World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships
Annual competition in Spain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship is an annual event organized by the World Jigsaw Puzzle Federation, supported by multiple national associations such as the United States Jigsaw Puzzle Association and Australian Jigsaw Puzzle Association.[1][2] The World Championship was started in 2019, and all editions have been held in Valladolid, Spain.[3] The Championship include three events: team, pairs and individual.
| World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Date | Varying |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Country | Spain |
| Inaugurated | 2019 |
Next event | 2025 |
| Organised by | World Jigsaw Puzzle Federation |
| Website | worldjigsawpuzzle |
The 2019 championships were the first time a world ranking is available for jigsaw puzzle competitors.[4]
History
In 2019 the World Jigsaw Puzzle Federation was founded and in the same year, the first World Jigsaw Championship was held in Valladolid, Spain. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021, and it resumed in 2022.
The 2024 event was also held in Valladolid, from 17 to 22 September.[5]
Events
Three events are contested in the championships. In all events, placement is determined by the fastest completion within the time limit. For competitors who have not finished the assigned puzzle(s) within the time limit, the remaining pieces are counted to determine position.[6]
- Team event: Teams of four complete multiple puzzles (1,000, 1,500 or 2,000 pieces) in the time limit.
- Pairs event: Two competitors complete a single puzzle (500 or 1,000 pieces) within a time limit.
- Individual event: Each individual participant completes a 500-piece puzzle within a time limit.
In the first World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships, only one final round was held in each event. In 2022 the semifinals were introduced in all events. For 2023, due to the increase in the number of participants, another round has also been introduced prior to the semifinals of the individual event. For 2024, also a first round has been introduced prior to the semifinals of the pairs event.
As of 2025 5 sub-categories of awards have been added; Individual Junior18 (players under 18 years old), Individual Senior A (players from 45 to 60 years old), Individual Senior B (players aged 60+) Individual Debutant and Pairs debutant (Both debutants categories are for players who have not competed in that category at a previous WJPC).
Championships
All-time medal table
Updated after 2025 World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Spain | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 2 |  Czech Republic | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 3 |  Poland | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 |  United States | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 5 |  Norway | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 |  Russia | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 7 |  Germany | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 |  Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Totals (8 entries) | 14 | 14 | 15 | 43 | |
Note: Some medals was taken by pairs/teams competing as mixed without national flag.
Participants by event
Results - Individuals
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Weronika Huptas |
Wiktor Kacprzak |
Katharina Reiner |
| 2024 | Kristin Thuv |
Weronika Huptas |
Krystian Niedziela |
| 2023 | Alejandro Clemente León |
Kristin Thuv |
Markéta Freislerová |
| 2022 | Alejandro Clemente León |
Kristin Thuv |
Tereza Koptíková |
| 2019 | Jana Hanzelková |
Mariusz Ślizewski |
Katerina Novotna |
Championships records
| Event | Participant | Time | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual (500 pieces) | Wiktor Kacprzak |
00:22:02 | First round 2025 |
| Pairs (500 pieces) | Natalia Ptaszek Wiktor Kacprzak |
00:18:45 | First round 2025 |
| Pairs (1,000 pieces) | Markéta Freislerová Tereza Koptíková |
00:47:41 | Final 2024 |
| Team (1,000 + 1,000 pieces) |
Czech Puzzlequeens Jana Ondroušková Kateřina Klinková Tereza Koptíková Markéta Freislerová |
01:01:02 | First round 2025 |
| Team (1,000 + 1,500 pieces) |
Non Stop Ana Gil Ana Isabel Jimeno Alejandro Clemente David Caballero |
02:54:13 | Final 2022 |
| Team (4 puzzles) |
Siberian Team Irina Batalova Valentina Baburchenkova Natalia Komarova Galina Medvedeva Marina Radchenko |
04:11:17 | Final 2019 |