TodayHint

Pips September 21, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The easy board requires logical deduction from simple constraints. The medium board adds complexity with more regions and dominoes. The hard board demands meticulous attention to all constraints and dominoes.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 6 regions

1–11–56–11–05–5

  • 2 ×two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • one cell: more than 5.
  • one cell: left uncovered.

Small number of dominoes and simple constraints make this easy.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 9 regions

4–10–06–24–41–05–52–2

  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • 3 ×two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: more than 4.
  • two cells: exactly 6.
  • 2 ×one cell: more than 3.
  • two cells: more than 7.

More regions and dominoes add complexity, but constraints still guide placements.

Hard board · 14 dominoes · 16 regions

0–10–40–50–61–51–62–53–33–64–44–65–55–66–6

  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 6.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 1.
  • 3 ×three cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 4.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 0.
  • two cells: exactly 6.
  • two cells: exactly 10.
  • three cells: exactly 9.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 12.
  • one cell: under 3.

Many dominoes and complex interplay of 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 (3 equals, 1 empty, 1 greater, 1 sum)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 9 regions (4 greater, 3 equals, 1 empty, 1 sum)
    Hard board
    14 dominoes, 16 regions (11 sum, 4 equals, 1 less)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with the fewest possible placements, focusing on those with specific numerical constraints.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that must be empty, as it has the most restrictions.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with sum constraints first, as they often limit domino placement significantly.

    Start with the region that requires a sum of 6 over 2 cells, as it's highly restrictive.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with multiple constraints or high target sums, as these will have the fewest possible solutions.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with a region that has a sum constraint over a small number of 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 · 5 dominoes

    Easy board walkthrough

    Place the 1/0 domino in the empty region. Then, use the equals over 2 cells constraint to place the 1/1 and 5/5 dominoes. Next, the greater 5 over 1 cell constraint helps place the 6/1 domino. The sum 1 over 1 cell constraint then places the 1/5 domino. Finally, adjust the remaining domino to fit.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing dominoes in sum-constrained regions. Use the equals and greater constraints to limit options. Place the 5/5 and 4/4 dominoes early. Then, fit in the remaining dominoes around these fixed points, ensuring all constraints are met.

  • Hard board · 14 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start with the sum 0 over 1 cell constraint, placing the 0/0 domino. Then, use sum 6 over 1 cell and sum 1 over 1 cell to place 6/6 and 1/0 dominoes. Continue with equals over 3 cells to place 4/4 and 5/5 dominoes. The sum 10 over 2 cells and sum 9 over 3 cells constraints guide further placements. Methodically work through the remaining regions, using all constraints to ensure a valid solution.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Monday, September 21, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
26 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 6 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 9 regions
Hard board
14 dominoes · 16 regions

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