Expert Star Battle

Expert Star Battle answer — July 30, 2026

Stuck on the July 30, 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.

Solve walkthrough Step 1 of 56

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 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 2).
  3. Squeeze (rows 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 8).
  4. Joint analysis (Region 4 + Region 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 5).
  5. Triple analysis (Column 8 + Region 1 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 6).
  6. Triple analysis (Column 6 + Region 7 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 5).
  7. Quad analysis (Region 4 + Region 9 + Row 7 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 3).
  8. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R4C8 and R4C9 would touch (row 4, column 2).
  9. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 6 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 4, column 5).
  10. Triple analysis (Column 5 + Column 6 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 7).
  11. Quad analysis (Region 7 + Column 6 + Column 7 + Row 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 5).
  12. Joint analysis (Column 5 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 3).
  13. Generalized counting (rows 1-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 5, column 8).
  14. Composite container (columns 6-9): Regions 1 and 5 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 7, column 7).
  15. Joint analysis (Column 5 + Column 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 9, column 4).
  16. Triple analysis (Column 8 + Region 1 + Column 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 7).
  17. Crowding (Column 7): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 6).
  18. Squeeze (rows 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 2).
  19. Squeeze (columns 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 2, column 7).
  20. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 8, column 8).
  21. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 9).
  22. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 7, column 3).
  23. Two last candidates (row 8): Eliminate 1 cell adjacent to both (row 7, column 2).
  24. Clump analysis (Column 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 4).
  25. Clump analysis (Column 5): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 9, column 5).
  26. Clump analysis (Region 1): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 7, column 6).
  27. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 8).
  28. Clump analysis (Region 7): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 4, column 4).
  29. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 3).
  30. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 5, column 2).
  31. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
  32. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 8, column 3).
  33. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 4).
  34. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 1).
  35. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 1).
  36. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 1).
  37. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 4).
  38. Column 1 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 1).
  39. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 5).
  40. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 5).
  41. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 2).
  42. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 2).
  43. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
  44. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 8).
  45. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 7).
  46. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 8).
  47. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 9).
  48. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 9).
  49. Column 2 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 2).
  50. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 3).
  51. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 7).
  52. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 6).
  53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 7).
  54. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 8).
  55. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 9).
  56. 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.