World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship 2024 - Lessons Learnt and Advice For Puzzlers

[@alfonsoalvarez-ossorio4193]

Thank you Sandra for attending the Worlds and I apologize that we have not had time to talk or to find out about your health problems. World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships should be, above all, a celebration for all puzzle lovers, a space to share experiences and meet other puzzle enthusiasts. As part of the organization, we take note of all your comments, because our main objective is to improve the experience of all participants, so this year we have set up tables and a giant screen outside to better follow the competition and give the possibility of puzzle-playing outside the competition. The matter of choosing the puzzles is a thorny issue, because for logistical reasons we have to consider that the puzzles that will be used in September are selected during the month of April, and sometimes we do not know which puzzles will be used in other national championships until the day of the competition, just as the national Associations do not know if these puzzles will be used in any event of the Worlds. We also try to make the puzzles new for the year and of the same level of difficulty, and honestly there are not that many models to choose from. We will pay more attention to making most of the models available for sale worldwide, but this is also very complicated, and each year it will be even more difficult because more models will probably be used. In any case, taking into account all the comments we will try to find a satisfactory solution for the majority of puzzlers. What we can say is that there will always be models for sale and it is absolutely not feasible to offer 20 unreleased puzzle models for logistical and production reasons. Anyway, thank you again for your comments and we hope to see you soon!

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

Thank you for taking the time to clarifying some of those concerns. It's never easy to organize an event of this magnitude and will definitely have challenges, especially since it has doubled in size. I liked the big screen outside. I think that was a wonderful idea. The tables set up to practice was another great idea and were frequently utilized. I appreciate all the time, effort you and your team put into this event in order for puzzlers to enjoy and I was so very glad I had the opportunity to experience it.

[@fififirestone3787]

I love that the competition is stlll small enough that one of the main organizers can respond to a KZbin video. That gives it a real community feel.

[@Gail_Pr468]

Thanks for your summary. Very nice video. I will never go to worlds, so I appreciate your "you are here" video.

[@darrylbatchem8985]

I too was in round C with the Paris Postcard. I was a little disappointed that the puzzle I was doing had been flogged to death and every commentary made the same assertion. There was even rumour going around that this puzzle was going to appear somewhere at worlds and it was urgent to get hands on one. I wonder how many others in that room on that evening had never had the opportunity to open that box until that moment. For me this is Worlds. Worlds. Give the easy puzzles to grandma and make the Worlds equally hard not make them equally easy.

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

I agree with your view point. Thanks for sharing.

[@HerraShariat]

Love your attitude about this bag and not caring about what people will say. kislux You are right keep your head up and no your priorities.

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

Thank you

[@thecasualpuzzler]

It was so nice to meet you in person!!! There is definitely room for improvement as far as puzzle selection. I was in Team A and we definitely had the worst puzzles to pick from in teams, I think only 22 teams completed the two puzzles. I don't mind the range of difficulty but they still should be doable for the majority of the puzzlers. I think the EU people had a bit of an advantage as a lot of the puzzles featured aren't available in the US. I do think they need to be unreleased puzzles or at least include puzzles from other catalogs. I know it is A LOT of puzzles that they would have to consider - but by this time of year they already have next year's catalog decided. They could just be early releases for the competitors and then in the following year they'd be available to purchase. I don't know everything that is involved with that, but I think it would be possible for such a large brand. Also: An Issue I had as far as the competition space is that I was RIGHT on the edge where the table is next to the barrier. On the other side there was a gallery of people watching. I think they need to have a bit more space between the tables in the edge. People would lean over the barrier right over me and it was incredibly distracting. At one point I had to ask someone to back up because they were causing shadows.

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

I was glad we had the opportunity to meet also. I too agree that Team A had the worst pick of puzzles and the poorest lighting for those puzzles. I believe group C had the best selection of puzzles. I found that alot of the images to select were photography images which are very common in Europe. I also agree about the distance between the puzzlers and the barrier. Spectators were right beside the puzzlers if you were seated in the table next to the barrier. I too would find that very distracting and I didn't even consider that they would cast a shadow over the puzzle. I would just feel like there were people watching over my shoulder as I puzzle and that would make me nervous. I think the event has outgrown the venue.

[@lyrichardson01]

@thecasualpuzzler I’m still traumatized by that bathtub cow puzzle 😂

[@themopie]

those Team A puzzles were terrible! there should have been a balance between styles popular in Europe and in other parts of the world...

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

@@lyrichardson01 Once I saw teams assembling it, I couldn't believe how much darker it appeared.

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

@@themopie A balance between photography and illustrations for every group would be nice.

[@Maggie-tr2kd]

What an interesting video ! I enjoyed hearing all the little details and tips that I haven't heard on other channels. Thank you !

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

You are so welcome!

