What is the answer to the easy NYT Pips for October 17, 2026?

Solution grid (rows top to bottom, · = no cell): · 1 2 2 · / · 0 · 0 0 / 6 0 5 0 ·. Dominoes: 0–0 at row 2, column 4 to row 2, column 5; 6–0 at row 3, column 1 to row 3, column 2; 5–0 at row 3, column 3 to row 3, column 4; 0–1 at row 2, column 2 to row 1, column 2; 2–2 at row 1, column 3 to row 1, column 4.

What is the answer to the medium NYT Pips for October 17, 2026?

Solution grid (rows top to bottom, · = no cell): · · 4 6 / 0 2 0 3 / 5 5 5 3 / 3 6 6 2. Dominoes: 2–0 at row 2, column 2 to row 2, column 3; 3–6 at row 4, column 1 to row 4, column 2; 5–5 at row 3, column 2 to row 3, column 3; 5–0 at row 3, column 1 to row 2, column 1; 3–3 at row 2, column 4 to row 3, column 4; 6–2 at row 4, column 3 to row 4, column 4; 4–6 at row 1, column 3 to row 1, column 4.

What is the answer to the hard NYT Pips for October 17, 2026?

Solution grid (rows top to bottom, · = no cell): 6 1 3 · 6 2 0 · · / 2 · 5 · 2 · · · · / 2 · 3 · 3 0 · · · / 5 · 2 · 1 · · · · / 0 6 5 · 4 · 6 6 6 / · · · · · · 3 · · / · · · · · · 4 3 · / · · · · · · 0 · · / · · · · · · 0 · ·. Dominoes: 6–6 at row 5, column 8 to row 5, column 9; 3–5 at row 1, column 3 to row 2, column 3; 3–2 at row 3, column 3 to row 4, column 3; 1–4 at row 4, column 5 to row 5, column 5; 2–0 at row 1, column 6 to row 1, column 7; 6–3 at row 5, column 7 to row 6, column 7; 2–6 at row 2, column 5 to row 1, column 5; 1–6 at row 1, column 2 to row 1, column 1; 0–3 at row 3, column 6 to row 3, column 5; 0–0 at row 8, column 7 to row 9, column 7; 0–5 at row 5, column 1 to row 4, column 1; 4–3 at row 7, column 7 to row 7, column 8; 2–2 at row 2, column 1 to row 3, column 1; 6–5 at row 5, column 2 to row 5, column 3.

NYT Pips answers — Saturday, October 17, 2026

The NYT Pips answers for Saturday, October 17, 2026: the solved easy, medium and hard boards are below, with the squares of every domino listed and three hints per level if you would rather solve it yourself.

Easy Pips answer

3×5 · 5 dominoes · by Ian Livengood

Pips row by row, top to bottom (· is a gap in the board)

· 1 2 2 ·
· 0 · 0 0
6 0 5 0 ·

Each domino and its squares

0–0 — 0 at row 2, column 4, 0 at row 2, column 5
6–0 — 6 at row 3, column 1, 0 at row 3, column 2
5–0 — 5 at row 3, column 3, 0 at row 3, column 4
0–1 — 0 at row 2, column 2, 1 at row 1, column 2
2–2 — 2 at row 1, column 3, 2 at row 1, column 4

Medium Pips answer

4×4 · 7 dominoes · by Ian Livengood

Pips row by row, top to bottom (· is a gap in the board)

Each domino and its squares

2–0 — 2 at row 2, column 2, 0 at row 2, column 3
3–6 — 3 at row 4, column 1, 6 at row 4, column 2
5–5 — 5 at row 3, column 2, 5 at row 3, column 3
5–0 — 5 at row 3, column 1, 0 at row 2, column 1
3–3 — 3 at row 2, column 4, 3 at row 3, column 4
6–2 — 6 at row 4, column 3, 2 at row 4, column 4
4–6 — 4 at row 1, column 3, 6 at row 1, column 4

Hard Pips answer

9×9 · 14 dominoes · by Rodolfo Kurchan

≠

Pips row by row, top to bottom (· is a gap in the board)

6 1 3 · 6 2 0 · ·
2 · 5 · 2 · · · ·
2 · 3 · 3 0 · · ·
5 · 2 · 1 · · · ·
0 6 5 · 4 · 6 6 6
· · · · · · 3 · ·
· · · · · · 4 3 ·
· · · · · · 0 · ·
· · · · · · 0 · ·

Each domino and its squares

6–6 — 6 at row 5, column 8, 6 at row 5, column 9
3–5 — 3 at row 1, column 3, 5 at row 2, column 3
3–2 — 3 at row 3, column 3, 2 at row 4, column 3
1–4 — 1 at row 4, column 5, 4 at row 5, column 5
2–0 — 2 at row 1, column 6, 0 at row 1, column 7
6–3 — 6 at row 5, column 7, 3 at row 6, column 7
2–6 — 2 at row 2, column 5, 6 at row 1, column 5
1–6 — 1 at row 1, column 2, 6 at row 1, column 1
0–3 — 0 at row 3, column 6, 3 at row 3, column 5
0–0 — 0 at row 8, column 7, 0 at row 9, column 7
0–5 — 0 at row 5, column 1, 5 at row 4, column 1
4–3 — 4 at row 7, column 7, 3 at row 7, column 8
2–2 — 2 at row 2, column 1, 2 at row 3, column 1
6–5 — 6 at row 5, column 2, 5 at row 5, column 3

Rather solve it yourself?

Three hints per level, the last one placing the second domino.

Easy

The easy Pips has 10 cells to cover with 5 dominoes, split into 6 regions. Rules on the board: 2 "all equal", 1 "less than", 1 "greater than", 2 free regions. Another early foothold: the "<1" region at row 2, column 4 leaves almost no room: every cell must be 0. Keep in mind that at row 1, column 3 two cells must match. The rack holds 2 doubles, 5 blank halves, 1 six.

Hint 1: where to start

Only a 6 beats 5, so the lone cell at row 3, column 1 is a 6.

Hint 2: first domino

Place the 6–0 domino with its 6 at row 3, column 1 and its 0 at row 3, column 2.

Hint 3: second domino

Then put the 0–0 across row 2, column 4 and row 2, column 5; 3 dominoes to go.

Medium

Medium today is a 4×4 board with 7 dominoes and 9 regions. The mix is 3 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 2 "less than", 1 "greater than", 1 free region. Another early foothold: a one-cell region at row 4, column 4 asks for 2, which fixes that cell outright. Keep in mind that at row 3, column 1 two cells must match. Rack check: 2 doubles, 2 blank halves, 3 sixes.

Hint 1: where to start

The single cell at row 2, column 2 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: 2–0, covering row 2, column 2 (2) and row 2, column 3 (0).

Hint 3: second domino

Second: 6–2 on row 4, column 3 and row 4, column 4. Check the other 5 against the regions they could still fill.

Hard

14 dominoes, 17 regions, a 9×9 grid: that's the hard puzzle for October 17, 2026. You're working with 11 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 1 "greater than", 2 free regions. Besides the opening move in Hint 1, row 3, column 3 is a region of its own with target 3: that cell is a 3. The rack holds 3 doubles, 5 blank halves, 6 sixes.

Hint 1: where to start

A one-cell region at row 2, column 3 asks for 5, which fixes that cell outright. Only dominoes carrying a 5 can reach it.

Hint 2: first domino

Place the 3–5 domino with its 3 at row 1, column 3 and its 5 at row 2, column 3.

Hint 3: second domino

Then put the 3–2 across row 3, column 3 and row 4, column 3; 12 dominoes to go.