Pips answers for Sunday, September 20, 2026

Hints first, answers last — open only what you need. Puzzles edited by Ian Livengood.

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Easy Pips answer — September 20, 2026

5 dominoes · 4×5 board · by Ian Livengood

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the “=” region at the top: all 3 cells must show the same number, and only 0s appear on enough dominoes to fill it.

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the “=” region at the top: 0, 0, 0
  • the single-cell 1 region at the left: 1
  • the 8 region at the left: 4, 4
  • the 9 region at the right: 3, 6
  • the single-cell 1 region at the bottom-right: 1
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. Row 1, column 3 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 3; the “=” region at the top needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 0–0 domino vertically on row 1, column 3 and row 2, column 3.
  2. Row 2, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 4; the “=” region at the top needs every pip to match (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 0–6 domino vertically on row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 4.
  3. Row 3, column 5 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 5; the 9 region at the right needs a total of exactly 9 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 1–3 domino vertically on row 3, column 5 and row 4, column 5.
  4. Row 2, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 2; the single-cell 1 region at the left needs a total of exactly 1 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–4 domino vertically on row 2, column 2 and row 3, column 2.
  5. Row 3, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 1; the 8 region at the left needs a total of exactly 8 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 2–4 domino vertically on row 3, column 1 and row 4, column 1.
Full answer board
=1891

Medium Pips answer — September 20, 2026

7 dominoes · 4×5 board · by Ian Livengood

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the 9 region at the right: only 3 + 6, or 4 + 5 can make it with these dominoes.

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the single-cell “>3” region at the top-right: 6
  • the single-cell “>3” region at the left: 4
  • the “=” region at the center: 2, 2, 2
  • the 9 region at the right: 3, 6
  • the 9 region at the right: 4, 5
  • the single-cell “<3” region at the center: 1
  • the 9 region at the bottom: 4, 5
  • the 9 region at the bottom-right: 4, 5
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. The 9 region at the right needs a total of exactly 9 — 5 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 5–6 domino vertically on row 1, column 5 and row 2, column 5.
  2. The 9 region at the right needs a total of exactly 9 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — 4 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 4–4 domino vertically on row 3, column 5 and row 4, column 5.
  3. The 9 region at the bottom-right needs a total of exactly 9 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 4–5 domino horizontally on row 4, column 3 and row 4, column 4.
  4. The “=” region at the center needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 2–5 domino vertically on row 3, column 2 and row 4, column 2.
  5. Row 2, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 2; the single-cell “>3” region at the left must total more than 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 2–4 domino horizontally on row 2, column 1 and row 2, column 2.
  6. The “=” region at the center needs every pip to match (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 2–3 domino horizontally on row 2, column 3 and row 2, column 4.
  7. Row 3, column 3 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 4; the single-cell “<3” region at the center must total less than 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–6 domino horizontally on row 3, column 3 and row 3, column 4.

This board has more than one valid layout; the steps follow the official answer.

Full answer board
>3>3=99<399

Hard Pips answer — September 20, 2026

14 dominoes · 9×8 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the 10 region at the center: only 4 + 6, or 5 + 5 can make it with these dominoes.

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the single-cell “<3” region at the top-left: 1
  • the single-cell “>3” region at the top: 5
  • the single-cell “<2” region at the top-right: 0
  • the “=” region at the top-right: 1, 1, 1
  • the “=” region at the top-left: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
  • the 8 region at the top: 2, 6
  • the single-cell “>4” region at the top-right: 5
  • the single-cell “>3” region at the top-right: 4
  • the single-cell “>3” region at the left: 4
  • the 10 region at the center: 5, 5
  • the 5 region at the right: 2, 3
  • the single-cell “>4” region at the left: 5
  • the 9 region at the center: 1, 2, 6
  • the single-cell “<2” region at the right: 0
  • the “=” region at the bottom: 2, 2, 2
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. The 8 region at the top needs a total of exactly 8 — 3 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 2–5 domino vertically on row 1, column 4 and row 2, column 4.
  2. The 10 region at the center needs a total of exactly 10 — nothing else fits. Place the 5–5 domino horizontally on row 4, column 3 and row 4, column 4.
  3. The “=” region at the top-left needs every pip to match — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 0–6 domino horizontally on row 3, column 3 and row 3, column 4.
  4. The “=” region at the top-left needs every pip to match (1 of its 5 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 0–0 domino vertically on row 2, column 2 and row 3, column 2.
  5. The “=” region at the top-left needs every pip to match (3 of its 5 cells are already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 0–1 domino vertically on row 1, column 1 and row 2, column 1.
  6. Row 3, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 1; the “=” region at the top-left needs every pip to match (4 of its 5 cells are already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 0–4 domino vertically on row 3, column 1 and row 4, column 1.
  7. Row 1, column 8 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 8; the “=” region at the top-right needs every pip to match — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 1–1 domino vertically on row 1, column 8 and row 2, column 8.
  8. The “=” region at the bottom needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 2–2 domino vertically on row 8, column 4 and row 9, column 4.
  9. The “=” region at the top-right needs every pip to match (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 1–4 domino vertically on row 2, column 7 and row 3, column 7.
  10. Row 1, column 6 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 6; the single-cell “<2” region at the top-right must total less than 2 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 0–5 domino vertically on row 1, column 6 and row 2, column 6.
  11. The 9 region at the center needs a total of exactly 9 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 1–5 domino horizontally on row 6, column 2 and row 6, column 3.
  12. The 9 region at the center needs a total of exactly 9 (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 0–2 domino horizontally on row 6, column 5 and row 6, column 6.
  13. Row 6, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 7, column 4; the 9 region at the center needs a total of exactly 9 (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 2–6 domino vertically on row 6, column 4 and row 7, column 4.
  14. Row 4, column 7 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 5, column 7; the 5 region at the right needs a total of exactly 5 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 2–3 domino vertically on row 4, column 7 and row 5, column 7.

This board has more than one valid layout; the steps follow the official answer.

Full answer board
<3>3<2==8>4>3>3105>49<2=