Expert Star Battle

Expert Star Battle answer — October 14, 2026

Stuck on the October 14, 2026 expert Star Battle (also called Two Not Touch)? Here's the complete step-by-step solution to the 10×10 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 67

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 4, column 2).
  3. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 2).
  4. Star claim: Region 9 must place a star in row 5; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 6, column 2).
  5. Undercounting: 4 regions fit in cols 1-4, eliminate 10 outside candidates (row 1, column 4).
  6. Clump analysis (Column 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 3).
  7. Clump analysis (Column 3): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 1, column 3).
  8. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 2).
  9. Clump analysis (Column 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 1).
  10. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 4).
  11. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 5).
  12. Clump analysis (Row 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 7).
  13. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 7).
  14. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 8).
  15. Crowding (Column 2): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 9, column 1).
  16. Generalized counting (rows 1-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 5, column 8).
  17. Generalized counting (columns 5-6): region star limits exclude these cells (row 8, column 6).
  18. Composite container (columns 7-10): Regions 1, 8 and 10 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 5, column 6).
  19. Quad analysis (Region 6 + Region 2 + Region 4 + Row 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 6).
  20. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 6).
  21. Three candidates in a row: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 2, column 9).
  22. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 8).
  23. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 10).
  24. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 10).
  25. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 9, column 2).
  26. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 8, column 2).
  27. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 1).
  28. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 2).
  29. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 1).
  30. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 5, column 1).
  31. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 1).
  32. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 3).
  33. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 3).
  34. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 1).
  35. Clump analysis (Row 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 9).
  36. Triple analysis (Region 6 + Row 6 + Region 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 10).
  37. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 9).
  38. Generalized counting (columns 9-10): region star limits exclude these cells (row 4, column 8).
  39. Joint analysis (Column 8 + Row 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 9).
  40. Triple analysis (Row 8 + Column 10 + Row 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 10, column 10).
  41. Triple analysis (Column 8 + Column 9 + Row 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 7).
  42. Triple analysis (Row 8 + Row 9 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 10, column 8).
  43. Triple analysis (Column 8 + Column 9 + Row 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 10).
  44. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 9).
  45. Quad analysis (Column 8 + Row 10 + Row 9 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 6).
  46. Squeeze (rows 7-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 10).
  47. Crowding (Row 9): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 10, column 6).
  48. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 6).
  49. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 5).
  50. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 7).
  51. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 5, column 7).
  52. Row 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 5, column 5).
  53. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 5).
  54. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 4).
  55. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 4).
  56. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 5).
  57. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 5).
  58. Row 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 9).
  59. Row 8 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 8, column 10).
  60. Row 10 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 10, column 7).
  61. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 7, column 10).
  62. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 9).
  63. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 8).
  64. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 7).
  65. Column 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 7, column 7).
  66. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 8).
  67. 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.