What used to be a quiet hobby at the kitchen table now comes with stopwatches, rankings and national events.

Inside a community centre in Georgetown, Ontario, Adam Gray emptied a 500-piece puzzle onto a table and raced the clock, along with a handful of competitors.

Gray said he started after seeing videos of speed puzzling during the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2023, he was competing in Canada’s first national speed puzzling competition.

“This is where I was going to find out, OK, am I actually kind of good at this or was I just kind of kidding myself,” said the Guelph, Ontario, resident.

Gray is now ranked 10th in Canada, according to the not-for-profit Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association. He has completed more than 400 jigsaw puzzles this year and can finish a 500-piece puzzle in less than an hour.

Speed puzzling is straightforward. Competitors, often with 500-piece puzzles, try to finish as quickly as possible. Times vary depending on the image, but the best speed puzzlers in the world can usually complete a 500-piece puzzle in under an hour.

Competition organiser Amanda Belanger said many people found speed puzzling during the pandemic, but its appeal also comes from wanting time away from screens. She said it has a low entry point because all it takes is a puzzle, a table and time.

“It’s become more of a social activity, where I think formerly it was a lot more of an individualized activity,” said Belanger, president of the Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association, which has a Facebook group that has grown to nearly 5,000 people.

“Most people that I’ve talked to, they now have friends that they puzzle with on a regular basis.”

Abby Conklin started speed puzzling two years ago, competing at home with her extended family. She said they liked it enough to research formal competitions.

“We went to our first one in Quebec and we loved it and we’ve been doing it ever since,” said Conklin, 24, who lives in Fredericton.

Conklin attended her first national competition earlier this year, competing individually, with a partner and on a team.

“I think I did three puzzles back to back with, like, maybe 15 minute breaks in between,” said Conklin.

“I was mentally exhausted. But after every puzzle, I’d go outside to get some sun, and then I’d be like, yeah, I’m ready for the next one. I just want to keep going.”

Belanger said the competition has grown quickly since the first event in a community hall in 2023. This year’s national event, also in Georgetown, moved to a hockey rink to fit the nearly 1,000 people who signed up.

Alongside national competitions and virtual events, the Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association is hosting six regional events across Canada this year, including in Winnipeg, Calgary and Sackville, Nova Scotia. That is up from three regional events the year before.

“I think after this year, what we said is we need to grow our leadership team a little bit,” Belanger said.

“It’s been exciting. It’s been a big passion project.”

The inaugural World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship was held in 2019, with 200 individual competitors, 200 pairs and 86 teams. The next event was delayed until 2022 by the pandemic, but interest in speed puzzling grew during lockdowns and isolation.

At the most recent world championship in 2025, hosted in Valladolid, Spain, about 960 individuals, 640 pairs and 270 teams competed. Poland’s Weronika Huptas, the reigning world champion, finished the final 500-piece puzzle in just under 40 minutes. Canadian champion Megan Sloka finished the same puzzle in just over 51 minutes.

More international events are also being added. Toronto will host the 2027 World Series, bringing some of the best puzzlers in the world to the city.

“This also shows how the sport is changing. There’s different types of competitions that are popping up around the world, and there’s so many opportunities to be a part of it,” said Gray, who will compete at the event.

Ravensburger, one of the biggest puzzle brands in the world, is also designing new Canadiana puzzles to debut at national competitions, including a scene from Charlottetown and a busy outdoor rink.

Gray, who shares tips for first-time speed puzzlers on his YouTube channel, said background music can help with focus and a comfortable place to puzzle also matters. He recommends completing the border first, then working through one section at a time.

Belanger said puzzlers should practise flipping pieces and try using both hands.

“I think just doing as many puzzles as you can,” she said, suggesting puzzlers try different brands and styles of puzzles so they are ready for anything.

“You never know what might come up at a competition.”

Gray said people interested in speed puzzling can look for local events or simply buy a puzzle, use a stopwatch and see how they go. He said there are websites where puzzlers can compare their times with others around the world.

“You’re seeing a lot of people give it a go. And that’s what’s really fun about speed puzzling. Really, anyone can do it.”

Conklin said she hopes to one day place in the top 10 at nationals, but she still enjoys the activity regardless.

“It’s like organizing all these pieces to make a beautiful image, just there’s something so satisfying about it,” said Conklin.

“The fast thing … it just happens.”

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