LinkedIn Queens answer for Friday, September 4: #857
LinkedIn Queens #857 is the puzzle for Friday, September 4, 2026: an 9x9 board with 9 color regions, and one queen to place in every row, column and region.
Updated 9:52 AM PT, Nov 7
Puzzle date Friday, September 4
The board
Purple8 squares
Orange5 squares
Blue21 squares
Green10 squares
Yellow17 squares
Red7 squares
Pink5 squares
Teal5 squares
Gray3 squares
Start with the Gray region. It sits entirely in row 9, so no other queen can go in row 9.
0 of 9 queens shown
Queens solution, step by step
Each LinkedIn Queens step places one queen and closes its row, its column, its region and the squares touching it.
Step 1: The Gray region sits entirely in row 9, so no other queen can go in row 9. The Pink region sits entirely in column 9, so no other queen can go in column 9. The Orange region sits entirely in row 1, so no other queen can go in row 1. The Orange, Green and Teal regions sit entirely in columns 6, 7 and 8, so no other queen can go in those columns. The Red, Pink and Teal regions sit entirely in rows 6, 7 and 8, so no other queen can go in those rows. The Yellow region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 5, column 5 (R5C5).
Step 2: The Purple region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 2, column 1 (R2C1).
Step 3: The Green region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 3, column 8 (R3C8).
Step 4: The Teal region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 8, column 7 (R8C7).
Step 5: The Orange region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 1, column 6 (R1C6).
Step 6: The Red region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 7, column 2 (R7C2).
Step 7: The Blue region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 4, column 3 (R4C3).
Step 8: The Pink region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 6, column 9 (R6C9).
Step 9: The Gray region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 9, column 4 (R9C4).
Put the queens on R1C6, R2C1, R3C8, R4C3, R5C5, R6C9, R7C2, R8C7, R9C4. That is one queen in every row, every column and every one of the 9 color regions, and no two queens touch.
Which region do you start with in Queens #857?
Start with the Gray region. It sits entirely in row 9, so no other queen can go in row 9.
What are the coordinates of the queens in Queens #857?
R1C6, R2C1, R3C8, R4C3, R5C5, R6C9, R7C2, R8C7, R9C4. In words: row 1 is column 6, row 2 is column 1, row 3 is column 8, row 4 is column 3, row 5 is column 5, row 6 is column 9, row 7 is column 2, row 8 is column 7, row 9 is column 4.