‘They’re Gonna Make Me Cry’: I Competed at a Speed Puzzling Championship

If you’re looking for wholesome, genuine community, complete with funky team names and colorful, coordinated outfits, look no further than competitive jigsaw puzzling. In this piece for The Guardian, author Leila Jordan goes from puzzle enthusiast to competitor, pitting herself against 800+ participants vying for glory at the USA Jigsaw Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia.

An hour and 20 minutes later, my puzzle is finally done.

I feel exhausted. My whole body aches, from my lower back to my shoulders. The room suddenly feels hot. I fan myself with my scorecard and sit for a while, trying to calm down. My fingernails are tinted from the blue jigsaw cardboard.

My final rank is 122 out of 200 – far away from the top 50. Still, I feel mildly accomplished – and when I talk to other puzzlers, I feel even better. That “friendliness” is in full force. They high five and fist bump me; when I explain that this was my first competition, they call my time impressive. I understand why some do dozens of contests a year. There’s an addictive rush of seeing a simple challenge through to the end, knowing that everyone—even your fellow competitors—is cheering you on.