The New York Times’ Pips puzzle for Thursday, September 10, 2026, challenges players to strategically place dominoes on a colored grid, each area representing a unique condition involving numbers and symbols. This game features three difficulty tiers—Easy, Medium, and Hard—with puzzles requiring players to ensure that every domino fits the stated conditions, such as equality, inequality, and exact numbers. To win, all dominoes must be correctly placed according to these rules, and the game provides an educational yet fun mental workout for puzzle enthusiasts.

For this edition, Forbes contributor Erik Kain offers a full walkthrough and solutions for each difficulty level. He begins by explaining the rules and the importance of understanding the different symbol conditions, such as “equals,” “not equals,” and comparison operators “greater than” or “less than.” Kain then shares detailed solutions for the Easy and Medium puzzles, helping players navigate the placement of dominoes in relation to the clues on the grid.

When tackling the Hard puzzle, titled “7 + 0 = 7,” Kain walks through his solution step-by-step. He advises focusing on the placement of dominoes starting with the zero values and saving specific numbers like fives for later stages. The walkthrough provides insight into the strategic trial and error process that leads to successfully completing the puzzle. Kain’s guide demystifies the puzzle’s difficulty while highlighting the thoughtful problem-solving it requires.

In addition to the daily Pips puzzles, the article notes that the New York Times recently launched a new weekly series of bonus puzzles for subscribers, with some accessible to non-subscribers as well. These games introduce fresh challenges like “Wordle In 1” and “Connections 3x3,” expanding on the Times’ popular puzzle offerings and keeping puzzle fans engaged with innovative formats. Readers can also view Kain’s interview with NYT Games chief Jonathan Knight for deeper insights into these new puzzle formats.