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NYT Pips Answers for October 9, 2026

NYT Pips answers for October 9, 2026, a Friday: 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 24-square hard one, a gap of 14 squares, with the hard board carrying 3 doubles against easy's 2 and 4 loose regions against 1. Constructed by Ian Livengood.

Sukie, Puzzle editor at EnergyPips

By Sukie · Puzzle editor

Easy — 10 squares, 5 dominoes

A 10-square board across 5 regions, with 1 exact sum to anchor it and 1 looser region to work around.

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.

20% of its regions are loose against a norm of 40%, so this board is tighter than usual — more regions hand you a number outright, which is why it may have felt unusually tractable.

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.

  • = 3 (the middle left single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 3 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = (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 top centre 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 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 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 = 3 region — the middle left single square — where the pips in this region must add up to exactly 3. 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 2 doubles: 1-1, 2-2. 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 = 3 region resolves to 3. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.

Full answer — easy board, October 9, 2026
How each region resolves.
RegionWhereValues
=the top left 3-square block1, 1, 1
=the top centre 3-square block2, 2, 2
= 3the middle left single square3
=the middle centre column of 26, 6
no rulethe bottom centre single square3

Every tile and the squares it covers

  • 1-1 → row 1 col 2 and row 2 col 2
  • 2-2 → row 1 col 4 and row 2 col 4
  • 1-3 → row 1 col 1 and row 2 col 1
  • 6-2 → row 2 col 3 and row 1 col 3
  • 6-3 → row 3 col 3 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 42%, 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.

  • > 10 (the middle left row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 10. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 2 (the middle left row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 2. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • < 3 (the top left 4-square block) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 3. 4 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 6 (the bottom centre row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 6. 4 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 centre 3-square block) — 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 middle left row of 2 — where the pips in this region must add up to more than 10. Work there first because only 2 combinations of values can fill it.

Hint 2 — what your tray forces

The tray carries 2 doubles: 5-5, 0-0. 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 > 10 region resolves to 6, 6. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.

Full answer — medium board, October 9, 2026
How each region resolves.
RegionWhereValues
< 3the top left 4-square block0, 0, 1, 0
no rulethe top right single square3
> 10the middle left row of 26, 6
=the middle centre 3-square block5, 5, 5
= 2the middle left row of 22, 0
= 6the bottom centre row of 23, 3

Every tile and the squares it covers

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

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

Hard — 24 squares, 12 dominoes

3 doubles in a 12-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 24 squares this is a typical hard board — the average is 26.4 — so nothing about its size explains an unusually long or short solve.

Its tightest sum target is 1, against a median of 4 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.

  • = 3 (the top left single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 3 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = 4 (the top centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 4 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = 3 (the top centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 3 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = 4 (the top right single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 4 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = 1 (the middle 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.
  • = 3 (the middle centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 3 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = 4 (the middle left 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 centre 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 row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 6. 4 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • < 3 (the middle left column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 3. 4 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 5 (the middle right column of 3) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 5. 5 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the bottom centre row of 3) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • > 7 (the top centre column of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 7. 9 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • ≠ (the middle centre column of 3) — 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 = 3 region — the top left single square — where the pips in this region must add up to exactly 3. 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: 6-6, 2-2, 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 = 3 region resolves to 3. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.

Full answer — hard board, October 9, 2026
How each region resolves.
RegionWhereValues
= 3the top left single square3
= 4the top centre single square4
= 3the top centre single square3
> 7the top centre column of 26, 6
= 4the top right single square4
= 4the middle left column of 24, 0
= 1the middle centre single square1
= 5the middle right column of 32, 0, 3
= 6the middle centre row of 23, 3
≠the middle centre column of 36, 1, 5
< 3the middle left column of 22, 0
= 3the middle centre single square3
< 3the bottom centre single square2
=the bottom centre row of 32, 2, 2

Every tile and the squares it covers

  • 4-3 → row 1 col 2 and row 1 col 1
  • 4-2 → row 1 col 8 and row 2 col 8
  • 6-1 → row 3 col 5 and row 4 col 5
  • 0-3 → row 3 col 8 and row 4 col 8
  • 6-6 → row 1 col 5 and row 2 col 5
  • 5-2 → row 5 col 5 and row 5 col 6
  • 2-2 → row 5 col 7 and row 5 col 8
  • 0-4 → row 3 col 1 and row 2 col 1
  • 3-3 → row 3 col 2 and row 3 col 3
  • 2-3 → row 5 col 3 and row 4 col 3
  • 0-2 → row 5 col 1 and row 4 col 1
  • 3-1 → row 1 col 3 and row 2 col 3

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 October 9, 2026?
The full solution for all three boards is on this page, below the hints. 3 doubles in a 12-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 October 9, 2026 the hard board runs 24 squares across 14 regions against the easy board’s 10 and 5, and carries 4 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, medium), Rodolfo Kurchan (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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