TodayHint

Pips September 11, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The easy board requires strategic placement to meet simple constraints. The medium board adds complexity with more dominoes and constraints. The hard board demands careful planning to satisfy multiple complex constraints across all regions.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 7 regions

5–23–34–51–23–4

  • one cell: exactly 3.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • 2 ×two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 6.
  • one cell: under 3.

Small number of dominoes and simple constraints make this easy.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 8 regions

2–16–35–26–12–41–53–4

  • 2 ×two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 10.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: more than 1.
  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 8.
  • two cells: exactly 4.

More dominoes and constraints than easy board, requiring more planning.

Hard board · 14 dominoes · 11 regions

5–03–16–03–30–01–14–02–25–10–32–60–13–42–0

  • three cells: exactly 6.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 3.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • two cells: exactly 3.
  • two cells: exactly 9.
  • two cells: exactly 5.
  • eight cells: all matching.
  • one cell: under 3.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • six cells: all different.

Large number of 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, 7 regions (2 equals, 2 sum, 1 empty, 1 greater, 1 less)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 8 regions (4 sum, 2 equals, 1 empty, 1 greater)
    Hard board
    14 dominoes, 11 regions (7 sum, 1 equals, 1 greater, 1 less, 1 unequal)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with unique constraints, focusing on those that limit domino placement.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that must sum to 3 over a single cell.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with multiple constraints and start placing dominoes that satisfy more than one condition.

    Start with the equals over 2 cells region.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Identify and prioritize regions with the most restrictive constraints, such as the unequal over 6 cells.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Focus on the region that requires a sum of 1 over a single 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 1/2 domino to satisfy the sum 3 region. Then, fit the 3/3 domino into the equals over 2 cells region. Next, place the 3/4 domino, ensuring it meets the greater 3 constraint. The 4/5 domino goes in the sum 6 over 2 cells area. Finally, position the 5/2 domino to fulfill the less 3 and equals constraints.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing the 2/2 domino if possible, then use the equals over 2 cells constraint to guide placement of other dominoes like 6/3 and 5/2. The 2/4 and 3/4 dominoes will help satisfy sum constraints. Position the 1/5 domino to meet the greater 1 constraint. Use the empty region to place the remaining dominoes.

  • Hard board · 14 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing dominoes with 0, like 5/0 and 0/3, to satisfy sum and unequal constraints. Then, position dominoes with 1, such as 1/1 and 0/1, to meet sum 3 and 1 constraints. Continue with dominoes like 3/1 and 2/0 to fulfill greater and less constraints. Use the equals over 8 cells constraint to guide placement of dominoes like 3/3 and 2/2. Ensure the sum 9 over 2 cells and sum 5 over 2 cells regions are satisfied with appropriate dominoes. Finally, fit in the remaining dominoes, like 4/0 and 2/6, to meet the sum 6 over 3 cells and other constraints.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Friday, September 11, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
26 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 7 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 8 regions
Hard board
14 dominoes · 11 regions

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