2026-01-03
Puzzle guide
Full breakdown using the Strategy coach format — row-by-row placements, region scans, and strategy notes.
Overview
Queens Level 3 is part of our exclusive Queens level track. Queens is LinkedIn's logic puzzle: place exactly one queen in every row, column, and colored region on a 6×6 board, with no two queens touching—even diagonally. This page includes the live board, a solved-board view, and a step-by-step Solution walkthrough. Difficulty: Easy. Estimated solve time: 3–5 min.
Answer
Final queen coordinates for this board:
R1C4, R2C6, R3C2, R4C5, R5C3, R6C1
Several color regions span only a few cells — scan those regions first because they often force a queen into a single row or column.
Analysis
Teaching Queens Level 3: start with region scans on this 6×6 board. 6 regions, sizes 2–11. Walk students through 6 placements ending at R1C4, R2C6, R3C2, R4C5, R5C3, R6C1.
Board spotlight: Several color regions span only a few cells — scan those regions first because they often force a queen into a single row or column. Region sizes range from 2 to 11 cells — smaller regions often pin a queen to a single row intersection.
Lesson step 1: show why R1C4 is forced. Row 1, column 4 is the forced queen once region 2, row, column, and touch rules are applied together. Ask: which rows/columns/regions are now closed?
Lesson step 2: show why R2C6 is forced. Row 2, column 6 is the forced queen once region 3, row, column, and touch rules are applied together. Ask: which rows/columns/regions are now closed?
Lesson step 3: show why R3C2 is forced. Row 3, column 2 is the forced queen once region 1, row, column, and touch rules are applied together. Ask: which rows/columns/regions are now closed?
Lesson step 4: show why R4C5 is forced. After eliminations, row 4 has one legal square left — column 5. Ask: which rows/columns/regions are now closed?
Lesson step 5: show why R5C3 is forced. After eliminations, row 5 has one legal square left — column 3. Ask: which rows/columns/regions are now closed?
Lesson step 6: show why R6C1 is forced. After eliminations, row 6 has one legal square left — column 1. Ask: which rows/columns/regions are now closed?
Recap: 6 queens, 6 regions, one solution path. Replay using region-first scanning.
Rows
Placement insight
Row 1, column 4 is the forced queen once region 2, row, column, and touch rules are applied together.
Solving note
Placing here claims row 1, column 4, and region 2. Auto X marks will block 35 other cells from holding another queen in those units. Watch for elimination patterns on similar boards.
Placement insight
Row 2, column 6 is the forced queen once region 3, row, column, and touch rules are applied together.
Solving note
Placing here claims row 2, column 6, and region 3. Auto X marks will block 35 other cells from holding another queen in those units. Watch for elimination patterns on similar boards.
Placement insight
Row 3, column 2 is the forced queen once region 1, row, column, and touch rules are applied together.
Solving note
Placing here claims row 3, column 2, and region 1. Auto X marks will block 35 other cells from holding another queen in those units. Watch for elimination patterns on similar boards.
Placement insight
After eliminations, row 4 has one legal square left — column 5.
Solving note
Placing here claims row 4, column 5, and region 5. Auto X marks will block 35 other cells from holding another queen in those units. Watch for row Scan patterns on similar boards.
Placement insight
After eliminations, row 5 has one legal square left — column 3.
Solving note
Placing here claims row 5, column 3, and region 4. Auto X marks will block 35 other cells from holding another queen in those units. Watch for row Scan patterns on similar boards.
Placement insight
After eliminations, row 6 has one legal square left — column 1.
Solving note
Placing here claims row 6, column 1, and region 6. Auto X marks will block 35 other cells from holding another queen in those units. Watch for row Scan patterns on similar boards.
Verification
Teach verification by checking units: after the full set R1C4, R2C6, R3C2, R4C5, R5C3, R6C1, each of 6 rows has exactly one queen, each column once, each region once, no neighbors.
Takeaways
6 rows, 6 columns, 6 regions — each gets exactly one queen.
Mark eliminations, then place forced queens, then re-scan regions.
Final set R1C4, R2C6, R3C2, R4C5, R5C3, R6C1 — count queens per row/col/region before celebrating.