NYT Pips Hints & Answers for September 13, 2026

Sep 13, 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's easy gives you two gifts up front: the single-cell sum-3 regions at opposite corners hand you their values without any cross-checking. From there you're riding a cascade — one sum-8 vertical forces a domino, which triggers a sum-2, which triggers the other sum-8, then the equals pair and bottom single click into place. It feels like a chain of falling tiles rather than a search.

Rodolfo Kurchan's medium opens with a bit more texture. The left side asks you to reconcile a less-than-4 singleton with a greater-than-10 pair, and the center three-cell equals column acts as a spine. Once you see how the high pips must be rationed, the two sum-10 pairs on either side of that spine close neatly. The two empty singletons are quiet but useful parking spots.

Kurchan's hard starts forbidding, but turns architectural. There are equals regions everywhere — a four-cell block near the middle, a long vertical strip on the left, a huge six-cell band across the middle — and tiny bottom-row sum singletons that anchor the edges. You end up solving it from the bottom up and from constraint to constraint, using each equals block to demand the next domino. It's the kind of NYT Pips hard that rewards cataloging the grid before placing anything.

💡 Progressive Hints

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

💡 Start With the Singles
Look for the single-cell sum constraints first — they give you an exact pip value without needing a neighbor, making them the easiest anchors in the grid.
💡 Top Corner Cascade
The singleton at [0,5] must use the adjacent cell [0,4], and that feeds the vertical sum-8 region down to [1,4]. Once [1,4] is fixed, the sum-2 pair at [1,3]/[2,3] locks its domino across row 1.
💡 Full Easy Path
Put [3,3] horizontally on [0,4]–[0,5] (3,3), then [0,5] horizontally on [1,3]–[1,4] (0,5). That makes [2,3]=2, so [4,2] spans [2,2]–[2,3] (4,2); the sum-8 at [2,2]/[3,2] then makes [3,2]=4, so [4,1] spans [3,2]–[3,1] (4,1). The equals pair forces [4,1]=1, and [1,3] finishes horizontally on [4,1]–[4,0] (1,3).
💡 Single Limits and the Spine
Look for the single-cell less and greater constraints first — they give quick upper or lower limits, and the three-cell equals column is the structural centerpiece.
💡 High Pips on the Left
The three-cell equals at [1,3]/[2,3]/[3,3] must be fed carefully. The greater-10 pair on the left ([2,1] and [3,1]) has to command one of the available sixes, and the two sum-10 pairs on either side of the equals column then ration the remaining high pips.
💡 Full Medium Path
Place [2,6] horizontally at [2,0]–[2,1] and [6,6] horizontally at [3,1]–[3,2]. The left sum-10 then gives [2,2]=4, so [3,4] goes vertical at [1,2]–[2,2]. The equals column takes [5,5] vertical at [1,3]–[2,3] and [5,6] horizontal at [3,3]–[3,4]; the right sum-10 then takes [4,6] horizontal at [2,4]–[2,5]. Finish with [2,3] vertical at [1,4]–[0,4].
💡 Catalog the Equals
This is an equals-region puzzle. Before placing, find every equals chain — especially the long vertical columns and the wide middle band — and note the tiny bottom-row sum singletons that anchor the edges.
💡 Bottom-Row Anchors
Start at the bottom with the singletons at [9,2] and [9,5]. [9,2] feeds the vertical equals chain [6,3]–[9,3], while [9,5] feeds the right-edge equals pair at [8,6]/[9,6].
💡 Top-Left and Zero Block
The top-left sum-3 region needs three 1s and one 0; that sets up the equals column at [2,2]–[4,2]. The four-cell zero block at [3,4]–[4,5] then spreads into the neighboring sum-5 and six-equals cells.
💡 Six-Equals Band
The large six-cell equals region spanning [4,3] to [6,5] is all sixes. Use [6,6] across [5,4]–[5,5], then close the rest with [6,5] and [6,3] to feed the right-side equals pairs.
💡 Full Hard Path
Place [3,5] horizontally at [9,2]–[9,3] and [2,5] horizontally at [9,5]–[9,6]; then [5,5] vertical at [7,3]–[8,3]. Top left: [1,1] horizontal at [0,1]–[0,2], [6,1] horizontal at [1,0]–[1,1], [0,4] vertical at [1,2]–[2,2]. Then [4,4] vertical at [3,2]–[4,2]; zero block: [0,0] horizontal at [3,4]–[3,5], [6,0] horizontal at [4,3]–[4,4], [5,0] horizontal at [4,6]–[4,5]. Six band: [6,6] across [5,4]–[5,5], [6,5] vertical at [5,3]–[6,3], [6,3] horizontal at [5,6]–[5,7], [4,6] horizontal at [6,6]–[6,5]. Last, [1,3] vertical at [4,8]–[5,8] and [5,4] vertical at [8,6]–[7,6].