[@callieperry7002]

What you said about your attitude going in to the puzzle was actually mentioned in the live stream by another competitor: she said her sister told her to open every puzzle and tell herself "Yes! This is exactly the kind of puzzle i like!" No matter what it was. Congratulations on making it there and doing your best!

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

Thank you! I think that is a great suggestion to get in a the right frame of mind for the competition. I will need to try it. Thanks for sharing.

[@marylincherie1806]

it was not any other puzzler but Kristen who won individuals who was told by her family to think of whatever puzzle as her preferred type of puzzle. 😊

[@maikolosav]

That's very useful information. I hope I can participate sometime 😊

[@marylincherie1806]

Yes, eating late is common in South Europe but it's not in mid or northern European countries where people eat way earlier. In the South it's considered to hot to work or even go outside mid day. That's also why the shops are closed. Therefore people work late and eat late.

[@bbalage78]

Hi Sandra, it was nice to meet you in person, I am Balázs, the Hungarian guy. See you next year😊

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

It was nice meeting you too and getting the chance to talk about puzzles.

[@debbiepyleverhoeven5234]

I watched the live streams and I agree with everything you said. I was surprised at some of the puzzles that were chosen.

[@karensicard7304]

Lol Sandra, I also developed a tennis elbow when I started puzzling as as adult. Thanks for your perspective on this large casual competition. Who knew?

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

You’re welcome. I’m was hoping the tennis elbow would get better by now but I was told it could be 6 to 12 weeks to heal.

[@TheBibliophilePuzzler]

What a fabulous video. I have thought about this event for the past couple of years, but boy I am just going to remain as slow as molasses!

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

I was very slow when I first started and still am compared to other speed puzzlers, but it was fun.

[@barbwissmann5576]

Thank you. Very much enjoyed this video.

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@clarkkent7973]

The big question: Are you planning to go back again next year? From a personal perspective, I wished less content creators attended this competition. Almost 100% of the puzzle channels start focusing on speed puzzling which is overkill for me (I have zero chance of ever doing speed puzzling. I am just too slow). Thanks for the video of the outside of the dome. This is the first time that I have seen anyone show this.

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

I don’t think I’ll go back next year but I completely understand your perspective. The KZbin feed does get filled up with speed puzzling content for a good three to four months before the event.

[@Fiobo823]

I didn't enjoy this year's Worlds as much as the previous two years. There were too many contestants, too many spectators, it felt very chaotic. Also, this year they lumped in all the heats together on the official channel, instead of keeping them separate. So for someone like me who works and isn't able to catch every heat live, it was a pain trying to find the heats you wanted to catch up on. The general organisation felt sloppier this year, even though they must have known how many people were coming since you have to register in advance. I understand that it's completely taken off, but I think it's getting to the point that they need a bigger venue for worlds, the dome isn't the best in terms of lighting and air con. It was fine before this year, but I'd say it's now getting out of hand :D I did hear rumors that they may have to introduce qualifiers in the future in order to keep the numbers down, which could work if they want to keep worlds at that venue. It would be a shame that newer puzzlers might not get to compete, but it's clear they will have to do something. I would like to go one year to watch, but I'm not a speed puzzler myself. I like to puzzle with a good audio book or podcast on the go, and I don't care about speed:D Something else I heard is that some people are hoping to make speed puzzling an Olympic event!!! Seems ludicrous to me as it's not even remotely a sport, but what do I know :D

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

@@Fiobo823 I understand your point about going back and looking at the live stream. I too found it difficult to find a specific round for a particular category. It was easier when it was divided up by category (Individuals, Pairs, Teams) rather than date. Thanks for sharing.

[@dsmith8937]

I appreciate your breakdown of the different elements of both the competition itself and the town. Diplomatically honest. I'm glad you came away feeling that you want to go back again one day, that you found a lot of positives. Very good tips for those who plan to go, also. As an online spectator, this year seemed different in that it felt more chaotic. The amount of puzzlers greatly increased, and the amount of spectators greatly increased, but the dome stayed the same size. I saw the people fanning and appreciated that some puzzlers had the added stress of being too warm. That must have been unpleasant for them. Of course, there will probably never be a 'perfect venue', but I hope the Organization strives for a solution because next year, there will be more puzzlers, and bigger crowds. Maybe if there was a second venue close by, they could make use of having two. What I found disappointing this year was the commentary. There are times - especially when puzzlers are getting close - that things get pretty intense, and it is distracting to hear the commentators talking over one another, laughing, talking about things that are not so relevant. I had to mute my volume many times. This leads me to ask: how distracting would it be for puzzlers who are seated at a table next to a puzzler who is being filmed and giving feedback during the competition with the intention of editing and airing at a later date? How distracting is it for those seated close enough to clearly hear the commentators throughout the competition? Another downside to this year's coverage was the footage. While it would be almost impossible to give every competitor screen time, there is plenty of opportunity at the beginning of the competition, after the initial countdown and close up of the more popular puzzlers/teams, for the camera operators to walk around the room and get footage of the rest of the competitors, even just briefly. I'm sure that those at home watching you, waiting to catch you on screen, got very excited if they could see you. It would be the same for all friends and loved ones watching from afar. The live chat comment section on KZbin revealed disappointment and frustration from quite a few watching the live stream. I hope this is addressed and improved upon for next year. One final question is, what are your thoughts on how the qualifying criteria works - only so many from each country, hence, the 'disqualifying' of some competitors whose times were faster than that of competitors from another country? Would it have seemed unfair to you if your times were faster, but there are already enough from Canada to fil the quota, and you wouldn't get to go further? Also - the puzzles! This competition drives up revenue for Ravensburger in a big way. It would be nice if they put some of that money into creating unreleased puzzles for each heat, even if they were all custom puzzles!

