NYT Pips Hints & Answers for August 6, 2026

Aug 6, 2026

🚨 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.

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🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview

Ian Livengood crafts today’s NYT Pips easy puzzle with a charming restriction: every domino is a double-number tile. The grid becomes a neat puzzle of arithmetic sums where each region’s target forces a specific placement. The design feels like a sum-sudoku hybrid, with the double-6 and double-1 pairing to unlock the 7-sum region, and a tidy chain of sum-4 and sum-9 resolving the rest.

In the medium puzzle, Livengood expands the field and introduces equals constraints. A column of three cells all forced to be the same number acts as a structural spine, dictating which halves of mixed-number dominos go where. The interplay between equals, greater-than, and less-than regions creates a logical flow that rewards careful attention to how dominos can share values across adjacent constraints.

Rodolfo Kurchan’s hard puzzle for this NYT Pips installment is a masterclass in large-scale constraint propagation. A mammoth equals region spans five cells across two rows, all locked to the same pip value. This domino-spanning cluster cascades requirements outward: a less-1 cell injects a zero, a sum-10 pair demands a 4 and 6, and other equals pockets force 5s and 1s. The grid feels vast yet elegantly interconnected, showcasing Kurchan’s ability to build a dense lattice of deductions.

💡 Progressive Hints

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

💡 Focus on Sum Constraints
All regions in today’s easy are sum-based. Find the smallest target sums, as they severely restrict which domino halves can fit. In particular, a sum-7 and a sum-4 region are adjacent.
💡 Examine the Top Row
The sum-7 region at [0,0]–[1,0] and the sum-4 region at [0,1]–[0,2] are tightly linked. With only double-number dominos, the only way to sum to 7 is by using 1 and 6. The 1 must go to [0,0] (because it connects to the sum-4 pair), forcing the 1-1 domino to lie horizontally across [0,0]–[0,1].
💡 Complete Placement for Easy
Place the [1,1] domino horizontally at [0,0][0,1]; then [3,3] vertically at [0,2][1,2]; [6,6] vertically at [1,0][1,1]; [4,4] vertically at [2,0][3,0]; and finally [5,5] horizontally at [2,1][2,2].
💡 Spot the Equals Spine
The equals region in column 0 forces three cells to share the same value. Think about which dominos can supply a number repeatedly across a column while respecting a greater-than region next door.
💡 Lock in the Top-Left
The greater-4 region at [0,1] demands a pip >4. That forces the [6,2] domino to place its 6 there, leaving its 2 at [0,0]. This sets the equals column’s value to 2, and determines the rest of the column via the [4,2] and [0,2] dominos.
💡 Complete Medium Placement
Place [6,2] with 6 at [0,1] and 2 at [0,0]; [4,2] with 4 at [1,1] and 2 at [1,0]; [0,2] with 0 at [2,1] and 2 at [2,0]; then [4,1] with 4 at [1,2] and 1 at [0,2]; [1,3] with 1 at [0,3] and 3 at [1,3]; [4,4] vertically at [2,2][3,2]; and [5,4] horizontally at [2,3][2,4].
💡 Identify the Seed Cell
Look for a less-1 region that forces a zero. That zero will be the spark that ignites a large equals cluster. Think about which domino with a zero half can fit next to that cell while touching a multi-cell equals region.
💡 The Big Equals Cluster
The five-cell equals region at [2,1][2,2][2,3][2,4][3,2] must all be identical. The less-1 cell at [1,1] requires a 0 there. The only domino that can give a 0 to [1,1] and a matching number to [2,1] is the [2,0] tile. This sets the entire cluster to 2.
💡 Extend the Constraint Chain
With the cluster fixed at 2, the equals region [1,3]–[1,4] must match. The [5,5] domino can cover [0,4] and [1,4], making [1,4]=5, so [1,3] must also be 5. The [5,2] domino then fits with 5 at [1,3] and 2 at [2,3].
💡 Sum-10 and the Zero Column
The sum-10 region [1,0]–[2,0] needs a total of 10. With [2,1]=2, [2,0] is free; place the [6,0] domino with 6 at [2,0] and 0 at [3,0]. Then [1,0] must be 4, from the [3,4] domino placing 4 at [1,0] and 3 at [0,0]. The equals region [3,0][4,0][5,0] all become 0, using the [0,0] domino for the lower two.
💡 Full Hard Solution
Place dominos in this order: [2,0] at [2,1]/[1,1] (2,0); [5,5] at [0,4]/[1,4]; [0,5] at [7,0]/[7,1] (0,5); [1,1] at [7,3]/[7,4]; [1,3] at [8,4]/[9,4] (1,3); [6,0] at [2,0]/[3,0]; [0,0] at [4,0]/[5,0]; [3,4] at [0,0]/[1,0] (3,4); [5,2] at [1,3]/[2,3]; [1,2] at [3,4]/[2,4]; [0,4] at [8,2]/[9,2] (0,4); [0,1] at [8,0]/[9,0]; [2,2] at [2,2]/[3,2].

