TodayHint

Pips August 17, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The easy board requires strategic placement of 5 dominoes across 6 regions. The medium board adds complexity with 7 dominoes and varied constraints. The hard board is the most challenging with 13 dominoes and 12 regions.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 6 regions

6–11–02–60–65–4

  • 2 ×one cell: under 1.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 7.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: left uncovered.

Small number of dominoes and simple constraints make this easy.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 5 regions

2–36–05–50–02–20–55–2

  • four cells: under 9.
  • four cells: exactly 2.
  • one cell: more than 2.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • four cells: all matching.

More dominoes and varied constraints increase the challenge.

Hard board · 13 dominoes · 12 regions

0–20–30–40–50–61–11–31–41–51–62–22–42–6

  • 2 ×two cells: more than 10.
  • two cells: under 3.
  • two cells: more than 9.
  • 4 ×two cells: exactly 4.
  • two cells: exactly 0.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • four cells: exactly 4.
  • one cell: exactly 4.

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, 6 regions (2 equals, 2 less, 1 empty, 1 sum)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 5 regions (2 greater, 1 equals, 1 less, 1 sum)
    Hard board
    13 dominoes, 12 regions (7 sum, 3 greater, 1 equals, 1 less)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with the fewest possible placements, focusing on equals and sum constraints.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that must have a specific number of cells filled.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with limited domino options and start by placing dominoes with unique numbers.

    Start with the region that has a sum constraint over a small number of cells.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with multiple constraints and dominoes with numbers that appear frequently.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with a region that has a sum or equals constraint over a few 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 6/1 in top left, then 1/0 below it. Next, place 2/6 and 0/6 in the top row. Place 5/4 in the bottom right corner. Adjust placements to fit all constraints.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing 0/0 in a corner, then 2/3 and 6/0 nearby. Place 5/5 and 2/2 in a row. Adjust to fit the greater and less constraints.

  • Hard board · 13 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing 1/1, 2/2, and 0/0 in corners. Place 0/2, 0/3, 0/4, 0/5, 0/6 in a column. Continue with 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6, 2/4, 2/6. Adjust to fit all constraints, ensuring greater and less conditions are met. Finalize with 5/5 and 5/2 placements.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Monday, August 17, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
25 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 6 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 5 regions
Hard board
13 dominoes · 12 regions

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