Home Archive 2025-12-23

Pips Answer for Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Complete NYT Pips puzzle solution with interactive board and expert analysis.

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Solution & Analysis

Complete answers and solving insights for 2025-12-23

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NYT Pips easy answer for 2025-12-23

Complete answer for 2025-12-23 (Easy)

I started my morning with the Easy puzzle by Ian Livengood, and it was a great way to wake up the brain. The first thing I noticed were those high sum targets.

A target of 12 for two cells like we saw at (3,2) and (3,3) is a huge hint because the only way to get that is two 6s. I looked at my dominoes and saw [1,6] and [6,4], so I knew those 6s had to land in those spots. Once those were locked in, the rest of the board started to crumble like a house of cards.

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NYT Pips medium answer for 2025-12-23

Complete answer for 2025-12-23 (Medium)

For the Medium puzzle, the 'equals' region spanning across the top row (0,1 to 0,4) was my anchor. When you have four cells that all have to be the same value, you can usually cross-reference them with the dominoes that have doubles, like the [6,6] or [2,2].

I noticed that the cell at (3,0) had to be less than 2, which really limited the possibilities to just 0 or 1. That small tip helped me place the [6,0] domino. Now, the

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NYT Pips hard answer for 2025-12-23

>10

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Complete answer for 2025-12-23 (Hard)

Hard puzzle by Rodolfo Kurchan was a real beast. I immediately zoomed in on the sum of 0 at (1,4) and (2,4). Since pips can't be negative, they both had to be 0.

This meant the [3,0] and [4,0] dominoes were going to be used there. The 'unequal' region at the bottom was the trickiest part; I had to save that for last and use the process of elimination. I kept track of which dominoes were left—like the [5,5] and [4,4]—and tried to see which ones wouldn't break that 'not equal' rule. It took a bit of back-and-forth, but once I placed the [4,2] and [4,1] domino, everything else clicked into place.

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What I Learned

Today really taught me the value of looking for 'extreme' constraints first. In the Easy puzzle, that sum of 12 was a total gift. In the Hard puzzle, the sum of 0 was equally helpful.

I also noticed a pattern where 'equals' regions that bridge across two different dominoes are much more useful than ones contained within a single domino because they force a specific value onto multiple pairs. Another tricky move I used was checking the 'less than' and 'greater than' constraints early on. Usually, we think of these as being vague, but when a cell must be 'greater than 10' for a sum of two cells, it almost always forces high-value pips like 5s and 6s. It’s all about narrowing the search space as quickly as possible.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do when a region says 'unequal'?

This means all the numbers in that specific group must be different from each other. It doesn't tell you what the numbers are, but it's great for checking your work at the end to make sure you didn't accidentally put two of the same pips there.

How do 'empty' regions help in the puzzle?

Empty regions are actually very helpful because they act as blockers. Since they don't have a sum or rule, you just need to make sure the pips you place there don't break the rules of the connected cells in the domino.

Which domino should I try to place first?

Always look for the dominoes with unique numbers, like a [0,0] if there is a sum of 0, or a [6,6] if there is a sum of 12. These 'corner cases' are the easiest way to get a foothold in the grid.

How to Use This Board

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