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Pips October 1, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The easy board requires strategic placement of 5 dominoes across 5 regions. The medium board adds more complexity with 7 dominoes and 9 regions. The hard board challenges solvers with 16 dominoes and 32 regions, demanding careful attention to constraint satisfaction.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 5 regions

4–60–05–61–00–4

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

Small number of dominoes and regions makes it manageable.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 9 regions

4–64–16–01–13–54–52–1

  • two cells: all matching.
  • 3 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • two cells: more than 9.
  • four cells: under 7.
  • one cell: exactly 4.
  • one cell: under 4.
  • one cell: under 3.

More regions and dominoes require careful planning.

Hard board · 16 dominoes · 32 regions

1–32–61–56–01–25–62–36–62–03–60–04–13–52–42–51–6

  • 5 ×one cell: exactly 1.
  • 5 ×one cell: exactly 2.
  • 4 ×one cell: exactly 5.
  • 3 ×one cell: exactly 3.
  • 7 ×one cell: exactly 6.
  • 3 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • 4 ×one cell: exactly 0.
  • one cell: exactly 4.

Large number of dominoes and regions requires meticulous planning and tracking.

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 sum, 1 equals, 1 greater, 1 less)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 9 regions (3 empty, 3 less, 1 equals, 1 greater, 1 sum)
    Hard board
    16 dominoes, 32 regions (29 sum, 3 empty)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with the fewest possible values and work from there.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that has a sum constraint over 2 cells.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Focus on regions with specific values or narrow ranges of possibilities.

    Start with a region that has an equals constraint over 2 cells.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Look for regions with very limited possibilities and build from there.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Start with a region that has a sum constraint over 1 cell.

    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 0/4 domino first, as it only fits in one region. Then, use the sum 10 over 2 cell(s) region to place the 5/6 and 4/6 dominoes. The greater 4 over 1 cell(s) region helps place the 1/0 domino. Finally, adjust the remaining domino to fit.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing dominoes that satisfy the equals and sum constraints. Use the greater 9 over 2 cell(s) region to guide placement of higher-value dominoes. Then, fit in the remaining dominoes around these fixed points, ensuring all regions meet their constraints.

  • Hard board · 16 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Begin with regions that have sum constraints of 0 or 1, as these have limited options. Place dominoes that satisfy these constraints first. Then, use the regions with higher sum constraints to guide the placement of dominoes with larger values. Continue this process, working from the most constrained regions outward. Ensure that each placement is checked against all affected regions to avoid conflicts. As the board fills, focus on satisfying the comparison constraints, adjusting placements as needed to meet these conditions. Finally, review the board to ensure all regions meet their constraints.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
28 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 5 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 9 regions
Hard board
16 dominoes · 32 regions

More Pips

See the live Pips hints and answers page for the current boards, or browse every archived Pips date by month.

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