TodayHint

Pips September 2, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The easy board requires strategic placement of 4 dominoes across 6 regions. The medium board involves 7 dominoes and 8 regions with varied constraints. The hard board features 14 dominoes and 14 regions, demanding careful consideration of multiple constraints.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 4 dominoes · 6 regions

4–14–44–03–0

  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 4.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 4.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: under 4.

Small number of dominoes and simple constraints make this easy.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 8 regions

5–05–65–43–23–54–33–1

  • two cells: exactly 3.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • 2 ×one cell: more than 4.
  • one cell: under 2.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • three cells: exactly 9.

Moderate number of dominoes and varied constraints present a challenge.

Hard board · 14 dominoes · 14 regions

0–30–51–41–62–22–42–63–43–54–44–54–65–55–6

  • three cells: all matching.
  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 12.
  • 2 ×one cell: under 3.
  • six cells: all matching.
  • four cells: all matching.
  • 2 ×one cell: more than 3.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • 2 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • two cells: exactly 8.
  • two cells: all matching.

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
    4 dominoes, 6 regions (4 sum, 1 empty, 1 less)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 8 regions (2 equals, 2 greater, 2 sum, 1 empty, 1 less)
    Hard board
    14 dominoes, 14 regions (4 equals, 4 sum, 2 empty, 2 greater, 2 less)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Focus on regions with limited possibilities, such as those with a single cell or a small target sum.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that requires a sum of 4 over 2 cells.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Identify regions with strict constraints, like equals or greater/less than, to limit domino placement options.

    Start with the region that requires a sum of 3 over 2 cells.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Look for dominoes that can satisfy multiple constraints simultaneously to reduce the search space.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with the region that requires equals over 6 cells.

    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 · 4 dominoes

    Easy board walkthrough

    Place the 4/1 domino to satisfy the sum 4 over 2 cells region. Then, position the 4/0 domino to fulfill the sum 4 over 1 cell region. Next, place the 3/0 domino to meet the sum 4 over 1 cell and empty over 1 cell conditions. Finally, place the 4/4 domino to complete the puzzle.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing the 5/0 domino to satisfy the greater 4 over 1 cell region. Then, position the 3/2 domino to meet the sum 3 over 2 cells and equals over 2 cells conditions. Continue with the 5/4 domino for the sum 9 over 3 cells region. Place the 4/3 domino to fulfill the equals over 3 cells condition. Next, position the 3/5 and 3/1 dominoes to satisfy their respective regions. Finally, place the 5/6 and 4/4 dominoes to complete the puzzle.

  • Hard board · 14 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing the 0/3 and 0/5 dominoes to satisfy the equals over 6 cells and sum 12 over 2 cells regions. Then, position the 5/5 and 4/4 dominoes to meet the equals over 4 cells and sum 8 over 2 cells conditions. Continue with the 2/2 domino for the less 3 over 1 cell region. Place the 1/4 and 1/6 dominoes to fulfill the greater 3 over 1 cell regions. Next, position the 2/4 and 2/6 dominoes to satisfy their respective regions. Then, place the 3/4 and 3/5 dominoes to meet the equals over 3 cells and sum 12 over 2 cells conditions. Finally, place the 4/5, 4/6, and 5/6 dominoes to complete the puzzle, ensuring all regions meet their constraints.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
25 across the three boards
Easy board
4 dominoes · 6 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 8 regions
Hard board
14 dominoes · 14 regions

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