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

You have brought up some excellent points. While I only watched a little bit of the live stream, I did see some of the comments in the chat and some of them were quite direct. I heard for some live chats the comments weren't nice. For pairs I was seated right at the front near the commentary booth and I could hear a little talking in the beginning but it didn't really bother me. I was continually talking with my pairs partner so I focused on that. But I can see how it might be distracting especially if there were two or three people in there and if they were talking loud, but that wasn't what I experienced. The camera people could not keep up with the puzzlers finishing the puzzles. I think they would need more cameras in order to get a better live stream. The country rule has been something that has caused great debate every year. If I was one of those puzzlers that didn't move foward because of the country rule then I would be very upset. And I did see some of those puzzlers express their disappointment on social media. But I do understand why the Federation has this rule. It seems like they want this event to be a world event allowing representation from a variety of countries, similar to an Expo. In that case, the country rule makes sense because it allows for a variety of representation. But I believe many puzzlers see the event as an Olympics so the best times should advance. In the end, all puzzlers are aware of the rule before going to the championship and if they are puzzlers with very competitive scores then they need to be prepared for this rule to be applied. It's not a good situation to be in and I feel for those puzzlers that have been put in that predictment. Hopefully they can come up with a better solution for future events.

[@dsmith8937]

@@thepuzzlingcanadian I'm going to have to go back thru the videos to see if I can spot you again! Thank you for responding. :)

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

@@dsmith8937 you're welcome. I believed I was filmed in pairs D, once we had the puzzle finished.

[@alfonsoalvarez-ossorio4193]

@dsmith8937 We take note of your comment to try to improve next year!

[@stacyssassystyles]

To me - watching just live streams of course!! It felt really messy this year. I feel like at some point it will wind up being just the best from nationals- it's going to have to be really because there is SO many people. Maybe just a giant puzzle convention going on and worlds- so casual puzzlers can puzzle, shop, and connect while the best of the best do the worlds side?

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

A convention sounds like a really good idea.

[@puzzlingread]

As a slow puzzler, I would love a casual puzzle convention 💜🧩

[@shelleywilkins9339]

Great summary! Thank you I am hoping to go the Spain soon so I can pad “my” (hopefully in the distant future) obituary lol. Also hope to take my son so we can have an amazing experience together.

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

You're welcome. There were many puzzlers at the event who made a trip out of it by going early to explore or staying longer and visiting other locations or countries. It is a great opportunity to travel.

[@sandyspuzzlepieces]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on World's. 😀 Just this morning someone asked me if I would go back again, and I said YES without any hesitation!

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

You're welcome!

[@LogicMasterSteve]

Thank you Sandra for your summary and your personal experiences! I was so happy to see my puzzle (Happy Vinyl, group D) because it was just the right amount of difficulty for me. Not super fast like group A or C (winning times sub 30 minutes!!) and not super difficult like those Nature Editions. Luckily, all the puzzles that I had to solve were new to me - which I prefer...

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

You’re welcome. It’s nice when you get a puzzle that is just right.

[@Puzzles_and_Parks_with_Kyla]

Great recap video Sandra!! I totally agree with you about the puzzle selection. I felt like my solo and pairs puzzles were SO HARD (spy Family and Swedish Farm) compared to other rounds. Over all though it was a fantastic experience!! Are you heading to the East Coast competition in a couple weeks or the retreat in Jan? If not I’m sure we’ll cross paths again at Nationals next year!!

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

You definitely did get some tough ones for both individuals and pairs. I will not be attending the East Coast competition and I'm not quite sure about the retreat just yet. But I think our paths will cross again. Thanks so much.

[@GailMcCormick]

I agree about the puzzle selection, especially about using puzzles that were prominently featured in other national competitions. There have definitely been some growing pains as the competition has grown in size and intensity.

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

I agree.

[@evelyntheriault3698]

Concerning the tennis elbow problem, it’s a great moment to further develop the dexterity in your left hand -=)

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

I have started to do that. It makes me go a little slower but I don't mind.

