The Rise of Jigsaw Puzzles: A Cultural Phenomenon

In the winter of 1966, The New York Times published an intriguing article about the burgeoning jigsaw-puzzle craze sweeping across the United States. The piece featured insights from a Barnard College professor who stated, “The reason that people do puzzles is nothing more complicated than compulsion.” Nearly 60 years later, the landscape of puzzle culture has evolved dramatically. It has transformed into a vibrant community characterized by online influencers and an international tournament that attracts thousands of swift-fingered competitors.

This tournament, known as the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship, is set to take place this September in the picturesque city of Valladolid, Spain, located over 130 miles northwest of Madrid. Participants hailing from more than 75 countries will compete to complete multiple puzzles, vying for modest cash prizes and the coveted title of champion, all while celebrating their shared passion over six exhilarating days.

Among the notable competitors attending the event in Spain is Karen Kavett, a 33-year-old puzzle enthusiast from Los Angeles. Ms. Kavett has played a significant role in popularizing the speed-puzzling movement. Since she began creating content in 2018, she has amassed a substantial following on social media, including over 290,000 subscribers on YouTube, where she is known as Karen Puzzles.

For Ms. Kavett, puzzling transcends mere pastime; it serves as a means of livelihood and a medium for connecting with others. “When I’m here practicing speed puzzling, just alone in my apartment, it makes me feel connected to a broader community, in a way that I had never really felt before with puzzling,” she shared. “For a long time, it was just a solitary activity. But with this, you have a benchmark or a statistic, something in common where you can compare yourself to other people around the world.”