For Monday, September 7, 2026, the NYT Pips puzzles are Easy #1226, Medium #1239 and Hard #1249. The available guide lists the pip values and key regional constraints, but not a complete coordinate-by-coordinate domino placement, so the details below are hints—not a verified full solution.
September 7 Pips puzzle overview
| Difficulty | Puzzle number | Dominoes | What the listed constraints include |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | #1226 | 5 | A one-cell sum of 6, three one-cell open regions and a one-cell sum of 5 |
| Medium | #1239 | 7 | One-cell regions below 3 and below 6, another below-3 region, plus equal-value regions of four cells and two cells |
| Hard | #1249 | 15 | Three cells equal, a three-cell sum of 9, four unequal cells, four cells equal and a two-cell sum of 4 |
The guide’s text gives these clues and the boards’ values, but does not retain enough spatial information to assign values to particular coordinates or establish an official tile-by-tile layout. Read the September 7 puzzle guide.
Easy #1226 hints
The source lists the ten cell values in presentation order as 6, 4, 2, 0, 5, 4, 4, 3, 5 and 6. Treat that as a value list, not a map of where the pips belong. The most restrictive clues are the single-cell sums: a one-cell sum of 6 fixes that cell’s value, while the one-cell sum of 5 does the same for its cell. The three one-cell open regions have no special regional condition.
Use the fixed-value cells to narrow which domino halves can fit, then check each domino’s other half against the neighboring space it covers. The source does not provide a readable spatial board, so it cannot support exact coordinates or a confirmed complete placement.
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Medium #1239 hints
The listed values are 1, 3, 1, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 2, 6, 4, 5 and 5. The clue list includes single-cell regions below 3 and below 6, another single-cell region below 3, a four-cell equal-values region and a two-cell equal-values region.
Start with the single-cell comparisons: each restricts the allowable pip value at that cell. Then use the equal-value regions to test which remaining domino halves could satisfy multiple spaces together. Without the board’s spatial map, the clue text cannot identify exact cells or prove a full arrangement.
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Hard #1249 hints
The guide lists these values: 5, 3, 0, 5, 5, 3, 3, 2, 6, 6, 6, 6, 2, 1, 2, 0, 2, 5, 0, 2, 3, 1, 4, 1, 1, 4, 6, 4, 6 and 0. Its constraints include three equal cells, a three-cell sum of 9, four unequal cells, four equal cells and a two-cell sum of 4.
The four-unequal-cells condition is a useful filter: placements that repeat a value in that region can be ruled out. The sum clues and equal-value regions further restrict candidates, but the value list is not a coordinate map. The available text does not establish a complete official placement for this board.
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How to use the clues without a full layout
Pips is a domino-placement logic puzzle: place every tile so each colored region meets its mathematical rule. Depending on the region, that rule can require a target sum, equal values or a comparison; uncolored spaces have no special rule. The game offers Easy, Medium and Hard options, with a tutorial for learning the controls. See the Pips game information.
- Begin with the tightest region. Single-cell sums and strict comparisons leave fewer possible pip values than open spaces.
- Keep an inventory of unused dominoes. Remove a tile from consideration only when both halves have been accounted for in its placement.
- Check both halves of every placement. A tile that satisfies one region can still conflict with the rule in the adjacent space it covers.
- Recheck each region as the board fills. Confirm sums and comparisons using the placed values, rather than relying on a tile’s apparent fit in isolation.
These are general solving tactics, not a verified move sequence for the September 7 boards. For a quick difficulty comparison, Easy uses 5 dominoes, Medium 7 and Hard 15; the Hard clue set also includes an unequal-values region. The source does not provide enough readable board geometry for a more detailed spatial comparison.
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