[@clarkkent7973]

The USA Speed puzzling competition in 2024 had all unreleased puzzles, and they did a much better job of making sure all rounds had similar difficulty level. The problem is the World Puzzling competition has just gotten so huge (would need like 30 unreleased puzzles). They could maybe fix this problem by reducing the number of competitors by having to pre-qualify in country/regional competitions.

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

Your right. The USA competition did do a good job at creating a balance between the rounds. Something needs to change but not sure what would be feasible for the organization.

[@puzzlepiece9509]

An enjoyable video telling of your experience at Worlds. I'm glad that you enjoyed it and felt it was worth going. Anyone going for the first time should think of it as an interesting experience without any expectations. If you do well then great. 😀 I had a quick look at the participants list and found that Germany had 162, Spain 134, US 115 & France 73. After that it was 44 or less for various countries. 23 countries had 3 or less participants. I think consideration should be given to limiting the number of participants by some suitable means if they wish to continue using the dome. The problem with very large quantities of participants is that it all takes much longer to get through. You can now take a break from speed puzzling and puzzle at a more relaxed pace. 😴

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

Thank you for sharing. I am definitely looking forward to some casual puzzling.

[@ThePuzzleRun]

Very nice feedback and very well said about a few negatives aspects of this big competition. I agree with you about puzzle selection, table division or conditions in the dome 😅 I was there for fun, so these little things didn't bother me. But I see that it could be important to make it as high level competition 🙂

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

Thank you. I too was there for fun so many of these points didn't impact me or bother me but I can see them being very important for some puzzlers.

[@joeyotten2091]

I fear that unless they do all unreleased puzzles, a casual puzzler or beginner puzzler doesn’t have a chance to get past the qualifying rounds. Two rounds had below 30 minute finishing times. Obviously there are the serious, professional puzzlers that regular people can’t compete with but if the puzzles are unreleased at least it levels the playing field a little bit. I think you did great! I saw your team on the livestream and I was rooting for you! I think you did great!

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

Thank you. I appreicate the support.

[@jolene0919]

Can anyone enter? Or do you have to qualify in competitions in your country to be eligible to enter?

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

As of right now, anyone can attend. Qualifying in a competition is not required.

[@voopeem]

'Europe eats later.' um, no - Spain, perhaps Portugal and Italy - that is not the whole of Europe. We eat at very varied times in different countries

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

My apologies. These were the countries I had experience with during my travels. They are definitely not all of Europe.

[@dominikschmalstieg2912]

@@thepuzzlingcanadian Agreed - North Europe will eat earlier than Spain (and probably South Europe in general). On the other hand, if Worlds continues to be held in Spain, your rule remains. For the walking. For sure there are taxis. But many (bigger) cities have decent public transport which is (much) cheaper than taxis. I would assume this is why many arrived on foot. And advice would be to choose a hotel either close to the location or on along a bus/subway/tram line going to the location.

[@Kanguruo]

You mention shortly the problem of language. It is a world event, but what about people who don't speak English or Spanish? They can't enjoy the easy chatting in the community. It might be time for international events to take Esperanto seriously and encourage people to learn it. It can be learnt to an acceptable level within a year unlike English or Spanish. I would love to see people communicating on an equal footing and not having English native speakers being able to express themselves with ease and no effort while other people can't do the same. Did you watch Donnalouise's video about Esperanto?

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

Valid point. I too was wondering how others interacted throughout the event if they did not know Spanish or English. It would make for a very different experience. I have not seen that video from Donnalouise but now I’m curious so I will need to go find it. Thanks for sharing.

[@liessabai]

I'll add my experiences aboit communication :) I had a wonderful "conversation" with a lady from Japan who only knew "thank you" and "sorry" in English. I do not speak Japanese. But with the help of a translating app we found out we liked the same puzzles, we swapped some we both brought and wished each other good luck! Later I met a gentleman from Singapore and his wife from Malaysia, who are both deaf. While they lipread, I don't know sign language except a few things in Dutch. But again, we both tried, laughed at not understanding and ended up swapping pins and puzzles! Last one was meeting a Spanish gentleman, who, after me saying I can understand a bit but speak less, made an effort to use simple words and phrases to help me along. When his friend very enthusiastically joined in with something I had no chance of following, he gently asked her to also speak slower. Again, we laughed about it, and I did get to practice my very limited Spanish. If you don't speak any English or Spanish it will certainly be hard, but everyone is certainly willing to help. Meeting people even without speaking the same language creates contact, and for every one of the people I mentioned, I cheered when I saw them puzzling later. I'd love to learn Esperanto though, thank you for the tip about Donnalouise's video!

[@thepuzzlingcanadian]

@@liessabai These are such wonderful encounters. Thanks so much for sharing.