Solved step by step / November 1, 2026

The crescent moon, solved in 21 steps

This is the 7x7 puzzle from November 1, 2026, solved one line at a time. Press Next step and the page tells you which technique makes each move.

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Step 0

The highlighted line is the one being used. New boxes are colored and new crosses are shaded.

In our words

Techniques used

The solver was allowed nine named rules and used 6 of them on this puzzle, 3 full sweeps of rows and columns. Each link goes to the lesson.

The first moves in words

Nothing is known at the start, so the first moves can only use the clues themselves.

  1. Row 1 (clue 4): the clue needs 4 of 7 squares, so the slack is 3. A run of 4 is longer than the slack, so part of it is covered wherever it sits. Fill square 4. (Technique: simple boxes.)
  2. Row 7 (clue 4): the clue needs 4 of 7 squares, so the slack is 3. A run of 4 is longer than the slack, so part of it is covered wherever it sits. Fill square 4. (Technique: simple boxes.)
  3. Column 2 (clue 5): the clue needs 5 of 7 squares, so the slack is 2. A run of 5 is longer than the slack, so part of it is covered wherever it sits. Fill squares 3 to 5. (Technique: simple boxes.)

Every step, written out

Show the full written solve (21 steps)
  1. Row 1 (clue 4): the clue needs 4 of 7 squares, so the slack is 3. A run of 4 is longer than the slack, so part of it is covered wherever it sits. Fill square 4. (Technique: simple boxes.)
  2. Row 7 (clue 4): the clue needs 4 of 7 squares, so the slack is 3. A run of 4 is longer than the slack, so part of it is covered wherever it sits. Fill square 4. (Technique: simple boxes.)
  3. Column 2 (clue 5): the clue needs 5 of 7 squares, so the slack is 2. A run of 5 is longer than the slack, so part of it is covered wherever it sits. Fill squares 3 to 5. (Technique: simple boxes.)
  4. Column 3 (clue 7) totals 7 boxes, 0 are placed and only 7 squares are open, so none of the open squares can be spared. Fill squares 1 to 7. (Technique: completing a line.)
  5. Column 4 (clue 2 2): the first box is on square 1, right against the edge. That is closer than the first clue (2) is long, so that run has to include the box. Pushed against the start it reaches square 2, so everything from the box to there is filled. Fill square 2. (Technique: glue.)
  6. Column 4 (clue 2 2): the last box is on square 7, right against the far edge. That is closer than the last clue (2) is long, so that run has to include the box. Pushed against the end it reaches square 6, so everything from the box to there is filled. Fill square 6. (Technique: glue.)
  7. Column 7 (clue 0) has a total of 0, so nothing in it is filled. Cross out squares 1 to 7. (Technique: completing a line.)
  8. Row 2 (clue 3): once finished runs are set aside only the 3 is left, and it must cover squares 3 and 4. It can begin no earlier than square 2 and end no later than square 5, so it can only occupy squares 2 to 5. The squares outside that are out of reach. Cross out squares 1 and 6. (Technique: simple spaces.)
  9. Row 3 (clue 3): the last box is on square 3, exactly 3 squares in from the cross on square 7, which is the length of the last clue. It is part of a run of 2. A run of 3 covering it cannot end after square 4, so the squares after that are never used. Cross out squares 5 and 6. (Technique: mercury.)
  10. Row 4 (clue 3): the last box is on square 3, exactly 3 squares in from the cross on square 7, which is the length of the last clue. It is part of a run of 2. A run of 3 covering it cannot end after square 4, so the squares after that are never used. Cross out squares 5 and 6. (Technique: mercury.)
  11. Row 5 (clue 3): the last box is on square 3, exactly 3 squares in from the cross on square 7, which is the length of the last clue. It is part of a run of 2. A run of 3 covering it cannot end after square 4, so the squares after that are never used. Cross out squares 5 and 6. (Technique: mercury.)
  12. Row 6 (clue 3): once finished runs are set aside only the 3 is left, and it must cover squares 3 and 4. It can begin no earlier than square 2 and end no later than square 5, so it can only occupy squares 2 to 5. The squares outside that are out of reach. Cross out squares 1 and 6. (Technique: simple spaces.)
  13. Column 1 (clue 3): the crosses split the line into rooms (squares 1, 3 to 5 and 7). A run cannot cross a cross, and clues keep their order, so the runs have fewer places to go. Fill squares 3 to 5. Cross out squares 1 and 7. (Technique: forcing.)
  14. Column 4 (clue 2 2) totals 4 boxes and all are already placed, so the line is complete. Cross out squares 3 to 5. (Technique: completing a line.)
  15. Column 6 (clue 1 1) totals 2 boxes, 0 are placed and only 2 squares are open, so none of the open squares can be spared. Fill squares 1 and 7. (Technique: completing a line.)
  16. Row 1 (clue 4): once finished runs are set aside only the 4 is left, and it must cover squares 3 to 6. It can begin no earlier than square 3 and end no later than square 6, so it can only occupy squares 3 to 6. The squares outside that are out of reach. Cross out square 2. (Technique: simple spaces.)
  17. Row 1 (clue 4): the first box is on square 3, right against the cross on square 2. That is closer than the first clue (4) is long, so that run has to include the box. Pushed against the start it reaches square 6, so everything from the box to there is filled. Fill square 5. (Technique: glue.)
  18. Row 7 (clue 4): once finished runs are set aside only the 4 is left, and it must cover squares 3 to 6. It can begin no earlier than square 3 and end no later than square 6, so it can only occupy squares 3 to 6. The squares outside that are out of reach. Cross out square 2. (Technique: simple spaces.)
  19. Row 7 (clue 4): the first box is on square 3, right against the cross on square 2. That is closer than the first clue (4) is long, so that run has to include the box. Pushed against the start it reaches square 6, so everything from the box to there is filled. Fill square 5. (Technique: glue.)
  20. Column 2 (clue 5) totals 5 boxes, 3 are placed and only 2 squares are open, so none of the open squares can be spared. Fill squares 2 and 6. (Technique: completing a line.)
  21. Column 5 (clue 1 1) totals 2 boxes and all are already placed, so the line is complete. Cross out squares 2 and 6. (Technique: completing a line.)
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Questions

Which puzzle is this?

The daily GRIDS puzzle for November 1, 2026, a 7x7 picture of a crescent moon. It is already in the archive, so working through it will not give away a puzzle that is still live.

Is every step logic, or did the solver guess?

Every one of the 21 steps is a line deduction that follows from the clue and the squares already known. Nothing is guessed or tried and then undone.

Why does the same technique appear so many times?

Because a puzzle has many lines. Here completing a line accounts for 6 of 21 moves, mostly because it is the quickest way to finish a line.