TodayHint

Pips August 20, 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 involves 7 dominoes and 7 regions with various constraints. The hard board features 13 dominoes and 14 regions, requiring careful consideration of complex constraints.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 6 regions

4–06–54–15–13–3

  • one cell: under 1.
  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 10.
  • three cells: exactly 10.
  • 2 ×one cell: left uncovered.

This board is relatively simple due to the few dominoes and straightforward constraints.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 7 regions

4–10–24–42–51–23–45–6

  • three cells: exactly 12.
  • 2 ×one cell: under 2.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 9.
  • two cells: exactly 5.

This board requires more strategic thinking due to the variety of constraints and dominoes.

Hard board · 13 dominoes · 14 regions

3–64–40–16–53–32–16–40–05–53–42–56–64–5

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

This board is challenging due to the many dominoes and complex constraints.

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 (3 sum, 2 empty, 1 less)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 7 regions (3 sum, 2 equals, 2 less)
    Hard board
    13 dominoes, 14 regions (6 greater, 3 equals, 3 sum, 1 empty, 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 sums and empty cells.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    The region with a sum of 10 over 2 cells is a good starting point.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with specific number constraints and try to place dominoes that satisfy multiple conditions at once.

    The region with a sum of 12 over 3 cells is a good starting point.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with strict constraints like equals and greater, and try to place dominoes that satisfy multiple conditions.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    The region with a sum of 3 over 2 cells is a good starting point.

    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 the 4/0 domino, then the 3/3 domino. Next, place the 5/1 domino, followed by the 4/1 domino. Finally, place the 6/5 domino, ensuring all regions meet their constraints.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin with the 4/1 and 1/2 dominoes, then place the 3/4 domino. Continue with the 2/5 and 5/6 dominoes, ensuring the sum and equals constraints are met. Place the 0/2 and 4/4 dominoes last.

  • Hard board · 13 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing the 0/0 and 3/3 dominoes, satisfying the equals and sum constraints. Then, place the 4/4 and 5/5 dominoes, followed by the 3/6 and 6/5 dominoes. Continue with the 2/1 and 6/4 dominoes, ensuring the greater and less constraints are met. Place the 0/1 and 2/5 dominoes, then the 6/6 domino. Finally, place the 3/4 and 4/5 dominoes, satisfying all constraints.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
25 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 6 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 7 regions
Hard board
13 dominoes · 14 regions

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