All About the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship & Where to Get The Puzzles! (2024)

These days, there are a variety of different puzzle competitions happening nationally and internationally. The first US national competition was hosted in October 2022 by the USA Jigsaw Puzzle Association and their latest puzzle competition occurred in March of 2024.

Watch the documentary, Wicker Kittens, to learn all about jigsaw puzzle competitions and how they got started! Now let’s talk about the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship for 2024!

• Worlds Participants — created by @jiggies_and_gems to share info about participants and where to find them on Instagram.
• Worlds Time Zone Converter — created by @riikka_puzzles — copy this spreadsheet to make your schedule or to see which events are happening in your time zone.

The World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship is an annual event organized by the World Jigsaw Puzzle Federation. This international puzzle championship was started in 2019 in Valladolid, Spain, and has since hosted the competition in 2022, 2023, and 2024. It’s like the Olympics, but for puzzling! You can catch up on the live streams here!

See Also

Fastest time to complete a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle in competitionFAQThis 2 Million Dollar Puzzle is a great holiday gift -- and it's just $30 now11 of the craziest jigsaw puzzle world records – Cloudberries

There are 3 events that take place: individual, pairs, and teams. Placement is determined by the fastest puzzle completion within the time limit (normally 90 minutes). For the puzzle competitors that don’t finish within the time limit, the remaining pieces are counted to determine their placement.

• Individual event: Each individual completes a 500-piece puzzle within the time limit
• Pairs event: 2 people complete a single puzzle (500 or 1000 pieces) within the time limit
• Teams event: 4 people complete multiple puzzles (1000 or 1500 pieces) within the time limit

In the first championships in 2019, only one final round was played in each event. There was a pause from 2020–2021 due to COVID. In the 2022 championships, semifinals were introduced in all events. In 2023, there was an increase in participants so another round has been added before the semifinals to determine qualification for the individual event.

• Box top holders
• Headphones (cannot disturb participants)
• Sorting trays: 500-piece puzzles have a maximum of 2 trays, with a maximum size of A3/11x16 inches. 1000-piece puzzles have a maximum of 4 trays, with a maximum size of A2/16x23 inches.

At the 2024 World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships, Ravensburger will release 8 new puzzles during the semifinals (Individuals ABC & DEF and Pairs AB & CD) and all final rounds for individuals, pairs, and teams.

Individual

First Round, 6 groups, up to 1,224 individuals
There are 6 groups for the first round (must complete a 500-piece puzzle within 90 minutes).

Semifinals, 3 groups, 360 individuals
The top 60 individuals from each round will make it to the semifinals (must complete a 500-piece puzzle within 90 minutes).

Final, 180 individuals
Then, 90 pairs from each semifinal will make it to the final round (must complete a 500-piece puzzle within 90 minutes).

Pairs

First Round, 4 groups, up to 816 pairs
There are 4 groups of 200 pairs for the first round (must complete a 500-piece puzzle within 75 minutes).

Semifinals, 2 groups, 360 pairs
The top 90 pairs from each round will make it to the semifinals (must complete a 500-piece puzzle within 75 minutes).

Final, 100 pairs
Then, 50 pairs from each semifinal will make it to the final round (must complete an unreleased 1000-piece puzzle within 2 hours).

Teams

First Round, 3 groups, up to 306 teams
There are 3 groups of 100 teams for the first round (must complete two 1000-piece puzzles within 3 hours). For the first round, there are four 1000-piece puzzle options, teams must decide which two they’ll complete.

Final, 105 teams
The top 35 teams from each round will make it to the final round where they must complete two unreleased 1000-piece puzzles within 3 hours.

Once the team finals are completed, an awards ceremony takes place. The first three winners in each category receive a trophy and a cash prize. The ceremony will take place after the teams final round.

• Individual: 1st place: € 1,000 ($1,081.33 US), 2nd place: € 750 ($811 US), and 3rd place: € 500 ($540.67 US). 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th place: Ravensburger puzzles.
• Pairs: 1st place: € 1,000 ($1,081.33 US), 2nd place: € 750 ($811 US), and 3rd place: € 500 ($540.67 US). 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th place: Ravensburger puzzles.
• Teams: 1st place: € 1,000 ($1,081.33 US), 2nd place: € 750 ($811 US), and 3rd place: € 500 ($540.67 US). 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th place: Ravensburger puzzles.

