NYT Pips Hints & Answers for September 2, 2026

Sep 2, 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.

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🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview

Easy: Ian Livengood designs today's easy as a compact study in one-cell sum locks. The top row contains two single-cell sum regions that do an outsized amount of structural work; from those tiny anchors, a top-left sum pair and a bottom sum pair fall into place almost syllogistically. It's an elegant way to teach the power of mini-regions.

Medium: Livengood's medium changes the motif from sums to equals propagation. A single greater-than gate on the left feeds a triple-equals block, which then acts as a hinge between the top sum region and the lower sum band. The result is a crisp, cause-and-effect solve with a pleasing bottom-row payoff.

Hard: Rodolfo Kurchan's hard for this NYT Pips is the most ambitious of the three—a web of twin maximum sum regions, two large equals regions, and a lone single-cell sum that opens the upper-right block. Kurchan's signature is that the seemingly distant left column and upper-right corner ultimately interlock; nothing is filler.

💡 Progressive Hints

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

💡 Lock the one-cell sums
In this easy, single-cell sum regions are more powerful than they look: because the region has only one cell, its pip value is fully determined by the target. Scan for those tiny regions first.
💡 Pin down the top row
The two one-cell sum regions at row 0, columns 1 and 2 are your anchors. Once those are pinned, the adjacent top-left sum region rules out the tempting 4-0 placement across [0,0]-[1,0] and points the 4-4 domino toward the top row.
💡 Full easy answer
Put the 4-4 domino horizontally at [0,0]-[0,1]. Put 4-0 vertically at [1,0]-[2,0] with 0 at [1,0] and 4 at [2,0]. Put 4-1 vertically at [0,2]-[1,2] with 4 at [0,2] and 1 at [1,2]. Finally put 3-0 horizontally at [2,1]-[2,2] with 0 at [2,1] and 3 at [2,2].
💡 Follow the greater-than gates
The medium board is controlled by high-pip greater-than singles and equals chains. Those narrow cell types create early forced endpoints; find the single greater-than cell on the left first.
💡 Use the left-side cascade
The greater-4 cell at [2,0] needs a large pip, and the only domino that can supply the largest available helps lock [2,0]-[2,1]. That gives the three-cell equals block its value and sets the top sum region.
💡 Full medium answer
Place 5-6 horizontally at [2,0]-[2,1] with 6 at [2,0] and 5 at [2,1]. Place 5-0 vertically at [0,1]-[1,1] with 0 at [0,1] and 5 at [1,1]. Place 3-5 vertically at [2,2]-[3,2] with 5 at [2,2] and 3 at [3,2]. Place 4-3 vertically at [0,2]-[1,2] with 3 at [0,2] and 4 at [1,2]. Place 5-4 horizontally at [1,3]-[1,4] with 4 at [1,3] and 5 at [1,4]. Place 3-2 horizontally at [3,0]-[3,1] with 2 at [3,0] and 3 at [3,1]. Place 3-1 vertically at [2,3]-[3,3] with 1 at [2,3] and 3 at [3,3].
💡 Find the tightest locks
In the hard, look first at the two sum-12 regions and the single-cell sum region; these are the tightest constraints. Also track the two large equals regions—they will broadcast values once one cell is placed.
💡 Max out the top sum
The top sum-12 region at [0,2] and [0,3] must use the largest possible pips in both cells. That pulls two high-end dominoes into play and gives the mid-left equals block and a greater-than single their values.
💡 Release the six-cell equals
The single-cell sum at [2,5] is the key to the upper-right. It forces a 1 there and pairs with the adjacent [2,6] to make that large equals region all the same. Once that value is known, the 4-4 domino and neighboring greater-than cells fall in line.
💡 Work the left-side 12
The bottom sum-12 at [3,0] and [4,0] also needs two maximum pips. Filling it pulls in two more high-end dominoes, and the resulting low partner at [2,0] forces the left column equals region to match.
💡 Full hard answer
Place 5-6 vertically at [0,2]-[1,2] with 6 at [0,2] and 5 at [1,2]. Place 4-6 vertically at [0,3]-[1,3] with 6 at [0,3] and 4 at [1,3]. Place 1-4 horizontally at [2,5]-[2,6] with 1 at [2,5] and 4 at [2,6]. Place 2-6 vertically at [2,0]-[3,0] with 2 at [2,0] and 6 at [3,0]. Place 1-6 horizontally at [4,0]-[4,1] with 6 at [4,0] and 1 at [4,1]. Place 2-2 horizontally at [0,0]-[1,0]. Place 2-4 horizontally at [0,4]-[0,5] with 2 at [0,4] and 4 at [0,5]. Place 4-4 vertically at [0,6]-[1,6]. Place 5-5 vertically at [1,1]-[2,1]. Place 4-5 horizontally at [1,4]-[1,5] with 5 at [1,4] and 4 at [1,5]. Place 0-5 horizontally at [2,2]-[2,3] with 5 at [2,2] and 0 at [2,3]. Place 0-3 horizontally at [4,2]-[4,3] with 0 at [4,2] and 3 at [4,3]. Place 3-5 horizontally at [4,4]-[4,5] with 5 at [4,4] and 3 at [4,5]. Finally place 3-4 vertically at [3,6]-[4,6] with 4 at [3,6] and 3 at [4,6].

