Is it easier to qualify with an easy puzzle in the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship?

[@ccgirl5055]

I really love that you brought more attention to how an easier puzzle in a competition isn't always going to be more ideal. If it's easy for everyone it will be a tighter race with high numbers flooding for the finish line. I think it was Karen who gave a brief comparison of sprinting vs a drawn out run. I would agree. Harder puzzles require being fast against a puzzle challenge with having to think through obstacles, ponder over pieces, but still be quick all at the same time, while easy puzzles are a hard sprint, just a pure speed race. Either way, a strong puzzler with few obstacles will crush everyone in a speed race, while for harder puzzles there is no challenge they can't beat. Their talent will shine no matter what puzzle they are up against. Luckily, strong puzzlers come in all shapes and sizes, the competition was filled with amazing talent this year.

[@puzzlewithemilia]

Thank you so much for your comment. I always like to think everything from all angles. As a puzzler who sometimes does puzzles slower for the second time, I know very well how much ”more dangerous” those minutes can be with an easier puzzle if you are really fighting to qualify! I think the top puzzlers would beat everyone even if the puzzle was done upsidedown 😂 I have a video of advanded speed puzzling tips coming somewhere Dec-Jan where I want to also talk about mastering every little skill in puzzling to create super skillset 😆

[@puzzlewithemilia]

Want to see me speed puzzling a specific puzzle? Comment your suggestion here (name + brand of the puzzle if possible)! :)

[@user-vx7do5sr5q]

Hi ! I don't know if you can find Educa Puzzles in your country, but if you do could you do Sunrise in Katsura river, Japan (ref. 18455) it's 1000 pieces. I bought it a wile ago and still havent been able to do it (I have a cat so I can't leave it on a table while I'm doing it)

[@puzzlewithemilia]

@@user-vx7do5sr5q Hello! I have some Educa puzzles that I bought from reuse center. Now that you mentioned I must admit I haven’t seen any Educa here in stores… 🤔 Anyway. That puzzle is gorgeous so I might do an exception and order it online! Scenery puzzles are usually a bit hard but let’s see how fast I’m able to get it together and what strategies work the best.

[@samthenotwinchester5518]

I’d love to see either the puzzle from the pairs final or the orange day in Paris from teams classifier B if you haven’t done those already. I think those are among the hardest of the competition

[@puzzlewithemilia]

@@samthenotwinchester5518 Ohhhhh I still have the pairs final puzzle but I was so upset with it that I think it will take me at least another month to get over it. But I will surely do it eventually. And the ”orange hell” I’m more than happy to do. I liked that puzzle. Ofc as an outsider looking in as I didn’t compete in teams. But I felt like I would have chosen the puzzle. I will check if it’s available online and order it! 🤩

[@lisa-r4w]

Thanks for explaining how easier puzzles can actually lower your ranking. I hadn't heard that before. 😊

[@puzzlewithemilia]

Happy to bring up new perspectives. They usually make totally sense even though we just haven’t thought about them before. 😊

[@toopeseta]

I think that puzzle might be the only one where I might just beat you. But only because I use it for my "top speed" practise and have done it over 10 times. My best time in that is 44:56. But I also think that the easier the puzzle, the bigger relative benefit you get by knowing the puzzle. When margins are small, any knowledge you have will gain you places.

[@puzzlewithemilia]

That’s some real dedication to do a puzzle over 10 times. Great time though! And you’re right. Most puzzlers benefit of gaining knowledge. (Just another reason they should not use these rather new and popular puzzles in Worlds)

[@marieprokupek669]

I just bought this puzzle from Prisma in Turku, which oddly enough had ALL of the puzzles from the individual competition. Liked it very much, but I am not a speed puzzler yet, so it took me over an hour.

[@puzzlewithemilia]

Haha! Exactly as I said in the experience videp that I felt like all the WJPC puzzles are bestsellers here. To be honest I haven’t seen them all sold in the same place at the same time. Maybe the purchaser of Prisma Turku was watching the competition 😁 Have you tried the London Postcard too?

[@Annawastaken]

I actually thought it was so interesting that this puzzle is the easiest one cause I am really bad at this one compared to the other puzzles (ok, I only tried the London one, but same same). I think if there is so much going on I cannot really concentrate on the separate areas. I did qualify in Group A but I think in B I would have missed the semis 😅

[@puzzlewithemilia]

You are right. And even though we have these "statistically" easier puzzles, we all have our own skillset that makes some puzzles easier and some harder for us. And as we can see, compared to others I'm not the best with this puzzle either. And congrats on qualifying with group A - that was a tricky puzzle!

[@puzzlepiece9509]

An easy or hard puzzle can be a little difficult to define. It depends on what kind of images the puzzler likes doing. What one would find hard, another would find easy. I do puzzles whose images I like and they can be very varied. I'd like to see you doing either The Archaeologist's Desk or Springtime in Paris. I'm currently working on a Nova 1000 puzzle called Colourful Bubbles. Look forward to your next video whenever that is.

[@puzzlewithemilia]

That’s true. Always depends on a person because each one of us is an individual and not an average from statistics. However, I mainly refer to statistics or research if I have to do generalizations to explain something without all the ifs and whatabouts😁 I have wanted to do the Springtime in Paris for so long. I must order it now! Also The Archaelogist’s Desk seems interesting. I have been more +1000 piece puzzles lately now that I have more time. 😊