If the maximum time has elapsed and participants have not finished a puzzle, judges will count the number of placed pieces of the unfinished puzzle. Judges will only count groups of 3 or more pieces that are correctly connected together. This is why it’s important to assemble as much as possible — minimum groups of 3 pieces!

If pieces are missing, 10 seconds for each lost piece will be added to the participant’s final time. If the final piece appears after 10 seconds of searching, the time of the penultimate piece plus the penalty will be taken into account.

Since 2019, Ravenburger has been the puzzle sponsor for the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships. Each of the qualifying and semifinal rounds features a Ravensburger puzzle that has already been released. For the final round, the puzzles featured by Ravenburger are unreleased. They use a variety of different puzzle image types from landscapes/nature, colorful/rainbow, graphic illustrations, collages, pets/animals, and many other types of images.

2024 NOTE: for the first time, individual and pairs semifinals will include a unreleased puzzle!

If you’ve never speed-puzzled before and want to go to competitions in the future, check out the puzzles below and see how you match up with the competitors! It would be cool to see how you stack up against other puzzler participants. I’ll share the top 3 winners, but you can see the full ranks at the links below. Results and puzzles will be updated as they are made available.

All of the puzzles will be linked below from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. These purchases help me produce more content and giveaways for my followers! #CommissionsEarned

For 2023, there were 993 individuals and 56 countries represented at the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. The majority of puzzlers were from Spain, the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Sweden, and Australia.

Classification Individual First Round A | Results

Lupin, Ravensburger (Nature Edition), 500-pieces

1. Mercédesz Arthofer, Hungary, 44:59
2. Kristin Thuv, Norway, 47:50
3. Delia Keetman-Verhoef, Netherlands, 49:20

Classification Individual First Round B | Results

New York City Postcard, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Tereza Koptíková, Czech Republic, 30:38
2. Kelly Walter, United States, 38:18
3. Andrea Peng, United States, 38:40

Classification Individual First Round C | Results

The Archaeologist’s Desk, Aimee Stewart, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Ana Gil Luciano, Spain, 40:46
2. Chiara Dellantonio, Germany, 42:22
3. Tiffany Medeiros, United States, 45:35

Classification Individual First Round D | Results

Evening in Pisa, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Alejandro Clemente León, Spain, 33:35
2. Katharina Reiner, Germany, 33:51
3. Tammy McLeod, United States, 45:12

Classification Individual First Round E | Results

Spring in Paris, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Laura Aizpurua de Arteche, Spain, 47:25
2. Brigitta Vinkler, Hungary, 47:45
3. Markéta Freislerová, Czech Republic, 48:32

Classification Individual First Round F | Results

Summer Thunderstorms, Ravensburger (Nature Edition), 500-pieces, Panorama

1. Soraya Pérez Carayol, Spain, 49:58
2. Jaxeline Blanco Ruiz, Spain, 52:49
3. Vanda Varga, Hungary, 56:19

Classification Individual Semifinal 1 S1 | Results

Circle of Colors: Poke Bowl, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Kristin Thuv, Norway, 45:22
2. Mercédesz Arthofer, Hungary, 46:42
3. Tereza Koptíková, Czech Republic, 47:58

Classification Individual Semifinal 2 S2 | Results

Circle of Colors: Ocean, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Alejandro Clemente León, Spain, 36:46
2. Sarah Schuler, United States, 39:15
3. Gisela Arranz Toro, Spain, 43:39

See Also

What Do You Call a Person Who Loves Puzzles?

Classification Individual Final | Results

Marzamemi, Sicily, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Alejandro Clemente León, Spain, 37:59
2. Kristin Thuv, Norway, 38:32
3. Markéta Freislerová, Czech Republic, 42:34

For 2023, there were 349 pairs (698 participants) and 50 countries represented at the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. The majority of the pairs puzzlers were from Spain, the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Norway.