🎨 Pips Solver

Aug 6, 2026

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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 6, 2026 – 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 6, 2026 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: Sum-7 Forces a Pair
The region at [0,0] and [1,0] requires a sum of 7. With only double-number dominos (1-1, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6), the only way to reach 7 is by using a 1 and a 6. The 1 must be placed in this column; it cannot be the 6-6 domino’s 6, so the 1-1 domino must occupy [0,0] (and its partner cell) while the 6-6 takes [1,0] (and its partner).
2
Step 2: Sum-4 Locks in the 1-1 and 3-3
The sum-4 region at [0,1] and [0,2] restricts the partner of the 1-1. If [0,0] is 1, then [0,1] is also 1, forcing [0,2] to be 3 to reach the sum of 4. That demands the 3-3 domino, which fits vertically covering [0,2] and [1,2].
3
Step 3: Sum-9 Fills Row 1
The sum-9 region at [1,1] and [1,2] now has [1,2] as 3, so [1,1] must be 6. The 6-6 domino is still free, so place it vertically from [1,0] to [1,1]. This satisfies both sum-7 and sum-9 perfectly.
4
Step 4: Bottom Sums Complete the Grid
The sum-9 region at [2,0][2,1] and the sum-4 region at [3,0] together dictate the last two dominos. [2,0] must be 4 (since [3,0] must be 4 to satisfy sum-4, and 4+5=9), so the 4-4 domino goes vertically at [2,0]–[3,0]. Then [2,1] becomes 5, so the 5-5 domino fills [2,1]–[2,2] horizontally, finishing the puzzle.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1
Step 1: Equals Column Sets the Value
The equals region covering the leftmost column ([0,0], [1,0], [2,0]) forces all three cells to hold the same number. Considering the adjacent greater-4 region at [0,1] (which must be >4) and the available dominos, the column value is forced to be 2. The domino [6,2] can place 6 at [0,1] and 2 at [0,0]; the [4,2] can put 4 at [1,1] and 2 at [1,0]; and the [0,2] can give 0 at [2,1] and 2 at [2,0].
2
Step 2: Greater-4 Anchors the Top Right
Because [0,1] must be greater than 4, the only candidate from the [6,2] domino is its 6. Thus the [6,2] domino is placed with 6 at [0,1] and 2 at [0,0]. This establishes the column's value as 2 and also fills [0,1] with 6.
3
Step 3: Equal Pairs on Top
The equals region at [0,2] and [0,3] requires identical values. The [4,1] domino can contribute a 1 to [0,2] (with its 4 going to [1,2]), and the [1,3] domino can place a 1 at [0,3] (and its 3 at [1,3]). So both cells become 1.
4
Step 4: Middle Row Equals
The equals region at [1,1] and [1,2] must match. With [1,1] already receiving 4 from the [4,2] domino, [1,2] must also be 4. The [4,1] domino fits exactly with 4 at [1,2] and 1 at [0,2].
5
Step 5: Sum-12 and Remaining Cells
The sum-12 region at [2,2], [2,3], [3,2] needs total 12. The [4,4] domino covers [2,2] and [3,2] vertically with 4 each, leaving [2,3] needing 4. The [5,4] domino places 5 at the greater-3 cell [2,4] and 4 at [2,3], completing the grid.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1
Step 1: A Seed of Zero Ignites the Cluster
The less-1 cell at [1,1] must be 0. This 0 must come from a domino half, and the only domino containing a 0 that can also touch the adjacent large equals region (starting at [2,1]) is the [2,0] tile. Placing it vertically with 0 at [1,1] and 2 at [2,1] sets the entire five-cell equals group ([2,1],[2,2],[2,3],[2,4],[3,2]) to 2.
2
Step 2: Twinned Fives Lock Row 1
The equals region [1,3]–[1,4] demands both cells be equal. The [5,5] domino can cover [0,4] and [1,4], making [1,4]=5, so [1,3] must also be 5. This forces the [5,2] domino to span [1,3] and [2,3] with 5 on top and 2 below (matching the cluster).
3
Step 3: Sum-10 Demands a 4 and 6
The sum-10 region at [1,0] and [2,0] requires a total of 10. With [2,1]=2, [2,0] is not yet fixed. The [6,0] domino fits placing 6 at [2,0] and 0 at [3,0], which starts the next equals region. Then [1,0] needs 4, which is supplied by the [3,4] domino with its 4 at [1,0] and 3 at [0,0].
4
Step 4: A Column of Zeros
The equals region at [3,0], [4,0], [5,0] now has 0 at [3,0] from the [6,0] domino. The [0,0] domino (both zeros) slots in vertically covering [4,0] and [5,0], completing the column of zeros.
5
Step 5: Bottom Rows: Fives, Ones, and Zeros
The greater-4 cell at [7,1] forces a 5, so the [0,5] domino places 5 there and 0 at [7,0] to align with the equals region [7,0]–[8,0] (both will be 0). The equals cluster [7,3],[7,4],[8,4] needs 1s; place the [1,1] domino horizontally at [7,3]–[7,4], and the [1,3] domino vertically at [8,4]–[9,4] with 1 on top and 3 below.
6
Step 6: Final Fill: Sum-4 and the Last Dominoes
The sum-4 region at [8,2] and [9,2] requires a 0 and a 4; the [0,4] domino provides 0 at [8,2] and 4 at [9,2]. The less-4 cell at [9,0] gets 1 from the [0,1] domino at [9,0] and 0 at [8,0], matching the equals pair. The [2,2] domino completes the cluster at [2,2]–[3,2] with 2s, and the grid is fully placed.

💡 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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