TodayHint

Pips August 11, 2026: Hints & Answers

Constructed by Ian Livengood, Ian Livengood, Rodolfo Kurchan, edited by Ian Livengood.

Recap

The easy board requires logical placement of 5 dominoes. The medium board adds complexity with 8 dominoes and varied constraints. The hard board is the most challenging with 15 dominoes and 17 regions.

The three boards that day

The tray and each region's rule — board data, no solutions.

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 5 regions

1–01–11–21–51–6

  • one cell: more than 5.
  • six cells: all matching.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: under 2.

Small number of dominoes and regions makes this easy.

Medium board · 8 dominoes · 9 regions

0–54–66–63–24–40–06–51–0

  • 2 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • 2 ×one cell: more than 5.
  • three cells: under 3.
  • two cells: exactly 7.
  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 5.
  • three cells: all matching.

More dominoes and regions add complexity.

Hard board · 15 dominoes · 17 regions

6–61–03–50–46–32–01–46–03–30–05–52–35–02–60–3

  • two cells: exactly 5.
  • 3 ×one cell: exactly 2.
  • 3 ×one cell: exactly 3.
  • two cells: exactly 0.
  • three cells: exactly 16.
  • three cells: exactly 17.
  • five cells: all matching.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 5.
  • one cell: exactly 0.
  • two cells: exactly 10.
  • two cells: exactly 9.
  • one cell: exactly 1.

Many dominoes and complex constraints make this challenging.

Pips hints, one rung at a time

Six rungs, easy board first. The recap above already named the walkthroughs, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying the boards fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.

  1. How the three boards compared

    Sizes and constraint mixes, counted off the boards.

    Easy board
    5 dominoes, 5 regions (2 greater, 1 empty, 1 equals, 1 less)
    Medium board
    8 dominoes, 9 regions (3 sum, 2 empty, 2 greater, 1 equals, 1 less)
    Hard board
    15 dominoes, 17 regions (15 sum, 2 equals)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with the most constraints. Look for dominoes that can only fit in one or two places.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that must contain a greater 3 over just 1 cell.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Focus on regions with specific sum constraints. Try to place dominoes that satisfy multiple conditions at once.

    Start with the region that requires a sum of 7 over 2 cells.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

    Where the hard board differed in kind, not just size.

    Look for regions with the most restrictive constraints first. Try to satisfy sum conditions with high domino values.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with the region that must contain a sum of 0 over 2 cells.

    Open the full walkthroughs

Every Pips walkthrough from that day

All three walkthroughs, folded: each one places every domino on its board, one after another.

  • Easy board · 5 dominoes

    Easy board walkthrough

    Place 1/0 in the empty region. Then, put 1/1 in the greater 3 region. Next, place 1/2 in the greater 5 region. After that, 1/5 goes in the equals region. Finally, 1/6 fits in the less 2 region.

  • Medium board · 8 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing 0/0 in the empty region. Then, put 0/5 in the sum 5 region. Next, place 1/0 in the sum 7 region. After that, 3/2 fits in the less 3 region. Continue with 4/4 in the equals region. Then, 4/6 and 6/6 can be placed in the greater 5 regions. Finally, 6/5 completes the board.

  • Hard board · 15 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing 0/0 in the sum 0 region. Then, put 0/3 in another sum 3 region. Next, place 0/4 in the sum 4 region is not available, so 0/5 fits in a sum 5 region. Continue with 1/0 in a sum 1 region. After that, 1/4 and 2/0 can be placed in sum regions. Then, 2/3 and 3/3 fit in their respective sum regions. Place 3/5 in a sum 8 region. Next, 5/0 and 5/5 can be placed. After that, 6/0, 6/3, and 6/6 fit in their respective regions. Finally, 2/6 completes the board.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
28 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 5 regions
Medium board
8 dominoes · 9 regions
Hard board
15 dominoes · 17 regions

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