TodayHint

Pips October 15, 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 7 regions. The medium board involves 8 dominoes and 8 regions with a focus on equality and sum constraints. The hard board presents 11 dominoes and 13 regions with complex constraints, demanding a systematic approach.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 7 regions

5–15–64–23–64–0

  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • 3 ×two cells: exactly 10.
  • one cell: more than 1.
  • one cell: more than 2.

Small number of dominoes and regions makes it manageable.

Medium board · 8 dominoes · 8 regions

4–23–35–23–41–45–45–54–0

  • one cell: under 4.
  • 3 ×two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: under 1.
  • four cells: exactly 20.
  • two cells: exactly 6.
  • two cells: exactly 3.

More dominoes and regions add complexity.

Hard board · 11 dominoes · 13 regions

4–64–32–20–54–43–31–42–01–32–43–5

  • 2 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: more than 1.
  • one cell: more than 0.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • three cells: more than 14.
  • one cell: exactly 5.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • four cells: exactly 9.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • three cells: more than 9.
  • one cell: more than 2.
  • two cells: exactly 4.

Many regions and dominoes with varied constraints make it 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, 7 regions (4 sum, 2 greater, 1 empty)
    Medium board
    8 dominoes, 8 regions (3 equals, 3 sum, 2 less)
    Hard board
    11 dominoes, 13 regions (6 greater, 4 sum, 2 empty, 1 equals)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Focus on regions with unique constraints to limit domino placement options.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Start with the region that must contain a sum of 1 over 1 cell.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Identify regions with equality constraints to pair dominoes with matching numbers.

    Begin with the region that requires a sum of 20 over 4 cells.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Look for regions with extreme constraints, like the greatest or sum constraints, to start.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Start with the region requiring a sum of 5 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 4/0 domino first, as it has the most restrictions. Then, use the sum 10 over 2 cells regions to place 5/5 and 4/6 dominoes. Continue with the remaining regions and dominoes.

  • Medium board · 8 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Use the equality constraints to place dominoes like 3/3 and 5/5. Then, focus on sum constraints to place remaining dominoes, ensuring all regions meet their requirements.

  • Hard board · 11 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Begin by placing dominoes that satisfy extreme constraints, such as the region with a sum of 14 over 3 cells. Use the process of elimination and domino number distributions to narrow down options. Place dominoes like 4/6 and 0/5 early on. Continue systematically through the regions, using each constraint to limit domino placement options. Ensure that each domino fits within the constraints of the regions it touches. As the board fills, revisit earlier decisions to ensure consistency across all regions.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
24 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 7 regions
Medium board
8 dominoes · 8 regions
Hard board
11 dominoes · 13 regions

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