NYT Pips Answers for January 26, 2026
NYT Pips answers for January 26, 2026, a Monday: hints first, then the full solution for the easy, medium and hard boards. Take the hints in order and stop when you have enough — nothing below is revealed until you open it.
Today's set runs from a 12-square easy board to a 20-square hard one, a gap of 8 squares, with the hard board carrying 4 doubles against easy's 1 and 5 loose regions against 6. Constructed by Ian Livengood and Rodolfo Kurchan. Edited by Ian Livengood.
By Sukie · Puzzle editor
Easy — 12 squares, 6 dominoes
86% of the regions on this board are loose — comparisons or unconstrained — so there is little to calculate from and most of the work is deciding where tiles cannot go.
At 12 squares this is 21% larger than the average easy board, which runs 9.9. More squares means more placements to keep straight at once, and a mistake made early sits underneath more correct-looking work before you find it.
86% of its regions are loose against a norm of 40%, so this board is vaguer than usual — there is less exact arithmetic to anchor on and more reasoning by elimination.
Its tightest sum target is 30, against a median of 5 across every board published. A high target forces large values into a small space, which narrows the options just as sharply from the other direction.
Where the information is on this board
Ordered from most constrained to least — which is the order worth working them in. No values are given away here, only how much each region can tell you.
- > 5 (the middle right single square) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 5 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
- < 2 (the top right single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 2. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- > 4 (the middle left single square) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 4. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- < 3 (the top left single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 3. 3 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- > 3 (the bottom left single square) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 3. 3 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- no rule (the bottom right single square) — No rule. A single free square — useful as somewhere to park a value the constrained regions cannot take.
- = 30 (the top centre 6-square block) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 30. 11 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
Hint 1 — where to start
Start with the > 5 region — the middle right single square — where the pips in this region must add up to more than 5. Work there first because exactly one combination of values can fill it, so it is fully forced before you place anything.
Hint 2 — what your tray forces
The tray carries 1 double: 5-5. Neither all-equal nor all-different regions appear today, so the doubles are unusually free — place them last.
Hint 3 — the opening region's values
The > 5 region resolves to 6. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.
Full answer — easy board, January 26, 2026
| Region | Where | Values |
|---|---|---|
| < 3 | the top left single square | 2 |
| = 30 | the top centre 6-square block | 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 |
| < 2 | the top right single square | 1 |
| > 4 | the middle left single square | 5 |
| > 5 | the middle right single square | 6 |
| > 3 | the bottom left single square | 4 |
| no rule | the bottom right single square | 3 |
Every tile and the squares it covers
- 4-5 → row 3 col 1 and row 2 col 1
- 6-5 → row 2 col 4 and row 2 col 3
- 5-5 → row 2 col 2 and row 3 col 2
- 2-5 → row 1 col 1 and row 1 col 2
- 5-1 → row 1 col 3 and row 1 col 4
- 5-3 → row 3 col 3 and row 3 col 4
Rows and columns are counted from the top-left of the board, starting at 1.
Medium — 12 squares, 6 dominoes
A 12-square board across 7 regions, with 2 exact sums to anchor it and 2 looser regions to work around.
At 12 squares this is 18% smaller than the average medium board, which runs 14.7. A smaller grid is more forgiving: a bad tile is fewer undos away from being fixed.
29% of its regions are loose against a norm of 42%, so this board is tighter than usual — more regions hand you a number outright, which is why it may have felt unusually tractable.
Its tightest sum target is 10, against a median of 5 across every board published. A high target forces large values into a small space, which narrows the options just as sharply from the other direction.
Where the information is on this board
Ordered from most constrained to least — which is the order worth working them in. No values are given away here, only how much each region can tell you.
- = 10 (the top right column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 10. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- = 10 (the bottom centre row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 10. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- < 4 (the middle left single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 4. 4 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- = (the top left row of 2) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- = (the top centre column of 2) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- no rule (the middle centre single square) — No rule. A single free square — useful as somewhere to park a value the constrained regions cannot take.
- = (the bottom left row of 2) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
Hint 1 — where to start
Start with the = 10 region — the top right column of 2 — where the pips in this region must add up to exactly 10. Work there first because only 2 combinations of values can fill it.
Hint 2 — what your tray forces
The tray carries 2 doubles: 2-2, 4-4. A double is the only tile that fits wholly inside an all-equal region, and there are 3 here.
Hint 3 — the opening region's values
The = 10 region resolves to 4, 6. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.
Full answer — medium board, January 26, 2026
| Region | Where | Values |
|---|---|---|
| = | the top left row of 2 | 2, 2 |
| = | the top centre column of 2 | 0, 0 |
| = 10 | the top right column of 2 | 6, 4 |
| < 4 | the middle left single square | 0 |
| no rule | the middle centre single square | 5 |
| = | the bottom left row of 2 | 2, 2 |
| = 10 | the bottom centre row of 2 | 6, 4 |
Every tile and the squares it covers
- 2-6 → row 3 col 2 and row 3 col 3
- 0-5 → row 2 col 3 and row 2 col 2
- 2-2 → row 1 col 1 and row 1 col 2
- 0-6 → row 1 col 3 and row 1 col 4
- 4-4 → row 2 col 4 and row 3 col 4
- 0-2 → row 2 col 1 and row 3 col 1
Rows and columns are counted from the top-left of the board, starting at 1.
