Hard Star Battle

Hard Star Battle answer — September 3, 2026

Stuck on the September 3, 2026 hard 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. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 5, column 8).
  3. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 4).
  4. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 8, column 3).
  5. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 2).
  6. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 8).
  7. Undercounting: 6 regions fit in rows 4-9, eliminate 3 outside candidates (row 4, column 4).
  8. Crowding (Column 4): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 3).
  9. Composite container (columns 1-3): Region 6 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 2, column 2).
  10. Composite container (columns 1-4): Regions 3, 6 and 7 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 1, column 1).
  11. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 1).
  12. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 2, column 8).
  13. Mark 5 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 7).
  14. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 6).
  15. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 6).
  16. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 2).
  17. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 4).
  18. Clump analysis (Row 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 6).
  19. Clump analysis (Column 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 4).
  20. Squeeze (columns 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 8).
  21. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 7 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 7, column 7).
  22. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 6).
  23. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 6).
  24. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 7).
  25. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 8).
  26. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 9).
  27. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 9).
  28. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 9).
  29. Three candidates in a row: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 5, column 2).
  30. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 5, column 1).
  31. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 1).
  32. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 3).
  33. Region complete: Mark 4 remaining cells as X (row 7, column 1).
  34. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 1).
  35. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 2).
  36. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 2).
  37. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 3).
  38. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 5).
  39. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 5).
  40. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 5).
  41. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 4).
  42. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 3).
  43. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 7).
  44. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 8, column 7).
  45. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 7).
  46. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 9).
  47. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 9).
  48. Column 3 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 3, column 3).
  49. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 4).
  50. 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.