TodayHint

Pips September 20, 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 6 regions with basic constraints. The medium board adds more dominoes and varied constraints, requiring careful planning. The hard board features 14 dominoes and complex constraints, demanding a systematic approach to solve.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 6 regions

0–06–03–14–12–4

  • three cells: all matching.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 1.
  • two cells: exactly 8.
  • two cells: exactly 9.
  • one cell: left uncovered.

Small number of dominoes and simple constraints make this easy.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 8 regions

5–41–64–22–55–64–42–3

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

More dominoes and varied constraints increase the challenge.

Hard board · 14 dominoes · 15 regions

5–02–21–05–52–05–12–64–15–20–03–20–61–10–4

  • one cell: under 3.
  • 3 ×one cell: more than 3.
  • 2 ×one cell: under 2.
  • 2 ×three cells: all matching.
  • five cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 8.
  • 2 ×one cell: more than 4.
  • two cells: exactly 10.
  • two cells: exactly 5.
  • three cells: exactly 9.

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, 6 regions (4 sum, 1 empty, 1 equals)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 8 regions (4 sum, 2 greater, 1 equals, 1 less)
    Hard board
    14 dominoes, 15 regions (5 greater, 4 sum, 3 equals, 3 less)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with the fewest possible domino placements, focusing on equals and sum constraints.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that must have an equal value across 3 cells.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with strict constraints like greater or less than a certain value to limit domino options.

    Start with a region that has a sum constraint over 2 cells.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with the most restrictive constraints first, like equals over 5 cells or specific sum targets.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with the equals over 5 cells region to establish a foundation.

    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 0/0 domino in the empty region. Use the equals over 3 cells to place 6/0. Then, fit in 3/1 and 4/1 around the equals region. The 2/4 domino goes in the sum 8 region.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin with the sum 9 over 2 cells region. Try to place dominoes that fit the greater and less constraints early on. Use the process of elimination for tricky regions.

  • Hard board · 14 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing dominoes in the equals over 5 cells and sum 9 over 3 cells regions. Use these placements to inform the greater and less than constraints in other regions. Systematically work through the dominoes, using each region's constraints to narrow down possible placements. Pay special attention to the dominoes with high and low numbers, as they will have limited placement options. As you progress, revisit earlier regions to ensure all constraints are satisfied. The process will require careful tracking of possible placements and iterative refinement.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
26 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 6 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 8 regions
Hard board
14 dominoes · 15 regions

More Pips

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

Try another puzzle