NYT Pips Hints & Answers for March 23, 2026

Mar 23, 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!

Click here to play today's official NYT Pips game first.

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

🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview

Monday's Pips is edited by Ian Livengood, who also constructs the easy puzzle. It plays out on a compact cross-shaped board — just ten cells and five dominoes — with two single-cell sum constraints anchoring the top and bottom tips. Three equals chains handle the middle, and the whole puzzle unravels quickly once you identify which dominoes belong at the extremities.

Both the medium and hard puzzles are constructed by Rodolfo Kurchan, whose hallmark is irregular board shapes paired with cleverly interlocking sum regions. Today's medium is a tight five-region puzzle where the smallest constraint — two cells summing to just 2 — turns out to be one of the most useful starting points. The hard puzzle sprawls across ten rows in a branching layout, with a central column-2 spine connecting a small top cluster to a wide right-side section at rows five through nine.

For the hard puzzle, a top-to-bottom pass along column 2 is the cleanest approach: each constraint there builds naturally on the one above it, and by the time you've resolved the spine you'll have enough anchors to crack the right-side branch without difficulty.

💡 Progressive Hints

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

💡 Check the tips of the board
The board has two isolated cells at the top and bottom. Both have single-cell sum constraints. Those pip values are given to you directly — no deduction needed.
💡 Both tips equal 1 — find the matching dominoes
The top tip and bottom tip each equal 1. Each is part of a vertical domino extending inward. Look through the five dominoes and find the two that contain a 1 — those are your starting pieces.
💡 Full solution
The top tip [0,3]=1 is the first pip of the 1-3 domino, placed vertically: [0,3]=1, [1,3]=3. The bottom tip [3,3]=1 is the first pip of the 1-5 domino, placed vertically: [3,3]=1, [2,3]=5. The equals region [2,2]=[2,3] tells you [2,2]=5, so the 5-4 domino runs horizontally: [2,2]=5, [2,1]=4. The equals region [2,0]=[2,1] gives [2,0]=4, placing the 0-4 domino vertically: [1,0]=0, [2,0]=4. The equals region [1,0]=[1,1]=[1,2] forces all three to equal 0, and the 0-0 domino fills [1,1] and [1,2]. Done.
💡 Look for the most constrained region
One region has the smallest possible sum for two cells. That puts a tight upper bound on both pip values — think about what pairs of numbers could satisfy it.
💡 Two cells summing to 2 is very limiting
The region [2,1]+[2,2]=2 means both cells are very small. Only a handful of pip combinations work. Now consider which dominoes from today's set could contribute such small values to those positions.
💡 Full solution
Start at the bottom-left: [3,0]+[3,1]=5. The 2-3 domino fits perfectly: [3,0]=2, [3,1]=3. Now the column-1 constraint: [0,1]+[1,1]=6. The 4-2 domino sits horizontally at row 0, so [0,2]=4 and [0,1]=2. That makes [1,1]=4. The 4-1 domino extends downward: [1,1]=4, [2,1]=1. With [2,1]=1 and [2,1]+[2,2]=2, we get [2,2]=1. The 5-1 domino places [2,3]=5 next to [2,2]=1. Then [2,3]+[3,3]=10: since [2,3]=5, [3,3]=5. The 5-3 domino goes horizontal: [3,3]=5, [3,4]=3. The three-cell sum [0,2]+[1,2]+[1,3]=10: [0,2]=4, leaving [1,2]+[1,3]=6. The 3-3 double sits there perfectly. Finally, the 6-6 domino is the only unused piece — it drops into the remaining empty column: [3,2]=6, [4,2]=6.
💡 Start at the top of the spine
The board has a long vertical column at column 2, running from row 0 all the way to row 9. There are single-cell sum constraints at three different points along it. Those three cells are your anchors.
💡 Column 2 runs top to bottom — follow it down
Cell [0,2] must equal 6 directly. Its domino extends down to [1,2], and knowing [1,2] lets you solve the three-cell sum in row 1. Further down, [4,2]=6 and the constraint at [2,2]+[3,2] connect the two — figure out which domino bridges them.
💡 The spine unlocks the top cluster
[0,2]=6 → the 0-6 domino is vertical: [0,2]=6, [1,2]=0. Row 1 sum: [1,0]+[1,1]+[1,2]=3, and [1,2]=0, so [1,0]+[1,1]=3. The 1-2 domino fits: [1,1]=1, [1,0]=2. Then [2,2]+[3,2]=4, and [4,2]=6 forces the 6-2 domino upward: [4,2]=6, [3,2]=2. So [2,2]=2. The 2-0 domino places [2,2]=2, [2,1]=0.
💡 Continue down the spine to the right branch
[5,2]+[6,2]=2. The 0-1 domino sits horizontally at row 5: [5,3]=0, [5,2]=1. That makes [6,2]=1. The 1-6 domino extends downward: [6,2]=1, [7,2]=6. Then [7,2]+[8,2]+[9,2]=16: [7,2]=6, leaving [8,2]+[9,2]=10. The 5-5 double covers that: [8,2]=5, [9,2]=5. Now the right-side branch: [5,4]+[6,3]+[6,4]=12 — three cells summing to 12 means all three equal 4. The 4-4 domino fills [6,3] and [6,4], and the 4-1 domino places [5,4]=4, [5,5]=1.
💡 Full solution — right side and final checks
[5,5]+[6,5]=1: [5,5]=1 (already placed), so [6,5]=0. The 0-3 domino extends down: [6,5]=0, [7,5]=3. The equals region [7,5]=[8,5]=[9,5]: all equal 3. The 3-3 domino covers [8,5] and [9,5] vertically. For column 7: [5,7]+[6,7]=10. The 6-4 domino sits vertically: [6,7]=6, [7,7]=4, and [7,7]=4 matches its sum=4 constraint. That gives [5,7]=4. The 3-4 domino fills the last row-5 cells: [5,6]=3, [5,7]=4. All 13 dominoes placed.

