Saturday, September 12, 2026 · #865
Step-by-step walkthrough
- Step 1: Find the smallest colour region — it has the fewest legal cells, so its queen is forced first.
- Step 2: Any region confined to one row or column claims that whole line; cross out the rest of it.
- Step 3: Place a queen, then eliminate its row, its column and the eight cells around it before moving on.
- Step 4: Two regions that both fit inside the same two rows lock those rows between them.
- Step 5: The last queens fall by elimination — count remaining cells per region rather than guessing.
Small boards reward patience: one forced cell usually forces the next three.