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Sep 13, 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 Sept 13, 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 Sept 13, 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: Anchor the Upper Singleton
The single-cell sum-3 at [0,5] forces [0,5]=3. Since its only neighbor is [0,4], the [3,3] domino goes horizontally across [0,4]–[0,5], placing 3 and 3.
2
Step 2: The First Sum-8 Choke
With [0,4]=3, the sum-8 region [0,4]/[1,4] demands [1,4]=5. Domino [0,5] then must cover [1,3]–[1,4] horizontally, so [1,3]=0. The sum-2 region [1,3]/[2,3] then forces [2,3]=2.
3
Step 3: The Second Sum-8
Domino [4,2] spans [2,2]–[2,3] horizontally, giving [2,2]=4. The sum-8 pair [2,2]/[3,2] then forces [3,2]=4. That forces domino [4,1] onto [3,2]–[3,1] horizontally, so [3,1]=1.
4
Step 4: Equals and Bottom Single
The equals pair [3,1]/[4,1] makes [4,1]=1. Domino [1,3] covers [4,1]–[4,0] horizontally, placing 1 at [4,1] and 3 at [4,0] to satisfy the final sum-3 singleton.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1
Step 1: Feed the Left Singles
The less-4 singleton at [2,0] has only one adjacent puzzle cell, [2,1]. The domino [2,6] goes horizontally on [2,0]–[2,1], putting 2 in [2,0] and 6 in [2,1]. That makes the greater-10 pair [2,1]/[3,1] need a second high pip, so [6,6] goes horizontally on [3,1]–[3,2] to put 6 in [3,1] and 6 in [3,2].
2
Step 2: Left Sum-10
With [3,2]=6, the sum-10 pair [2,2]/[3,2] forces [2,2]=4. Domino [3,4] runs vertically on [1,2]–[2,2], placing 3 in [1,2], which satisfies the less-4 singleton, and 4 in [2,2].
3
Step 3: Equals Spine
The three-cell equals at [1,3]/[2,3]/[3,3] has to be all the same. Place [5,5] vertically on [1,3]–[2,3] (both 5), then [5,6] horizontally on [3,3]–[3,4] (5 and 6).
4
Step 4: Right Sum-10
With [3,4]=6, the sum-10 pair [2,4]/[3,4] forces [2,4]=4. Domino [4,6] goes horizontally on [2,4]–[2,5], placing 6 in the empty [2,5].
5
Step 5: Top Greater Singleton
Only [0,4] and [1,4] remain. [0,4] is a greater-2 singleton, so it needs a pip above 2. Domino [2,3] runs vertically on [1,4]–[0,4], placing 2 in [1,4] (empty) and 3 in [0,4]. Grid complete.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1
Step 1: Bottom-Row Singletons
The sum-3 singleton at [9,2] must be 3; place [3,5] horizontally on [9,2]–[9,3] (3,5). The sum-2 singleton at [9,5] must be 2; place [2,5] horizontally on [9,5]–[9,6] (2,5). These set the bottoms of the two right-side equals chains.
2
Step 2: Left Vertical 5-Chain
With [9,3]=5, the equals chain [6,3]/[7,3]/[8,3]/[9,3] must all be 5. Domino [5,5] runs vertically on [7,3]–[8,3], both 5. The last member, [6,3], will be fed later from the big six band above.
3
Step 3: Top-Left Sum-3 Region
The four-cell sum-3 region at [0,1],[0,2],[1,1],[1,2] has to be three 1s and one 0. Place [1,1] horizontally on [0,1]–[0,2] (1,1), and [6,1] horizontally on [1,0]–[1,1] (6,1). That leaves [1,2]=0, so domino [0,4] runs vertically from [1,2] to [2,2], putting 4 into [2,2].
4
Step 4: Four-Chain and Zero Block
With [2,2]=4, the equals column [2,2]/[3,2]/[4,2] forces all to be 4; put [4,4] vertically on [3,2]–[4,2]. The zero-equals block [3,4]/[3,5]/[4,4]/[4,5] is all 0s, so [0,0] goes horizontally on [3,4]–[3,5]. The two lower zeros pair outward: [6,0] horizontal on [4,3]–[4,4] gives [4,3]=6, and [5,0] horizontal on [4,6]–[4,5] gives [4,6]=5, satisfying the sum-5 singleton.
5
Step 5: The Big Six-Equals Band
The six-cell equals region [4,3],[5,3],[5,4],[5,5],[5,6],[6,5] is all 6s, and [4,3]=6 is already set. Place [6,6] horizontally on [5,4]–[5,5]; [6,5] vertically on [5,3]–[6,3], which also drops 5 into [6,3] to finish the left chain; [6,3] horizontally on [5,6]–[5,7]; and [4,6] horizontally on [6,6]–[6,5], which fills [6,5]=6.
6
Step 6: Right-Side Equals and Singles
On the right, [5,7]=3 from the previous step forces [5,8]=3; the sum-1 singleton at [4,8] then takes [1,3] vertically on [4,8]–[5,8]. [6,6]=4 from Step 5 forces [7,6]=4 in the [6,6]/[7,6] equals pair; [5,4] then runs vertically on [8,6]–[7,6], matching [8,6]/[9,6] (where [9,6]=5 from Step 1). All placements are now forced.

💡 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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