Pips Answer for Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Complete NYT Pips puzzle solution with interactive board and expert analysis for Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty levels.
Reveal by clicking a domino below OR a cell on the board
Expert Puzzle Analysis
Deep insights from puzzle experts
Nyt Pips easy answer for 2026-02-24
Answer for 2026-02-24
I kicked things off with the Easy puzzle to get my brain in gear. Right away, I saw that single-cell region at position (2,2) which had a target sum of 1. That is a total gift because it means that specific cell has to be a 1.
I looked at the dominoes available and saw the [1,6] pair, so I knew the 1 had to go there. From there, the rest of the Easy grid fell into place like a row of, well, dominoes. Moving on to the
Nyt Pips medium answer for 2026-02-24
Answer for 2026-02-24
Medium puzzle, Ian Livengood threw some 'empty' cells at me. These are basically walls that you can't place anything in, which actually helps because it limits where the dominoes can physically fit. I focused on the 'sum 12' region at the top.
With three cells to fill, I needed high numbers. I checked the pool and saw the [4,4] and [6,1] dominoes. Since I needed a total of 12 across three cells, using the [4,4] along with another 4 from a different domino seemed like the most logical path. The
Nyt Pips hard answer for 2026-02-24
Answer for 2026-02-24
Hard puzzle by Rodolfo Kurchan was where the real challenge started. It was packed with 'sum 4' regions and 'equals' constraints. I started by looking for the 'greater than 4' and 'less than 4' hints. For example, cell (6,2) had to be greater than 4, which narrows it down to 5 or 6.
I then looked at the 'equals' region at the bottom right. When four cells have to be equal, they usually end up being a low number like 0, 1, or 2, or a very high one if the domino pool allows. I spent a good chunk of time balancing the [5,5], [5,6], and [6,4] dominoes because they can only go in very specific spots without blowing those 'sum 4' targets. It was a lot of back-and-forth, but once I placed the [0,0] and [1,1] pairs in the restricted 'less than' areas, the rest of the board opened up.
What I Learned
Today really hammered home how useful the domino pool is as a process-of-elimination tool. Sometimes I try to solve the grid just by looking at the numbers, but when you have a limited set of dominoes, checking what is 'left' in your hand is a lifesaver. I also learned that 'equals' regions with four cells are extremely powerful for narrowing down the board.
If you know those four cells have to be the same, you can quickly scan your dominoes to see which numbers appear four times or more across the different pairs. I also noticed Ian's style involves using empty cells to create 'choke points' on the board, which forces you to place dominoes in a specific orientation. It's a clever way to guide the solver without giving away the numbers directly.