Expert Star Battle

Expert Star Battle answer — October 27, 2026

Stuck on the October 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.

Solve walkthrough Step 1 of 65

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 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 5).
  3. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 2).
  4. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 8).
  5. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 7).
  6. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 7).
  7. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 2).
  8. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 3).
  9. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 2).
  10. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 6).
  11. Generalized counting (columns 7-9): region star limits exclude these cells (row 3, column 6).
  12. Triple analysis (Region 5 + Region 3 + Column 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 4).
  13. Triple analysis (Region 7 + Row 8 + Region 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 9, column 8).
  14. Joint analysis (Column 8 + Region 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 9).
  15. Triple analysis (Region 5 + Row 7 + Region 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 3).
  16. Clump analysis (Region 5): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 3, column 3).
  17. Crowding (Row 2): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 1, column 8).
  18. Joint analysis (Column 8 + Column 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 9).
  19. Composite container (rows 6-9): Regions 6, 7 and 8 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 7, column 1).
  20. Joint analysis (Row 5 + Row 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 4).
  21. Squeeze (rows 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 8, column 4).
  22. Generalized counting (rows 6-9): region star limits exclude these cells (row 5, column 2).
  23. Joint analysis (Column 2 + Column 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 3).
  24. Joint analysis (Column 8 + Region 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 9).
  25. Triple analysis (Region 4 + Region 1 + Region 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 6).
  26. Triple analysis (Region 7 + Region 3 + Row 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 9).
  27. 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 8).
  28. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 6).
  29. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 2).
  30. Crowding (Column 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 6, column 7).
  31. Clump analysis (Region 7): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 6, column 8).
  32. Squeeze (columns 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 5).
  33. Squeeze (rows 7-8): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 8, column 9).
  34. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 9).
  35. Triple analysis (Row 3 + Row 2 + Region 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 1).
  36. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 5).
  37. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 6).
  38. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 6).
  39. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 7).
  40. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 7).
  41. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 1).
  42. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 2).
  43. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 2).
  44. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 1).
  45. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 2).
  46. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 1).
  47. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 4).
  48. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 4).
  49. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 5).
  50. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 1).
  51. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 6).
  52. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 7).
  53. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 8).
  54. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 9).
  55. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 3).
  56. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 4).
  57. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 9, column 5).
  58. Column 4 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 4).
  59. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 5).
  60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 6).
  61. Row 1 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 7).
  62. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 7).
  63. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 8).
  64. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
  65. 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.