🎨 Pips Solver

Mar 23, 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 March 23, 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 March 23, 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: Read the tips directly
The board has a cross shape. The top tip [0,3] has sum=1, so that cell holds pip 1. The bottom tip [3,3] also has sum=1, so it holds pip 1 as well. Each tip is the end of a vertical domino that extends toward the center.
2
Step 2: Identify the tip dominoes
The top tip [0,3]=1 must connect downward to [1,3]. The domino containing a 1 that can sit here is 1-3. So [0,3]=1 and [1,3]=3 — placed vertically. Similarly, [3,3]=1 connects upward to [2,3]. The 1-5 domino fits: [3,3]=1, [2,3]=5.
3
Step 3: Use the equals chain on the right
The region [2,2]=[2,3] requires both to be equal. Since [2,3]=5 (just determined), [2,2]=5 as well. The 5-4 domino runs horizontally here: [2,2]=5 and [2,1]=4.
4
Step 4: Chain through the left equals region
The region [2,0]=[2,1] requires both to be equal. Since [2,1]=4, [2,0]=4 as well. The 0-4 domino links [1,0] and [2,0] vertically: [1,0]=0, [2,0]=4.
5
Step 5: Fill row 1
The region [1,0]=[1,1]=[1,2] requires all three to be equal. Since [1,0]=0, all three must be 0. The 0-0 domino fills [1,1] and [1,2] horizontally — both equal 0, and [1,0]=0 is already placed. All five dominoes placed, all constraints satisfied.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1
Step 1: Anchor the bottom-left pair
The region [3,0]+[3,1] must sum to 5. These two adjacent cells form a horizontal domino slot. The 2-3 domino has pips summing to 5 and fits here perfectly: [3,0]=2, [3,1]=3.
2
Step 2: Resolve column 1 from the top
The region [0,1]+[1,1] sums to 6. The 4-2 domino sits horizontally at row 0, giving [0,2]=4 and [0,1]=2. With [0,1]=2, the region sum requires [1,1]=4. The 4-1 domino extends downward: [1,1]=4, [2,1]=1.
3
Step 3: Lock in [2,2] from the small-sum region
The region [2,1]+[2,2] must sum to 2. Since [2,1]=1, [2,2] must equal 1. The 5-1 domino places [2,2]=1 and [2,3]=5, running horizontally.
4
Step 4: Propagate the large-sum region
The region [2,3]+[3,3] must sum to 10. Since [2,3]=5, [3,3] must equal 5. The 5-3 domino fills row 3 on the right: [3,3]=5, [3,4]=3.
5
Step 5: Place the last two dominoes
The three-cell region [0,2]+[1,2]+[1,3] must sum to 10. With [0,2]=4 already placed, [1,2]+[1,3]=6. The 3-3 double fits: [1,2]=3, [1,3]=3. Only the 6-6 domino remains — it drops into column 2 with [3,2]=6 and [4,2]=6, filling both empty-constraint cells. Puzzle complete.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1
Step 1: Top of the spine
Cell [0,2] has sum=6, so it holds pip 6. The only available vertical extension is downward to [1,2]. The 0-6 domino fits: [0,2]=6, [1,2]=0.
2
Step 2: Row 1 cluster
The region [1,0]+[1,1]+[1,2] must sum to 3. With [1,2]=0, the remaining two cells sum to 3. The 1-2 domino covers [1,1] and [1,0] horizontally: [1,1]=1, [1,0]=2.
3
Step 3: Connect [4,2] to [2,2] and [2,1]
Cell [4,2] has sum=6. The region [2,2]+[3,2] must sum to 4. The 6-2 domino bridges [4,2] and [3,2] vertically: [4,2]=6, [3,2]=2. Then [2,2]=4-2=2. The 2-0 domino runs horizontally: [2,2]=2, [2,1]=0.
4
Step 4: Continue down the spine to row 6
The region [5,2]+[6,2] must sum to 2. The 0-1 domino sits horizontally in row 5: [5,3]=0, [5,2]=1. So [6,2]=1. The 1-6 domino extends downward: [6,2]=1, [7,2]=6. The three-cell sum [7,2]+[8,2]+[9,2]=16: with [7,2]=6, the remaining 10 is covered by the 5-5 double: [8,2]=5, [9,2]=5.
5
Step 5: Right-side branch — rows 5 through 9
Region [5,4]+[6,3]+[6,4]=12: three cells summing to 12 forces each to equal 4. The 4-4 domino fills [6,3]=4 and [6,4]=4 horizontally. The 4-1 domino covers [5,4]=4 and [5,5]=1 horizontally. Region [5,5]+[6,5]=1: [5,5]=1, so [6,5]=0. The 0-3 domino runs vertically: [6,5]=0, [7,5]=3. Equals region [7,5]=[8,5]=[9,5]=3: the 3-3 domino covers [8,5]=3 and [9,5]=3. Region [5,7]+[6,7]=10: the 6-4 domino fills [6,7]=6 and [7,7]=4, confirming [7,7]=4. That leaves [5,7]=4. The 3-4 domino closes out row 5: [5,6]=3, [5,7]=4. All 13 dominoes 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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