TodayHint

Pips August 21, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The easy board requires straightforward placement based on region constraints. The medium board demands strategic thinking to satisfy various constraints. The hard board is the most challenging, with a large number of dominoes and complex regional requirements.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 7 regions

5–26–31–53–54–0

  • 2 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: under 1.
  • one cell: more than 4.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: more than 1.

This board is relatively straightforward due to the small number of dominoes and simple region constraints.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 7 regions

1–26–45–54–30–06–64–1

  • one cell: more than 3.
  • three cells: exactly 8.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: under 4.
  • three cells: under 3.

This board requires more strategic thinking due to the mix of constraint types and domino values.

Hard board · 16 dominoes · 15 regions

3–46–12–26–34–13–32–40–63–12–56–61–52–35–54–43–5

  • 3 ×two cells: all matching.
  • 2 ×one cell: more than 3.
  • 2 ×one cell: under 3.
  • one cell: exactly 5.
  • 2 ×four cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 3.
  • six cells: all different.
  • three cells: more than 15.
  • two cells: more than 10.
  • one cell: under 2.

This board is challenging due to its large size, complex constraints, and numerous dominoes to place.

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, 7 regions (2 empty, 2 equals, 2 greater, 1 less)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 7 regions (2 equals, 2 less, 1 empty, 1 greater, 1 sum)
    Hard board
    16 dominoes, 15 regions (5 equals, 4 greater, 3 less, 2 sum, 1 unequal)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with the fewest possible domino placements, focusing on those with specific numerical constraints.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the equals region covering 3 cells, as it has limited domino placement options.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with unique constraints that can help anchor domino placements, then work outward.

    Start with the sum 8 over 3 cell region, as it has a specific target value to achieve.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with the most restrictive constraints first, such as those with specific sum or equality requirements.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with the equals over 4 cell region, as it has limited domino placement options due to its size and constraint.

    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 5/2 domino in the greater 4 over 1 cell region. Then, fit the 6/3 domino into the equals over 3 cell region. Next, position the 1/5 domino in the empty over 1 cell region. The 3/5 domino goes in the less 1 over 1 cell region. Finally, place the 4/0 domino in the greater 1 over 1 cell region.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing the 0/0 domino in the empty over 1 cell region. Then, position the 1/2 domino in the less 3 over 3 cell region. Next, fit the 6/4 domino into the greater 3 over 1 cell region. The 5/5 domino goes in the equals over 2 cell region. Continue with the 4/3 domino in the equals over 3 cell region, and the 6/6 domino in the less 4 over 1 cell region. Finally, place the 4/1 domino in the remaining region.

  • Hard board · 16 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing the 6/6 domino in the equals over 2 cell region. Then, position the 5/5 domino in the equals over 4 cell region. Next, fit the 4/4 domino into another equals over 2 cell region. The 3/3 domino and 2/2 domino go in their respective equals regions. Continue placing dominoes in a way that satisfies the regional constraints, such as the 6/1 domino in the greater 3 over 1 cell region, and the 3/4 domino in the less 2 over 1 cell region. As the board fills, focus on satisfying the sum and unequal constraints. The 0/6 domino goes in the greater 15 over 3 cell region. Finally, carefully place the remaining dominoes to meet all regional requirements.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Friday, August 21, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
28 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 7 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 7 regions
Hard board
16 dominoes · 15 regions

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