Pips Answer for Friday, February 13, 2026
Complete NYT Pips puzzle solution with interactive board and expert analysis.
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Nyt Pips easy answer for 2026-02-13
Answer for 2026-02-13
I started my morning with the Easy grid by Ian Livengood. I always look for the most restrictive rules first, and in this one, the 'empty' cells at [1,0] and [1,3] caught my eye. These are great because they act as anchors.
I then looked at the sum of 4 in the [1,1], [1,2], [2,2] region. With three cells needing to add up to 4, I knew I had to use small numbers from the dominoes like [2,0] or [5,3]. By placing the [1,0]/[1,1] domino and the [0,2]/[1,2] domino, the rest of the small board just fell into place. Moving on to the
Nyt Pips medium answer for 2026-02-13
Answer for 2026-02-13
Medium puzzle by Rodolfo Kurchan, the real challenge was the 'equals' regions. There is a triple equals at the top [0,0], [0,1], [0,2] and a quadruple equals in the middle [1,2], [1,3], [2,3], [3,3].
For three or four cells to have the exact same value, you have to be very careful with how you rotate your dominoes. I looked at my available pieces like [1,1], [3,3], and [5,5] (or pieces with matching ends) to fill those. The
Nyt Pips hard answer for 2026-02-13
Answer for 2026-02-13
Hard puzzle was a massive 16-domino set, which can be scary at first glance. I immediately hunted for the 'Sum 0' regions at [0,3] and the large four-cell block at [4,5], [5,5], [6,5], [6,6]. Since these have to be zero, I knew I had to use the [0,0] domino and any other dominoes containing a zero like [0,3], [0,4], and [0,2].
After clearing the zeros, I went to the opposite extreme: the 'Sum 24' region at the bottom right. To get 24 from four cells, they mostly have to be 6s. This let me place the [6,6] and [4,6] or [5,6] dominoes. Once the corners were anchored by the zeros and the sixes, the 'equals' chains in the middle [3,0] through [3,3] became much easier to solve by process of elimination.
What I Learned
The biggest takeaway from today's puzzles is how important 'extreme' values are. Whether it is a sum of 0 or a very high sum like 24, those are your best friends because they limit your options so much. I also learned to pay closer attention to 'empty' cells.
At first, I thought they were just blank space, but they actually tell you exactly where a domino must end or pass through. In the Medium puzzle, I realized that 'equals' regions are basically a test of your ability to visualize how dominoes can 'double up' on a specific number. It is like a game of connection where the values have to flow perfectly from one cell to the next.