Pips Answer for Saturday, April 4, 2026
Complete NYT Pips puzzle solution with interactive board and expert analysis.
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Warming Up With Some Simple Sums
Nyt Pips easy answer for 2026-04-04
Answer for 2026-04-04
Hey friends! Grab a mug of coffee and let's look at today's easy Pips puzzle. I started right at the top left corner because cell (0,0) had a sum target of 6. Since it was in a region all by itself, I knew it had to be a 6. Looking at the dominoes available, I saw the [6,1] piece and placed it vertically so the 6 landed on that (0,0) spot. That left cell (0,1) with a 1, which fit perfectly since it was marked as an empty region with no other rules.
The real trick to this one was the equals constraints in the middle. I noticed cell (1,1) had to match (2,1), and (1,2) had to match (1,3). By testing out the remaining pieces, I realized the [6,2] domino at (1,1) and (1,2) worked beautifully with the [4,6] domino at (2,1) and (2,2). This made both (1,1) and (2,1) equal to 6. From there, it was just a matter of sliding the [0,2] domino into the (2,3) and (1,3) slots, which satisfied the other equals rule. I finished up by placing the [5,3] domino at (3,3) and (3,2), which rounded out the sum targets of 5 and 7 perfectly.
Navigating the Middle Ground
Nyt Pips medium answer for 2026-04-04
Answer for 2026-04-04
The medium puzzle today definitely felt like a step up, but it had a great starting point at the bottom. The sum target of 0 for cells (4,1) and (4,2) was a huge giveaway. Since you can't have negative pips, both of those cells had to be 0. I looked for dominoes containing a 0 and found [3,0] and [1,0]. I placed the [3,0] piece vertically at (3,1) and (4,1), and the [1,0] piece at (3,2) and (4,2). This immediately gave me the numbers I needed to solve the sum targets of 6 and 5 in the third row.
Working my way upward, the sum 10 target at (2,0) and (3,0) was the next big hurdle. I used the [5,5] domino there because it was the most restricted choice left. Then I tackled the top section where the less than 7 and less than 6 rules were lurking. I found that placing the [2,5] domino at (1,1) and (0,1) made the math work, as long as the 2 was in the (1,1) spot. Combining that with the [6,4] domino at (0,2) and (1,2) kept the sum of (1,1) and (1,2) at a neat 6, which is just under the target of 7. It felt so satisfying when that last piece clicked into place!
Conquering the Saturday Challenge
Nyt Pips hard answer for 2026-04-04
Answer for 2026-04-04
Wow, this hard grid was quite the brain teaser! I spent a good few minutes just staring at the board before I found my opening at cell (6,0). Just like in the medium puzzle, a sum of 0 is a total gift. I paired the (7,0) and (6,0) cells using the [3,0] domino. This worked out great because the target for (7,0) was less than 4, and 3 fits that rule perfectly. Nearby, the sum of 1 at cell (6,2) meant that cell had to be a 1, so I used the [1,2] domino to fill the (7,2) and (6,2) gap.
The breakthrough moment happened in the top right corner. The region at (0,5) and (1,5) required a sum greater than 9. I only had a couple of high-value dominoes left, and the [0,5] piece actually didn't fit there, so I had to use the [5,6] domino. Once those heavy hitters were placed, the middle of the board started to crumble. I used the equals constraint at (4,1) and (5,1) with the [2,2] domino, which helped me anchor the left side. The hardest part was managing the sum target of 8 at (4,3) and (5,3), but once I realized the [5,3] domino was the only way to make it work with the surrounding numbers, the rest of the 16 dominoes fell right into line. It was a long journey, but so rewarding!
Pro Tips for Today's Puzzle
Always start with the smallest sum targets like 0 or 1, as they have the fewest possible combinations.
Look for cells that are part of multiple constraints or equals regions, as these are the pillars that hold the rest of the logic together. If you get stuck, try looking at the dominoes you have left and see if any can only fit in one specific region due to a high or low pip count.
What I Learned
Today really reinforced how helpful the 0 and blank spots on dominoes can be. In the hard puzzle, the sum 0 and sum 1 targets acted as anchors that allowed me to build out the entire bottom half of the board.
I also noticed that the equals regions are often the secret key to connecting two separate areas of the grid that otherwise seem unrelated. Seeing the [6,6] or [5,5] pieces used in those spots can really narrow down your options quickly.