LinkedIn Queens answer for Saturday, October 3: #886

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.

1. Step 1: The Yellow region sits entirely in column 1, so no other queen can go in column 1. The Purple, Orange, Blue, Green, Yellow, Red and Pink regions sit entirely in rows 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, so no other queen can go in those rows. The Gray region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 8, column 9 (R8C9).
2. Step 2: The Purple and Orange regions sit entirely in rows 1 and 2, so no other queen can go in those rows. A queen in row 1, column 6 would leave the Orange region with no open square, so that square is out. A queen in row 2, column 7 would leave the Green region with no open square, so that square is out. Row 2 has only one open square left, so its queen goes in column 3 (Purple region) (R2C3).
3. Step 3: Row 7 has only one open square left, so its queen goes in column 7 (Red region) (R7C7).
4. Step 4: The Orange region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 1, column 8 (R1C8).
5. Step 5: The Green region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 3, column 6 (R3C6).
6. Step 6: Column 5 has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 9 (Teal region) (R9C5).
7. Step 7: The Blue region sits entirely in row 4, so no other queen can go in row 4. A queen in row 5, column 1 would leave column 2 with no open square, so that square is out. The Yellow region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 6, column 1 (R6C1).
8. Step 8: The Pink region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 5, column 4 (R5C4).
9. Step 9: The Blue region has only one open square left, so its queen goes in row 4, column 2 (R4C2).

Answer coordinates: R1C8, R2C3, R3C6, R4C2, R5C4, R6C1, R7C7, R8C9, R9C5