 8).
  14. Triple analysis (Row 4 + Column 5 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 6).
  15. Triple analysis (Region 7 + Region 9 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 9).
  16. Triple analysis (Region 9 + Row 6 + Region 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 4).
  17. Triple analysis (Row 6 + Row 7 + Region 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 4).
  18. Quad analysis (Region 9 + Region 5 + Row 5 + Region 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 8).
  19. Quad analysis (Row 6 + Column 2 + Region 4 + Region 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 5).
  20. Quad analysis (Region 9 + Region 7 + Column 5 + Region 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 6).
  21. Joint analysis (Region 2 + Row 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 4).
  22. Squeeze (columns 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 4, column 6).
  23. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 3, column 8).
  24. Generalized counting (columns 7-9): region star limits exclude these cells (row 8, column 7).
  25. Composite container (columns 4-6): Region 1 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 5, column 5).
  26. Squeeze (columns 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 4).
  27. Squeeze (columns 4-5): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 4, column 5).
  28. Generalized counting (columns 1-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 9, column 5).
  29. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 1).
  30. Squeeze (columns 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 3).
  31. Squeeze (columns 5-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 7).
  32. Composite container (columns 1-5): Regions 3, 4, 6 and 8 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 10 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 1, column 6).
  33. Clump analysis (Column 4): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 6, column 4).
  34. Mark 5 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 3).
  35. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 5).
  36. Clump analysis (Column 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 2).
  37. Clump analysis (Column 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 1).
  38. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 4, column 1).
  39. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 3, column 1).
  40. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 1).
  41. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 2).
  42. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 4).
  43. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 4).
  44. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 6).
  45. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 7).
  46. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 8, column 2).
  47. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 7, column 2).
  48. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 2).
  49. Two last candidates (row 7): Eliminate 1 cell adjacent to both (row 8, column 9).
  50. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 6).
  51. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 6).
  52. Clump analysis (Column 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 8).
  53. Squeeze (rows 1-2): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 1, column 9).
  54. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 7).
  55. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 3).
  56. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 3).
  57. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 7).
  58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 7).
  59. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 7).
  60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 8).
  61. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 3, column 9).
  62. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 8).
  63. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 9).
  64. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 3).
  65. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 3).
  66. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 9).
  67. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 8).
  68. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 9).
  69. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.

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This step-by-step walkthrough is generated by the TryHard Puzzles solver to teach Star Battle (Two Not Touch) solving technique.