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Pips

NYT Pips Answers for September 30, 2026

NYT Pips answers for September 30, 2026, a Wednesday: 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 10-square easy board to a 30-square hard one, a gap of 20 squares, with the hard board carrying 3 doubles against easy's 1 and 6 loose regions against 2. Constructed by Ian Livengood.

Sukie, Puzzle editor at EnergyPips

By Sukie · Puzzle editor

Easy — 10 squares, 5 dominoes

Two or more regions carry no rule at all today, which sounds generous and is not: unconstrained squares give you nothing to reason from, so the 3 sum regions have to carry the whole board.

At 10 squares this is a typical easy board — the average is 9.9 — so nothing about its size explains an unusually long or short solve.

Its tightest sum target is 1, against a median of 5 across every board published. A target that low forces blanks and low values, and is usually the fastest way in.

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.

  • = 1 (the top centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 1 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = 1 (the middle centre row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 1 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = 10 (the middle right column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 10. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • no rule (the top right single square) — No rule. A single free square — useful as somewhere to park a value the constrained regions cannot take.
  • = (the middle left 3-square block) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • no rule (the bottom centre single square) — No rule. A single free square — useful as somewhere to park a value the constrained regions cannot take.
Hint 1 — where to start

Start with the = 1 region — the top centre single square — where the pips in this region must add up to exactly 1. 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: 6-6. A double is the only tile that fits wholly inside an all-equal region, and there is one here.

Hint 3 — the opening region's values

The = 1 region resolves to 1. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.

Full answer — easy board, September 30, 2026
How each region resolves.
RegionWhereValues
= 1the top centre single square1
no rulethe top right single square3
=the middle left 3-square block6, 6, 6
= 1the middle centre row of 20, 1
= 10the middle right column of 25, 5
no rulethe bottom centre single square4

Every tile and the squares it covers

  • 6-0 → row 2 col 2 and row 2 col 3
  • 1-3 → row 1 col 4 and row 1 col 5
  • 5-4 → row 3 col 5 and row 3 col 4
  • 5-1 → row 2 col 5 and row 2 col 4
  • 6-6 → row 3 col 1 and row 3 col 2

Rows and columns are counted from the top-left of the board, starting at 1.

Medium — 14 squares, 7 dominoes

The = 2 region is the giveaway: a target that low forces blanks and ones, and almost nothing else fits.

At 14 squares this is a typical medium board — the average is 14.7 — so nothing about its size explains an unusually long or short solve.

50% of its regions are loose against a norm of 41%, 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 2, against a median of 5 across every board published. A target that low forces blanks and low values, and is usually the fastest way in.

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.

  • = 2 (the middle centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 2 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • < 2 (the top centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 2. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 11 (the top left column of 3) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 11. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the middle centre 3-square block) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • < 8 (the top centre 3-square block) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 8. 30 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • ≠ (the top centre 3-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 = 2 region — the middle centre single square — where the pips in this region must add up to exactly 2. 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: 2-2. 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 = 2 region resolves to 2. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.

Full answer — medium board, September 30, 2026
How each region resolves.
RegionWhereValues
= 11the top left column of 35, 3, 3
< 2the top centre single square1
≠the top centre 3-square block6, 4, 5
< 8the top centre 3-square block4, 2, 1
= 2the middle centre single square2
=the middle centre 3-square block2, 2, 2

Every tile and the squares it covers

  • 1-4 → row 1 col 2 and row 2 col 2
  • 2-5 → row 3 col 3 and row 2 col 3
  • 2-2 → row 4 col 2 and row 4 col 3
  • 5-3 → row 1 col 1 and row 2 col 1
  • 6-4 → row 1 col 3 and row 1 col 4
  • 2-3 → row 3 col 2 and row 3 col 1
  • 2-1 → row 2 col 4 and row 2 col 5

Rows and columns are counted from the top-left of the board, starting at 1.

Hard — 30 squares, 15 dominoes

Two or more regions carry no rule at all today, which sounds generous and is not: unconstrained squares give you nothing to reason from, so the 7 sum regions have to carry the whole board.

At 30 squares this is 14% larger than the average hard board, which runs 26.4. 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.

40% of its regions are loose against a norm of 28%, 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.

  • < 1 (the middle centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 1 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = 2 (the bottom centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 2 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = 2 (the middle centre column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 2. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 22 (the middle centre 4-square block) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 22. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 9 (the middle left row 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 left column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 9. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • > 4 (the middle centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 4. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • > 4 (the middle centre 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 centre row of 3) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 3. 3 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 6 (the top centre row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 6. 4 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the top left 3-square block) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the middle centre 4-square block) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • no rule (the bottom left single square) — No rule. A single free square — useful as somewhere to park a value the constrained regions cannot take.
  • no rule (the bottom centre single square) — No rule. A single free square — useful as somewhere to park a value the constrained regions cannot take.
  • ≠ (the bottom centre row of 2) — no two pip values in this region may be the same. 21 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
Hint 1 — where to start

Start with the < 1 region — the middle centre single square — where the pips in this region must add up to less than 1. 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 3 doubles: 0-0, 2-2, 4-4. With 1 all-different and 2 all-equal regions 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 < 1 region resolves to 0. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.

Full answer — hard board, September 30, 2026
How each region resolves.
RegionWhereValues
=the top left 3-square block4, 4, 4
= 6the top centre row of 22, 4
= 3the top centre row of 33, 0, 0
= 2the middle centre column of 21, 1
= 22the middle centre 4-square block4, 6, 6, 6
= 9the middle left row of 24, 5
= 9the middle left column of 24, 5
< 1the middle centre single square0
> 4the middle centre single square5
=the middle centre 4-square block2, 2, 2, 2
> 4the middle centre single square5
no rulethe bottom left single square4
no rulethe bottom centre single square3
≠the bottom centre row of 21, 3
= 2the bottom centre single square2

Every tile and the squares it covers

  • 0-0 → row 1 col 5 and row 1 col 6
  • 4-1 → row 2 col 2 and row 2 col 3
  • 3-2 → row 6 col 4 and row 6 col 5
  • 2-6 → row 4 col 6 and row 3 col 6
  • 4-5 → row 6 col 1 and row 5 col 1
  • 4-0 → row 4 col 1 and row 4 col 2
  • 1-5 → row 3 col 3 and row 3 col 2
  • 2-4 → row 1 col 2 and row 1 col 1
  • 3-4 → row 1 col 4 and row 1 col 3
  • 4-6 → row 2 col 5 and row 2 col 6
  • 3-1 → row 6 col 2 and row 6 col 3
  • 2-2 → row 5 col 6 and row 6 col 6
  • 2-5 → row 5 col 5 and row 5 col 4
  • 4-4 → row 2 col 1 and row 3 col 1
  • 5-6 → row 4 col 5 and row 3 col 5

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 September 30, 2026?
The full solution for all three boards is on this page, below the hints. Two or more regions carry no rule at all today, which sounds generous and is not: unconstrained squares give you nothing to reason from, so the 7 sum regions have to carry the whole board.
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 September 30, 2026 the hard board runs 30 squares across 15 regions against the easy board’s 10 and 6, and carries 6 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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