Hard — 20 squares, 10 dominoes
4 doubles in a 10-tile tray is a lot, and doubles are the most constrained tiles you can be dealt. Placing them first is not a preference today, it is the route through.
At 20 squares this is 24% smaller than the average hard board, which runs 26.4. A smaller grid is more forgiving: a bad tile is fewer undos away from being fixed.
45% of its regions are loose against a norm of 29%, so this board is vaguer than usual — there is less exact arithmetic to anchor on and more reasoning by elimination.
Where the information is on this board
Ordered from most constrained to least — which is the order worth working them in. No values are given away here, only how much each region can tell you.
- > 4 (the top centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 4. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- = 9 (the middle centre column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 9. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- = 9 (the middle centre column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 9. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- < 2 (the bottom right single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 2. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- = 5 (the middle centre column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 5. 3 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- = 4 (the middle centre column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 4. 3 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- < 3 (the bottom left single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 3. 3 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- = 6 (the middle centre column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 6. 4 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- = (the top centre column of 2) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
- no rule (the middle centre single square) — No rule. A single free square — useful as somewhere to park a value the constrained regions cannot take.
- ≠ (the middle centre 4-square block) — no two pip values in this region may be the same. 35 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
Hint 1 — where to start
Start with the > 4 region — the top centre single square — where the pips in this region must add up to more than 4. Work there first because only 2 combinations of values can fill it.
Hint 2 — what your tray forces
The tray carries 4 doubles: 6-6, 2-2, 4-4, 3-3. With 1 all-different and 1 all-equal region on the board, those doubles are barred from the former and are the only tiles that fit wholly inside the latter — which usually pins two of them before you make a real decision.
Hint 3 — the opening region's values
The > 4 region resolves to 6. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.
Full answer — hard board, January 26, 2026
| Region | Where | Values |
|---|---|---|
| > 4 | the top centre single square | 6 |
| = | the top centre column of 2 | 6, 6 |
| = 5 | the middle centre column of 2 | 1, 4 |
| no rule | the middle centre single square | 2 |
| ≠ | the middle centre 4-square block | 4, 1, 2, 3 |
| = 6 | the middle centre column of 2 | 2, 4 |
| = 9 | the middle centre column of 2 | 3, 6 |
| = 9 | the middle centre column of 2 | 5, 4 |
| = 4 | the middle centre column of 2 | 4, 0 |
| < 3 | the bottom left single square | 1 |
| < 2 | the bottom right single square | 1 |
Every tile and the squares it covers
- 1-2 → row 4 col 5 and row 3 col 5
- 6-6 → row 1 col 2 and row 1 col 3
- 1-4 → row 7 col 1 and row 7 col 2
- 2-2 → row 5 col 3 and row 5 col 4
- 6-1 → row 2 col 3 and row 2 col 4
- 4-4 → row 3 col 4 and row 4 col 4
- 0-1 → row 7 col 7 and row 7 col 8
- 5-4 → row 6 col 2 and row 6 col 3
- 3-3 → row 5 col 5 and row 5 col 6
- 4-6 → row 6 col 7 and row 6 col 6
Rows and columns are counted from the top-left of the board, starting at 1.
Questions about this day
- What is the answer to NYT Pips on January 26, 2026?
- The full solution for all three boards is on this page, below the hints. 4 doubles in a 10-tile tray is a lot, and doubles are the most constrained tiles you can be dealt. Placing them first is not a preference today, it is the route through.
- Can I see a hint without seeing the whole answer?
- Yes. Each difficulty has three hints in order — where to start, what your tray forces, then the values in the opening region — each behind its own disclosure, with the full solution last. Nothing is revealed until you open it.
- Are these the official New York Times boards?
- The puzzle data is the Times’ own, and this page reports and explains the solution. EnergyPips is not affiliated with The New York Times, and the boards are not reproduced here to play — to play, go to the Times. To play a free daily domino puzzle of our own, the rest of this site is that.
- Why is the hard board harder than the easy one?
- On January 26, 2026 the hard board runs 20 squares across 11 regions against the easy board’s 12 and 7, and carries 5 regions that give you no exact number to work from.
About these answers
EnergyPips is an independent site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The New York Times. This page reports and explains the solution to a published puzzle, constructed by Ian Livengood (easy), Rodolfo Kurchan (medium, hard) and edited by Ian Livengood — the board itself is not reproduced here to play. To play it, go to the official NYT Pips puzzle. To play a free daily domino puzzle of our own making, with a full archive, start here.
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