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NYT Pips answers — Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Pips #409 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Ian Livengood · Medium by Rodolfo Kurchan · Hard by Rodolfo Kurchan

Written by the Grid Puzzles solver, spot-checked by hand · Updated September 30, 2026, 07:02 UTC · How these pages are made

Stuck on today's New York Times Pips? Below are three progressive hints for each difficulty, then the full solution as a tap-to-reveal board. Hints first, the answer only when you want it.

Jump to: Easy · Medium · Hard

Also today: LinkedIn games answers — Zip, Pinpoint, Crossclimb, Mini Sudoku, Patches and Wend.

Easy Pips answer — September 30, 2026

3×5 board · 5 dominoes · 6 regions · by Ian Livengood

The easy board runs 3 rows by 5 columns: 5 dominoes to place across 6 regions. You're working with 3 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 2 free regions. Another early foothold: the two-cell region at row 2, column 3 adds to 1: the only split is 0 + 1. The rack holds 1 double, 1 blank half, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1: where to start

The single cell at row 1, column 4 is marked 1, so it can only hold a 1. Find the domino with a 1 that fits there.

Hint 2: first domino

Place the 1–3 domino with its 1 at row 1, column 4 and its 3 at row 1, column 5.

Hint 3: second domino

Then put the 6–0 across row 2, column 2 and row 2, column 3; 3 dominoes to go.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 1 must add up to 1; = must all be the same number; 10 must add up to 10.

1
=
1
10
Solution as text
  1. 6–0 — 6 at row 2, column 2, 0 at row 2, column 3
  2. 1–3 — 1 at row 1, column 4, 3 at row 1, column 5
  3. 5–4 — 5 at row 3, column 5, 4 at row 3, column 4
  4. 5–1 — 5 at row 2, column 5, 1 at row 2, column 4
  5. 6–6 — 6 at row 3, column 1, 6 at row 3, column 2

Medium Pips answer — September 30, 2026

4×5 board · 7 dominoes · 6 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

7 dominoes, 6 regions, a 4×5 grid: that's the medium puzzle for September 30, 2026. Rules on the board: 2 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 2 "less than". Besides the opening move in Hint 1, the long "all equal" region at row 3, column 3 (3 cells) takes one number throughout. Keep in mind that under 2 in total at row 1, column 2? Zeros, plus at most one 1. The rack holds 1 double, 1 six.

Hints

Hint 1: where to start

A one-cell region at row 3, column 2 asks for 2, which fixes that cell outright. Find the domino with a 2 that fits there.

Hint 2: first domino

Place the 2–3 domino with its 2 at row 3, column 2 and its 3 at row 3, column 1.

Hint 3: second domino

Then put the 2–5 across row 3, column 3 and row 2, column 3; 5 dominoes to go.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 11 must add up to 11; <2 must add up to less than 2; ≠ must all be different; <8 must add up to less than 8; 2 must add up to 2.

11
<2
≠
<8
2
=
Solution as text
  1. 1–4 — 1 at row 1, column 2, 4 at row 2, column 2
  2. 2–5 — 2 at row 3, column 3, 5 at row 2, column 3
  3. 2–2 — 2 at row 4, column 2, 2 at row 4, column 3
  4. 5–3 — 5 at row 1, column 1, 3 at row 2, column 1
  5. 6–4 — 6 at row 1, column 3, 4 at row 1, column 4
  6. 2–3 — 2 at row 3, column 2, 3 at row 3, column 1
  7. 2–1 — 2 at row 2, column 4, 1 at row 2, column 5

Hard Pips answer — September 30, 2026

6×6 board · 15 dominoes · 15 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hard is 15 regions on a 6×6 grid, filled by 15 dominoes. By rule type: 7 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 1 "less than", 2 "greater than", 2 free regions. Besides the opening move in Hint 1, 3 cells from row 1, column 1 must show the same number, and it turns out to be 4. Rack check: 3 doubles, 3 blank halves, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1: where to start

The single cell at row 6, column 5 is marked 2, so it can only hold a 2. Find the domino with a 2 that fits there.

Hint 2: first domino

First domino: 3–2, covering row 6, column 4 (3) and row 6, column 5 (2).

Hint 3: second domino

Second: 2–4 on row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 1. Check the other 13 against the regions they could still fill.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: = must all be the same number; 6 must add up to 6; 3 must add up to 3; 2 must add up to 2; 22 must add up to 22.

=
6
3
2
22
9
9
<1
>4
=
>4
≠
2
Solution as text
  1. 0–0 — 0 at row 1, column 5, 0 at row 1, column 6
  2. 4–1 — 4 at row 2, column 2, 1 at row 2, column 3
  3. 3–2 — 3 at row 6, column 4, 2 at row 6, column 5
  4. 2–6 — 2 at row 4, column 6, 6 at row 3, column 6
  5. 4–5 — 4 at row 6, column 1, 5 at row 5, column 1
  6. 4–0 — 4 at row 4, column 1, 0 at row 4, column 2
  7. 1–5 — 1 at row 3, column 3, 5 at row 3, column 2
  8. 2–4 — 2 at row 1, column 2, 4 at row 1, column 1
  9. 3–4 — 3 at row 1, column 4, 4 at row 1, column 3
  10. 4–6 — 4 at row 2, column 5, 6 at row 2, column 6
  11. 3–1 — 3 at row 6, column 2, 1 at row 6, column 3
  12. 2–2 — 2 at row 5, column 6, 2 at row 6, column 6
  13. 2–5 — 2 at row 5, column 5, 5 at row 5, column 4
  14. 4–4 — 4 at row 2, column 1, 4 at row 3, column 1
  15. 5–6 — 5 at row 4, column 5, 6 at row 3, column 5
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