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Home Archive 2026-03-13

Pips Answer for Friday, March 13, 2026

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

Today's Answer Back to Archive
Progress 0/5 dominoes
11
=
8
6

Click a domino or a cell to reveal the answer

Solution & Analysis

Complete answers and solving insights for 2026-03-13

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NYT Pips easy answer for 2026-03-13

NYT Pips easy answer for 2026-03-13

11
=
8
6

Complete answer for 2026-03-13 (Easy)

First off, let me say today's Pips was a blast. I always look forward to Ian Livengood's designs, and having Rodolfo Kurchan on the medium and hard ones made for a perfect progression of difficulty. For the Easy puzzle, the first thing I spotted was that all the dominoes were doubles—meaning 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, and 6-6. That is a huge hint because it means every domino you place puts the same number in two adjacent cells. I jumped straight to the sum of 11 in the top left.

The only way to get 11 with those doubles is to have one cell be a 5 and the other a 6. This meant the dominoes at (0,0)-(1,0) and (0,1)-(0,2) had to be the 5s and 6s. I quickly realized that if (0,0) was 6 and (0,1) was 5, then (1,0) also had to be 6. This allowed me to solve the sum of 8 by placing a 2 at (2,0), which identified the 2-2 domino. The rest of the board fell into place like a chain reaction. Moving to the

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NYT Pips medium answer for 2026-03-13

NYT Pips medium answer for 2026-03-13

9
1
6
5
5
9

Complete answer for 2026-03-13 (Medium)

Medium puzzle, Rodolfo gave us a more traditional set. I looked for the most restrictive spots first. That sum of 1 at the top was a total gift—it has to be a 0 and a 1.

Then I pivoted to the 9 sums. Since the highest pip in this set was a 6 (from the 2-6 domino), a sum of 9 is actually quite limited. I worked my way around the edges, carefully tracking which dominoes I had already 'spent' so I didn't accidentally use the 4-3 twice. The

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NYT Pips hard answer for 2026-03-13

NYT Pips hard answer for 2026-03-13

0
3
0
1
1
0
3
2
3
1
<4
1
0
0
1
0
3
3
2
2
2
3
2
1

Complete answer for 2026-03-13 (Hard)

Hard puzzle was the real test. With 15 dominoes, it looks scary, but those single-cell regions with targets like 0, 1, and 2 are your best friends. It felt like a logic grid.

I went through and marked every cell that had a sum constraint of 0 or 1. By the time I got to the middle of the board, most of the high-value dominoes like the 4-4 and 3-4 were the only ones left that could fit the remaining gaps. The final move was placing the 3-6/4-6 connection in the bottom right corner to close it all out.

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What I Learned

I learned that when a puzzle uses only double dominoes, the strategy completely flips. Usually, you think about how two different numbers on one tile can satisfy two different regions. But with all doubles, you're looking at how a single number is 'projected' into two different areas.

It makes the sum constraints much tighter. Also, in the Medium puzzle, I realized how important it is to look for 'bottleneck' numbers. If you only have one domino with a 6 on it, wherever that 6 goes determines a huge part of the board. In the Hard puzzle, I noticed that 'empty' regions aren't just dead space—they often act as the 'bridge' between two high-value sum regions, and solving the sums around them usually reveals what they have to be by default.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do the target numbers in the colored boxes mean?
Those are the sums of all the pips (dots) inside that specific colored region. If a box has an '=' sign, it means the pips in those cells must be equal. If it's a 'less than' sign, the total must be lower than that number.
Can I use the same domino twice in one puzzle?
No, each domino shown in the 'Dominoes' list can only be used exactly once. Tracking which ones you've used is a key part of the strategy, especially on the harder levels.
How do I start a Pips puzzle if I'm stuck?
Always look for the smallest or largest sums. For example, a sum of 0 must be all 0s, and a very high sum usually requires the highest dominoes like 6-6 or 6-5. These 'anchors' give you a starting point to build from.
Does the orientation of the domino matter?
Yes and no. A domino like 1-2 can be placed as 1 then 2, or 2 then 1. Which way it goes depends on the sum requirements of the specific cells it covers.
What happens if a region has no number in it?
Those are 'empty' regions. They don't have a specific sum or rule you need to follow, but they still contain pips that are part of whatever domino you place over them.

How to Use This Board

1

Select a Domino

Tap any domino from the tray below the board to select it

2

Place on Board

Tap a cell on the board where you think it belongs. If correct, both cells reveal!

3

Rotate if Needed

Tap a selected domino again to rotate it, or use the rotate button

4

Use Hints

Stuck? Use the Hint button to reveal one domino, or Solve All to see everything