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Sep 2, 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 2, 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 2, 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: Single-cell sum locks
The two one-cell sum regions at [0,1] and [0,2] must each match their target, so both are forced to 4. This is the key that unlocks the top row.
2
Step 2: Place the double 4
Because [0,1] cannot pair with [0,2] without making the bottom sum region impossible later, the 4-4 domino must run horizontally across [0,0]-[0,1]. That puts 4 at [0,0] and leaves [1,0] needing a 0 for the top-left sum region.
3
Step 3: Fill the left column
The 4-0 domino goes vertically at [1,0]-[2,0], with 0 at [1,0] to complete the top-left sum region and 4 at [2,0]. The bottom sum region then forces [2,1] to be 0.
4
Step 4: Finish the right side
Place 4-1 vertically at [0,2]-[1,2] with 4 at [0,2] and 1 at [1,2]. The remaining 3-0 domino completes [2,1]-[2,2] horizontally, with 0 at [2,1] and 3 at [2,2] to satisfy the less-4 region.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1
Step 1: Lock the high gate
The single greater-4 cell at [2,0] needs the largest pip available. The 5-6 domino is the only way to deliver that, so place it at [2,0]-[2,1] with 6 at [2,0] and 5 at [2,1].
2
Step 2: Propagate through equals
The 5 at [2,1] forces the three-cell equals block at [1,1], [2,1], and [2,2] to all be 5. That sets [1,1]=5 and [2,2]=5.
3
Step 3: Resolve the top sum
Place 5-0 vertically at [0,1]-[1,1] with 0 at [0,1] and 5 at [1,1]. The top sum region [0,1]+[0,2] then requires [0,2]=3.
4
Step 4: Follow the 3 to the equals pair
The 3 at [0,2] pairs with [1,2] via 4-3, giving [1,2]=4. The two-cell equals region then makes [1,3]=4, and 5-4 fills [1,3]-[1,4] with [1,4]=5 for its greater-4 gate.
5
Step 5: Finish the lower band
The 5 at [2,2] pairs with [3,2] via 3-5, making [3,2]=3. The bottom sum-9 region then forces [3,1]=3 and [3,3]=3; place 3-2 at [3,0]-[3,1] and 3-1 at [2,3]-[3,3], giving [3,0]=2 and [2,3]=1.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1
Step 1: Pin the top maximums
The sum-12 region at [0,2] and [0,3] forces both cells to 6. Place 5-6 vertically at [0,2]-[1,2] with 6 at [0,2] and 5 at [1,2], and 4-6 vertically at [0,3]-[1,3] with 6 at [0,3] and 4 at [1,3]. The orientation is chosen because the mid-left equals block needs the 5 and the greater-3 cell at [1,3] takes the 4.
2
Step 2: Flood the mid-left equals
The 5 at [1,2] forces the four-cell equals block at [1,1], [1,2], [2,1], and [2,2] to all be 5. That sets up the rest of the left-center frame.
3
Step 3: Use the one-cell sum
The single-cell sum region at [2,5] must be 1. Place 1-4 horizontally at [2,5]-[2,6] with 1 at [2,5] and 4 at [2,6]. The 4 at [2,6] forces the large six-cell equals region—[0,5],[0,6],[1,5],[1,6],[2,6],[3,6]—to all be 4. Also place 4-4 vertically at [0,6]-[1,6].
4
Step 4: Fill the left-side 12
The other sum-12 at [3,0] and [4,0] also requires two 6s. Place 2-6 vertically at [2,0]-[3,0] with 2 at [2,0] and 6 at [3,0], and 1-6 horizontally at [4,0]-[4,1] with 6 at [4,0] and 1 at [4,1]. The 2 at [2,0] now forces the left column equals to all be 2, so place 2-2 horizontally at [0,0]-[1,0].
5
Step 5: Settle the less- and greater-than singles
With [0,5]=4, the less-3 cell [0,4] pairs with it via 2-4, giving [0,4]=2. The less-3 cell [2,3] pairs with [2,2]=5 via 0-5, giving [2,3]=0. For the greater-3 pair, [1,3] is already 4, and [1,4] pairs with [1,5]=4 via 4-5, giving [1,4]=5. Place 5-5 vertically at [1,1]-[2,1] as well.
6
Step 6: Close the bottom-right
Place 0-3 horizontally at [4,2]-[4,3] with 0 at [4,2] and 3 at [4,3]. The sum-8 region then forces [4,4]=5, so place 3-5 horizontally at [4,4]-[4,5] with 5 at [4,4] and 3 at [4,5]. Finally, the bottom-right equals needs [4,6]=3, so place 3-4 vertically at [3,6]-[4,6] with 4 at [3,6] and 3 at [4,6].

💡 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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