Inkwell Stars solution — February 22, 2026

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: This position would block too many candidates (row 2, column 2).
3. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 2, column 6).
4. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 3, column 9).
5. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 5, column 4).
6. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 6, column 8).
7. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 8, column 2).
8. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 9, column 6).
9. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 2).
10. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 7).
11. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
12. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 3).
13. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 6).
14. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 1).
15. Clump analysis (Region 10): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 7).
16. Crowding (Row 5): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 4, column 2).
17. 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 1, column 3).
18. Squeeze (columns 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 3).
19. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R6C9 and R7C10 would touch (row 6, column 7).
20. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 5, column 7).
21. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 6).
22. Crowding (Column 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 5).
23. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 3, column 6).
24. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 7).
25. Squeeze (columns 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 5, column 1).
26. Generalized counting (columns 6-7): region star limits exclude these cells (row 7, column 6).
27. Crowding (Row 7): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 6, column 9).
28. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 7, column 8).
29. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 8).
30. Squeeze (columns 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 10).
31. Joint analysis (Region 1 + Row 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 4).
32. Joint analysis (Region 9 + Column 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 1).
33. Clump analysis (Row 6): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 6, column 10).
34. Joint analysis (Column 3 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 3).
35. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 5, column 2).
36. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
37. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 4, column 4).
38. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 9, column 3).
39. Generalized counting (columns 1-3): region star limits exclude these cells (row 8, column 5).
40. Joint analysis (Region 10 + Row 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 9, column 5).
41. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 10, column 5).
42. Joint analysis (Region 5 + Column 8): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 8).
43. Squeeze (columns 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 10).
44. Joint analysis (Region 4 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 10, column 10).
45. Generalized counting (rows 1-3): region star limits exclude these cells (row 1, column 9).
46. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 9, column 9).
47. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 10).
48. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 4, column 9).
49. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 8).
50. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 2, column 9).
51. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 3, column 2).
52. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 1).
53. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 1, column 1).
54. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 2, column 4).
55. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 5).
56. Column 2 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 7, column 2).
57. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 8, column 1).
58. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 1).
59. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 7, column 3).
60. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 4).
61. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 10, column 1).
62. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 6, column 5).
63. Column 9 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 10, column 9).
64. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 10, column 8).
65. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 7).
66. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 8, column 6).
67. Row 8 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 8, column 10).
68. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 9, column 10).
69. Column 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 6).
70. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 1, column 7).
71. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.