TodayHint

Pips September 15, 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 7 regions. The medium board involves 7 dominoes and 6 regions with multiple equality constraints. The hard board features 14 dominoes and 16 regions with a mix of sum, difference, and equality constraints, requiring careful planning and attention to detail.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 7 regions

6–63–64–55–50–6

  • one cell: under 4.
  • two cells: exactly 12.
  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 11.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: under 3.
  • one cell: exactly 5.

This board is relatively straightforward due to the small number of dominoes and regions.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 6 regions

0–10–30–50–61–51–63–5

  • two cells: exactly 6.
  • four cells: all matching.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • 2 ×two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: left uncovered.

This board requires more careful planning due to the multiple equality constraints.

Hard board · 14 dominoes · 16 regions

3–25–53–62–51–43–56–42–16–54–26–64–41–65–4

  • 4 ×three cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 4.
  • 3 ×one cell: exactly 3.
  • two cells: exactly 2.
  • one cell: exactly 6.
  • 3 ×two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 2.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • one cell: exactly 5.

This board is challenging due to the large number of dominoes and regions, as well as the complex interplay of 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, 7 regions (4 sum, 2 less, 1 empty)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 6 regions (4 equals, 1 empty, 1 sum)
    Hard board
    14 dominoes, 16 regions (9 sum, 7 equals)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with the most constraints and look for dominoes that can only fit in one place.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    The region with a sum of 12 over 2 cells, as it has the most limited options.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with equality constraints and try to find dominoes that can satisfy multiple equalities at once.

    The region with an equality constraint over 4 cells, as it has the most restrictions.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with sum constraints and try to find dominoes that can fit in multiple places.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    The region with a sum of 6 over 1 cell, as it has a limited range of options.

    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 6/6 domino in the region with the sum of 12. Then, fit the 5/5 domino in the region that requires a sum of 11 over 2 cells. Next, place the 4/5 domino in the region with a difference of less than 4 over 1 cell. Continue with the 3/6 and 0/6 dominoes, using the constraints to guide the placements.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Place the 0/1 domino in the region with the equality over 4 cells. Then, fit the 1/5 and 1/6 dominoes in the regions with equality constraints over 2 and 3 cells. Continue with the remaining dominoes, using the sum and equality constraints to guide the placements.

  • Hard board · 14 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Begin by placing the 6/4 domino in the region with the sum of 6. Then, fit the 5/5 domino in the region with a sum of 4 over 1 cell. Continue with the remaining dominoes, using the constraints to guide the placements. The 6/6 domino goes in the region with a sum of 5 over 1 cell. The 3/6 domino fits in the region with a sum of 3 over 1 cell. The 4/4 domino goes in the region with an equality constraint over 2 cells. The 2/5 domino fits in the region with a sum of 2 over 2 cells. The 1/4 domino goes in the region with a sum of 1 over 1 cell. The 3/5 domino fits in the region with an equality constraint over 3 cells. The 2/1 domino goes in the region with a sum of 3 over 1 cell. The 6/5 domino fits in the region with an equality constraint over 2 cells. The 4/2 domino goes in the region with a sum of 2 over 1 cell. The 5/4 domino fits in the region with an equality constraint over 3 cells. The 1/6 domino goes in the region with a sum of 5 over 1 cell.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
26 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 7 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 6 regions
Hard board
14 dominoes · 16 regions

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