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Home Archive 2026-01-26

Pips Answer for Monday, January 26, 2026

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

Today's Answer Back to Archive
Progress 0/6 dominoes
<3
<2
>4
>5
>3
30

Click a domino or a cell to reveal the answer

Solution & Analysis

Complete answers and solving insights for 2026-01-26

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NYT Pips easy answer for 2026-01-26

NYT Pips easy answer for 2026-01-26

<3
<2
>4
>5
>3
30

Complete answer for 2026-01-26 (Easy)

I started with the Easy puzzle by focusing on the large central region that required a sum of 30.

Given the available dominoes, which were mostly high-value tiles like [5,5], [6,5], and [4,5], I knew the 6-cell block had to consume almost all the heavy hitters. I placed the [5,5], [6,5], and [4,5] tiles first to hit that 30 target, then used the smaller tiles like [2,5] and [5,1] to satisfy the 'less than 3' and 'greater than 5' constraints on the edges.

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NYT Pips medium answer for 2026-01-26

NYT Pips medium answer for 2026-01-26

=
<4
=
10
=
10

Complete answer for 2026-01-26 (Medium)

In the Medium puzzle, the key was the two sum-of-10 regions.

Since I only had [4,4], [6,0], and [6,2] as potential high combinations, I deduced that the [4,4] couldn't be used for a 10, so the [6,4] equivalent logic led me to place the [0,6] and [4,6] variants carefully. The 'equals' constraints acted as anchors, forcing specific orientations of the [2,2] and [4,4] tiles.

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NYT Pips hard answer for 2026-01-26

NYT Pips hard answer for 2026-01-26

>4
=
5
≠
6
9
<3
9
4
<2

Complete answer for 2026-01-26 (Hard)

For the Hard puzzle, I looked for the sum-of-4 and sum-of-9 constraints at the bottom.

The [6,6] tile was too large for most sums, so it had to be paired with a very low number or placed where it didn't violate the 'less than 2' rule. I used a process of elimination on the [3,3], [3,4], [4,3], [4,4] unequal block, ensuring no two adjacent numbers were the same, which eventually locked the rest of the board into place.

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What I Learned

This set really highlighted how 'equals' regions can be used to burn through doubles like [2,2] or [4,4] early on.

I also noticed a tricky pattern in the Hard puzzle where the sum-of-5 region was adjacent to the empty cell, which limited the possible orientations for the [1,4] and [3,2] tiles. The biggest takeaway was that high-sum targets in small areas are often the best place to start because they have fewer mathematical combinations than smaller sums.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I get stuck on a large sum region?
Try to identify your highest-value dominoes first. In Pips, large sums like 30 in a 6-cell area usually require almost all 5s and 6s, which narrows down your tile choices significantly.
How do 'empty' regions work?
Empty regions are just space-fillers. They don't have a mathematical requirement, but the half-domino placed there must still be part of a valid tile that connects to an adjacent cell.
Why are the 'less than' constraints so helpful?
They provide immediate limits. If a cell must be less than 2, you know it can only be a 0 or a 1, which instantly tells you which side of certain dominoes can be placed there.

How to Use This Board

1

Select a Domino

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2

Place on Board

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3

Rotate if Needed

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4

Use Hints

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