NYT Pips Hints & Answers for August 20, 2025

Aug 20, 2025

🚨 SPOILER WARNING

This page contains the final **answer** and the complete **solution** to today's NYT Pips puzzle. If you haven't attempted the puzzle yet and want to try solving it yourself first, now's your chance!

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Want hints instead? Scroll down for progressive clues that won't spoil the fun.

🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview

August 20, 2025 — puzzles #7, #8, and #9. Rodolfo Kurchan takes easy and hard, with Ian Livengood handling medium for the first time as a constructor.

Easy introduces a three-cell sum=0 region. When three cells must total zero, every individual cell must be zero — which locks down an entire row of the top grid in one move.

Medium is a compact four-row grid with two equals regions of different sizes. A single-cell sum in the corner and another in the middle serve as the anchors, and the four-cell equals region at the bottom is the puzzle's centerpiece.

The hard puzzle is Rodolfo Kurchan's most ambitious so far: a sparse board where dominoes run down the left column, across a horizontal middle band, and down the right column, all meeting at a center point. Three separate equals regions sit at the ends of those chains, and a handful of sum constraints feed into them one by one.

💡 Progressive Hints

Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!

💡 A three-cell sum region targets zero
When a region covering three cells must total zero, there's only one possibility — every individual cell must be zero. Find that region and look for which domino can deliver two zeros at once. A third zero comes from a different domino whose other end lands in the adjacent pair sum.
💡 The double-zero domino fills two of those cells in one move
One domino in your set has zero pips on both ends. Place it in the first two cells of the sum=0 region. The third zero cell gets its zero from a different domino — note where that domino's other end falls to figure out the pair sum region.
💡 Full answer
Sum=0 at [0,1]+[0,2]+[0,3] forces all three cells to 0. Place [0–0] horizontally: 0 at [0,1] and 0 at [0,2]. Place [1–0] horizontally: 1 at [1,3] and 0 at [0,3] ✓. Sum=4 at [1,0] forces 4 — place [4–6] vertically: 4 at [1,0] ✓ and 6 at [0,0] (empty). Sum=2 at [1,2]+[1,3]: [1,3]=1 already placed; so [1,2]=1. Place [5–1] horizontally: 5 at [1,1] (empty ✓) and 1 at [1,2] ✓.
💡 Two solo sum cells anchor each equals region
One corner cell and one interior cell each carry a single-cell sum. Both reveal specific pip values outright. The value that each single-cell sum pins down feeds directly into the equals region it borders.
💡 The four-cell equals region tells you which double domino belongs there
The L-shaped equals region at the bottom needs all four cells to match. Once you know the value from an adjacent single-cell sum, you can see which double-pip domino fits two of those cells at once.
💡 Full answer
Sum=3 at [3,0] forces 3 — place [6–3] horizontally: 6 at [3,1] and 3 at [3,0] ✓. Sum=2 at [1,1] forces 2 — place [6–2] vertically: 6 at [2,1] and 2 at [1,1] ✓. The four-cell equals region at [2,1],[2,2],[2,3],[3,1] has [2,1]=6 and [3,1]=6 — all four must be 6. Place [6–6] horizontally: 6 at [2,2] and 6 at [2,3] ✓. Sum=2 at [0,3]+[1,3]: place [1–1] vertically: 1 at [0,3] and 1 at [1,3]. 1+1=2 ✓. Two-cell equals at [0,2]–[1,2]: place [3–3] vertically: 3 at [0,2] and 3 at [1,2]. ✓
💡 The puzzle has a distinctive cross-like structure
Dominoes are placed along three chains: down the left column, across a horizontal middle band, and down the right column. Each chain ends in an equals region. Work chain by chain — the constraints at the top feed into the middle, which feeds into the bottom of each leg.
💡 The top of the left column is the clearest starting point
A single-cell sum at the very top of the left chain tells you exactly what goes there. That value feeds into a two-cell sum just below it, which then chains downward.
💡 Three equals regions sit at the ends of the three legs
The bottom of the left column, the bottom of the right column, and the right end of the horizontal band each hold an equals region. Once you work out what value fills each, the domino placements inside them are straightforward.
💡 The horizontal middle band connects the three chains
The pair sum=4 in the middle of the horizontal band is the bridge between the left column and the right column's equals regions. Solve it after anchoring the top of the left column, and the rest of the horizontal chain follows.
💡 Full answer
Sum=6 at [0,0]: place [1–6] vertically with 6 at [0,0] and 1 at [1,0]. Sum=2 at [1,0]+[2,0]: [1,0]=1, so [2,0]=1 — place [2–1] vertically with 1 at [2,0] and 2 at [3,0] (empty ✓). Sum=4 at [4,1]+[4,2]: place [2–3] horizontally with 2 at [4,1] and 3 at [4,0] (empty ✓); place [2–5] horizontally with 2 at [4,2] and 5 at [4,3]. 2+2=4 ✓. Equals [4,3],[4,4],[4,5],[5,5]=5: [4,3]=5 anchors it — place [5–5] horizontally with 5 at [4,4] and 5 at [4,5]; place [6–5] vertically with 6 at [6,5] and 5 at [5,5] ✓. Equals [6,5],[7,5],[8,5]=6: [6,5]=6 — place [6–6] vertically with 6 at [7,5] and 6 at [8,5] ✓. Equals [6,0],[7,0],[8,0]=4: place [4–6] vertically with 4 at [6,0] and 6 at [5,0] (empty ✓); place [4–4] vertically with 4 at [7,0] and 4 at [8,0] ✓.

