Here’s a round-up of tips and advice from some of Australia’s best puzzlers.

Participating in puzzle competitions is really fun whether you’re new to the game or pushing for a place on the podium. Here at AJPA, we allow more time for competitors to finish because we want our events to be inclusive and open to all types of puzzlers.

Being in a room full of people who share your love for puzzling is such a vibe and we encourage all puzzlers to experience it. If you’re nervous about participating for the first time, ease yourself in via pairs or teams. 

Tips specifically for first timers

Some tips from Tianna who signed up for the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships on a whim seven months before the competition!

Start with easier puzzles: Don’t dive in with harder puzzles and put yourself off from the start!

Don’t be discouraged by slower times: You may hear ‘under 90 mins’ and ‘under an hour’ thrown around a lot – absolutely no one expects this to be anyone’s starting time, and some people don’t ever reach those sorts of times (and that’s totally fine). 

Don’t be afraid to get started: My tip is to just practice and not be afraid to get started! I procrastinated practicing for so long because I always felt like I needed the perfect circumstances to whip out a 500 piece puzzle (e.g. ensuring I had two uninterrupted hours, good lighting, wasn’t too tired etc.). In reality, the world wouldn’t end if I had to pause halfway through, and practicing with poor lighting/being tired is the reality of competitions sometimes.

Don’t get overwhelmed: When you compete for the first time, it can feel overwhelming when the faster puzzlers start to finish. It can feel like every person in the room is finishing except you. Please know that it sounds worse than it is! Try to ignore all the finishing celebrations and just keep puzzling. Everyone in the room is feeling the same way as you are and we celebrate EVERY finish!

Tips for everyone

Practice: Practice lots of styles of puzzles ­– busy, landscapes, fur, foliage. Try to practice with the same brand as you’ll be using in your competition.

Watch how you race: If you want to get really serious, record yourself puzzling on time lapse and watch to see where you could improve.

Puzzling with others: It can help to find like-minded people to puzzle with, both for practice and during the events. If competing together, practice with your team to know how you work best together.

Control the chaos: Keep your loose pieces nice and compact, close to the puzzle. Another puzzler recommended keeping your pieces to one side of the puzzle to minimise the amount of time you need to spend looking for a piece. If you’re left-handed, keep them on the left. Avoid splitting them up into two piles with the puzzle in the middle!

Keep hair and clothes under control: Keep your hair tied up and no loose clothing!

Breathe: It’s normal to feel nervous before an event, but remember that first and foremost, speed puzzling is fun! If you’re shaking at the start, focus on long slow breaths.

Online races: Online races are a great way to practice from the comfort of your own home. AJPA holds monthly online races as do some other puzzlers across Australia.

Stay focused: Make sure you can stay focused during the whole competition. Calm your mind and pay attention to the details, textures and shapes of the pieces. If external noise like clapping disturbs you, consider listening to music or wearing noise cancelling headphones. A familiar playlist can help to get you into the zone.

Lighting: Think about the light conditions at the venue where the competition is. You may not always have perfect lighting conditions for your puzzle.

Vertical/landscape: Consider doing verticals as landscape if single, and landscapes as verticals if in pairs.

Want to compete at Worlds?

Speak to some of the puzzlers that have been there before and watch some YouTubers to get a sense of the environment! Sign up for Worlds here.

Tips provided by:

• D’Arne Healy, AJPA President, 79^th at Worlds in 2019.
• Katrina Coleman, 7^th in the world in 2024, Australian national champion 2022, TAS state champ 2023.
• Marita Broberg: SA state champ from 2021 to 2024, 89^th in the world 2024.
• Rhianna Eriksen: 44th in the world 2024, 3rd in QLD state 2024
• Melissa Townsend: 14^th in the world 2024, Australian national champion 2023
• Jessica Bennett: 6^th in VIC state comp in 2024
• Tianna Camilleri: Enthusiastic participant at Worlds in 2024!