Classification Pairs Qualifying Round A | Results

Student Days, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Tereza Koptíková & Markéta Freislerová, Czech Republic, 32:20
2. Sarah Schuler & Michaela Keener, United States, 33:01
3. Ednéia Silveira & Daniela De Oliveira Dinato, Brazil, 33:16

Classification Pairs Qualifying Round B | Results

The Ludicrous Library, Colin Thompson, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Sara Kristersson & Tobias Priemer, Sweden, 37:38
2. Kristin Thuv & Siv Bremnes, Norway, 41:16
3. Ana Isabel Jimeno Jordá & Ana Gil Luciano, Spain, 43:41

Classification Pairs Qualifying Round C | Results

Colourful Underwater Species, Ravensburger, 500-pieces

1. Gisela Arranz Toro & Alejandro Clemente León, Spain, 33:15
2. Clara Peng & Andrea Peng, United States, 36:32
3. Soraya Pérez Carayol & Gabriel Moreno Turcu, Spain, 37:38

Classification Pairs Final | Results

Boston 2189, Jack Ottanio, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

1. Gisela Arranz Toro & Alejandro Clemente León, Spain, 01:32:18
2. Sarah Schuler & Michaela Keener, United States, 01:46:37
3. Tereza Koptíková & Markéta Freislerová, Czech Republic, 01:47:24

For 2023, there were 160 groups (640 participants) and 37 countries represented at the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. The majority of the teams were from Spain, the United States, France, Germany, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. In the qualifying rounds, there are 4 puzzle options, and teams choose two 1000-piece puzzles to complete.

Classification Teams Qualifying Round A | Results

The Shell Collector, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

Ladies’ Brunch, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

Riverside Town, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

Nights in Berlin, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

1. Las Chicas Checas: Tereza Koptíková, Markéta Freislerová, Eva Žemličková, Helen Karmínová Kellner, Czech Republic, 1:20:08
2. Puzzle Hustle: Dawne Rasmusson, Andrea Kyle, Kyle Kossin, Kelly Walter, United States, 1:20:16
3. Non Stop: Ana Gil Luciano, Ana Isabel Jimeno Jordá, Alejandro Clemente León, David Caballero Calzado, Spain, 1:27:32

Classification Teams Qualifying Round B | Results

A Day in Paris, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

West Coast Tranquillity, Ravensburger Canadian Collection, 1000-pieces

The 50s, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

L’iosa di Burano, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

1. The Misfits: Sarah Schuler, Michaela Keener, Elizabeth Caron
   Karen Kavett, United States, 1:15:46
2. Eckteile: Chiara Dellantonio, Nicola Giordani, Isabelle Gall, Michael Smit, Germany, 1:24:49
3. Sin Limites: Rafael Amieva Gómez, Laura Aizpurua de Arteche, Eduardo Moreno Turcu,
   Gabriel Moreno Turcu, Spain, 1:27:02

Classification Teams Final | Results

Puzzle People, Marie Boiseau, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

Arearea(TheRedDog),PaulGauguin, ArtCollection, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

1. Las Chicas Checas: Tereza Koptíková, Markéta Freislerová, Eva Žemličková, Helen Karmínová Kellner, Czech Republic, 1:30:25
2. The Misfits: Sarah Schuler, Michaela Keener, Elizabeth Caron, Karen Kavett, United States, 1:33:25
3. Non Stop: Ana Gil Luciano, Ana Isabel Jimeno Jordá, Alejandro Clemente León, David Caballero Calzado, Spain, 1:37:16

Guinness World Records, Ravensburger, 1000-pieces

During the qualifying rounds for teams, there was a team of 8 puzzlers racing to complete the Guinness World Record panorama 2000-piece puzzle! The final record time was 1:24:04. This puzzle was completed by: Katharina Reiner (Germany), Tereza Koptíková and Markéta Freislerová (Czeck Republic), Kelly Walter (United States), Melissa Townsend (Australia), Sophie De Goncourt (France), and Ana Gil Luciano and Soraya Pérez (Spain).