🎨 Pips Solver

Aug 20, 2025

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✅ Final Answer & Complete Solution For Hard Level

The key to solving today's hard puzzle was identifying the placement for the critical dominoes highlighted in the starting grid. Once those were in place, the rest of the puzzle could be solved logically. See the final grid below to compare your solution.

Starting Position & Key First Steps

Pips hint for August 20, 2025 – hard level puzzle grid with critical first placements and strategy

This image shows the initial puzzle grid for the hard level, with a few critical first placements highlighted.

Final Answer: The Solved Grid for Hard Mode

NYT Pips August 20, 2025 hard puzzle full solution grid showing final answer with hints

Compare this final grid with your own solution to see the correct placement of all dominoes.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Easy Level

1
Step 1: Zero out the top row
The sum=0 region covers three cells in the top row — [0,1], [0,2], and [0,3]. All three must be 0. Place [0–0] horizontally: 0 at [0,1] and 0 at [0,2]. Place [1–0] horizontally: 1 at [1,3] and 0 at [0,3] ✓. The entire top row sum=0 region is satisfied.
2
Step 2: Single-cell sum=4 fills the left column
Cell [1,0] is a lone sum=4 — it must hold 4. Place [4–6] vertically: 4 at [1,0] ✓ and 6 at [0,0] (the empty cell above).
3
Step 3: Pair sum=2 closes the bottom row
The sum=2 region at [1,2]+[1,3] has [1,3]=1 from step 1. So [1,2] must be 1. Place [5–1] horizontally: 5 at [1,1] (empty ✓) and 1 at [1,2] ✓. 1+1=2 ✓. Puzzle complete.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1
Step 1: Corner sum=3 anchors the bottom equals region
Cell [3,0] is a lone sum=3 — it holds exactly 3. Place [6–3] horizontally: 6 at [3,1] and 3 at [3,0] ✓. That 6 at [3,1] sits inside the four-cell equals region, setting the value all four cells must share.
2
Step 2: Interior sum=2 feeds the equals region from above
Cell [1,1] is a lone sum=2 — it holds exactly 2. Place [6–2] vertically: 6 at [2,1] and 2 at [1,1] ✓. The 6 at [2,1] also belongs to the four-cell equals region — confirming 6 is the shared value.
3
Step 3: Complete the four-cell equals region
The equals region [2,1],[2,2],[2,3],[3,1] has two cells already showing 6. Place [6–6] horizontally: 6 at [2,2] and 6 at [2,3]. All four cells now equal 6 ✓.
4
Step 4: Last two dominoes close the top half
Sum=2 at [0,3]+[1,3]: place [1–1] vertically with 1 at [0,3] and 1 at [1,3]. 1+1=2 ✓. Two-cell equals at [0,2]–[1,2]: place [3–3] vertically with 3 at [0,2] and 3 at [1,2]. ✓ Puzzle complete.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1
Step 1: Top of the left column — single-cell sum=6
Cell [0,0] is a lone sum=6 — it holds exactly 6. Place [1–6] vertically: 6 at [0,0] and 1 at [1,0].
2
Step 2: Pair sum=2 continues down the left column
The sum=2 region at [1,0]+[2,0] has [1,0]=1. So [2,0] must be 1. Place [2–1] vertically: 1 at [2,0] and 2 at [3,0] (empty ✓). 1+1=2 ✓.
3
Step 3: Pair sum=4 in the horizontal middle band
The sum=4 region covers [4,1] and [4,2]. Place [2–3] horizontally: 2 at [4,1] and 3 at [4,0] (empty ✓). Place [2–5] horizontally: 2 at [4,2] and 5 at [4,3]. Sum check: 2+2=4 ✓.
4
Step 4: Four-cell equals region on the right of the middle band
The equals region [4,3],[4,4],[4,5],[5,5] has [4,3]=5 from step 3. All four must be 5. Place [5–5] horizontally: 5 at [4,4] and 5 at [4,5]. Place [6–5] vertically: 6 at [6,5] and 5 at [5,5] ✓.
5
Step 5: Bottom of the right column — equals region of three 6s
The equals region [6,5],[7,5],[8,5] has [6,5]=6 from step 4. All three must be 6. Place [6–6] vertically: 6 at [7,5] and 6 at [8,5] ✓.
6
Step 6: Bottom of the left column — equals region of three 4s
The equals region [6,0],[7,0],[8,0] is the last chain to fill. Place [4–6] vertically: 4 at [6,0] and 6 at [5,0] (empty ✓). Place [4–4] vertically: 4 at [7,0] and 4 at [8,0]. All three cells equal 4 ✓. Puzzle complete.

💡 Pro Tips for Similar Puzzles

Start with Constraints
Always begin with the most constrained regions - sum regions with small numbers or tight spaces.
Use Equal Regions
Use "equal" regions as anchors - they eliminate many possibilities quickly.
Work Systematically
Let the rules guide your placement rather than guessing randomly.
Double-Check
Verify each region's rules are satisfied before moving to the next.

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