Classification Individual Qualifying Round A | Results

London Postcard, Ravensburger, 500 pieces

1. Ángel Heras Salcedo, Spain, 32:46
2. Soraya Pérez Carayol, Spain, 36:10
3. Katarina Svensson, Sweden, 36:22

Classification Individual Qualifying Round B | Results

Floral Reflections, Ravensburger, 500 pieces

1. Alejandro Clemente León, Spain, 32:41
2. Mariusz Ślizewski, Poland, 40:37
3. Ole Marton Ølberg, Norway, 41:43

Classification Individual Qualifying Round C | Results

My Loyal Friends, Ravensburger, 500 pieces

1. Kristin Thuv, Norway, 37:16
2. Chiara Dellantonio, Italy, 41:47
3. Brigitta Pozsa, Hungary, 44:47

Classification Individual Final | Results

Colourful Town Houses in London, Ravensburger, 500 pieces

1. Alejandro Clemente León, Spain, 34:25
2. Kristin Thuv, Norway, 41:27
3. Tereza Koptíková, Czech Republic, 42:18

Classification Pairs Qualifying Round A | Results

Skandinavische Idylle Scandinavian, Ravensburger, 500 pieces

1. Susana Pérez Van Deenen & Alejandro Clemente León, Spain, 20:17
2. Katerina Novotna & Tereza Koptíková, Czech Republic, 22:22
3. Demelza Becerra Robledillo & Ángel Heras Salcedo, Spain, 24:08

Classification Pairs Qualifying Round B | Results

Sweet Golden Retriever, Ravensburger, 500 pieces

1. Katarina Svensson & Magdalena Svensson, Sweden, 28:22
2. Kristin Thuv & Siv Bremnes, Norway, 30:51
3. Ana Isabel Jimeno Jordá & Ana Gil Luciano, Spain, 34:36

Classification Pairs Final | Results

Mount Fuji Cherry Blossom View, Ravensburger, 1000 pieces

1. Katerina Novotna & Tereza Koptíková, Czech Republic, 1:02:20
2. Demelza Becerra Robledillo & Ángel Heras Salcedo, Spain, 1:05:54
3. Susana Pérez Van Deenen & Alejandro Clemente León, Spain, 1:06:05

Classification Teams Qualifying Round A | Results

Algarve, Italy, Ravensburger, 1000 pieces

Copenhagen, Ravensburger, 1000 pieces

Buttons Challenge, Ravensburger, 1000 pieces

In The Car/Roy Lichtenstein, Ravensburger, 1000 pieces

1. Superpiezas: Soraya Pérez Carayol, Fernando Iglesias Martín, Ángel Heras Salcedo, Mónica Santiago de Fuentes, Spain, 1:38:25
2. Non Stop: Ana Gil Luciano, Ana Isabel Jimeno Jordá, Alejandro Clemente León, David Caballero Calzado, Spain, 1:41:24
3. Eckteile: Chiara Dellantonio, Nicola Giordani, Isabelle Gall, Michael Smit, Germany, 1:44:14

Classification Teams Final | Results

Colourful New York City, Ravensburger, 1000 pieces

Winter in New York, Ravensburger, 1500 pieces

1. Non Stop: Ana Gil LucianoAna Isabel Jimeno Jordá, Alejandro Clemente León, David Caballero Calzado, Spain, 2:54:13
2. Eckteile: Chiara Dellantonio, Nicola Giordani, Isabelle Gall, Michael Smit, Germany, 2.230 pieces
3. Jigsaw Junkies: Grey Rogers, Katherine Dilks, Geoffrey Scott, Amber Haglund-Pagel, USA, 2.216 pieces

• October 14th, 2023 | USA Southeast Regional Speed Puzzling Championship, Atlanta, GA | Individuals, Pairs & Teams $36–70
• November 4th, 2023 | California State Speed Puzzling Championship, Redwood City, CA | Individuals, Pairs & Teams $36–70
• January 27th, 2024 | Saint Paul Winter Carnival, Saint Paul, MN | Pairs & Teams $40–60 | PuzzleTwist® Puzzles
• March 22–24, 2024 | USA Jigsaw Nationals, San Diego, CA | Individuals, Pairs & Teams | Ravensburger Puzzles
• Learn more at www.usajigsaw.org/usajpa-events, www.worldjigsawpuzzle.org, and www.speedpuzzling.com/in_person

• Wicker Kittens Documentary
• 10 Secrets to help you win the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships, Karen Puzzles
• I went to a puzzle competition. It was way harder than I thought., Karen Puzzles
• He won the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. Here’s how he did it., Karen Puzzles
• The World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships are surprisingly intense., Karen Puzzles
• How to Host a Jigsaw Puzzle Competition, Springbok
• Welcome to the largest jigsaw puzzle championship EVER, Guinness World Records