Contest Schedule

For information about in-person contests, see here.
Offline participation instructions can be found here.
Speed Puzzling contest schedule, December thru February:
December (6 contests)
Date & Time
​(Central)
Location
Speed
Puzzling #
Event
​Type
# of
​Pieces
​Registration
​info or Status
​​Included
with
​Groupie?
Dec 6
​7p
Zoom
271c
Solo
​500
CHALLENGE SERIES for Black Belts & Blue Belts (by invitation only).  Contact Jonathan for the link.
no
Dec 7
​11a
Zoom
270
Solo
300
SOLD OUT
​​Solo 300
Dec 7
​12:30p
Zoom
271
Solo
​​500
SOLD OUT
​​​​Solo 500
Dec 7
​3p
Zoom
272
Solo
TBD
4th Annual Anthology Wooden Puzzle contest.  SOLD OUT
​no
Dec 14
​11a
​Zoom
273
Pair
300-400
Special Pairs contest for 1 Adult + 1 Youth.  ​SOLD OUT
no
Dec 14
​12:30p
​Zoom
274
Solo/
Pair/
​Team
​1000
SOLD OUT
​​1000
January (9 contests)
Date & Time
​(Central)
Location
Speed
Puzzling #
Event
​Type
​# of
​Pieces
​​Registration
​info or Status
​​Included
with
​Groupie?
Jan 3
​7p
Zoom
275
Solo
​​500
CHALLENGE SERIES for Black Belts & Blue Belts (by invitation only).  Contact Jonathan for the link.
500 Challenge
Jan 4
​11a
Zoom
276
Solo
300
Register here
300
Jan 4
12:30p
Zoom
277
Solo
​​500
Register here
500 Solo
Jan 4
​3p
Zoom
278
Solo
​​​500
Exclusive USA JPA contest.  See a recent USA JPA newsletter or contact Jonathan at [email protected] for the registration link.
500 JPA
Jan 10
​6:30p EST
Zoom
279
Solo
​500
FLORIDA State Championship.  Register here
no
Jan 10
​7p EST
Zoom
280
Solo
​​500
PENNSYLVANIA State Championship.  Register here
no
Jan 10
​6:30p
Zoom
281
Solo
​​500
ILLINOIS State Championship.  Register here
no
Jan 11
​11a
Zoom
282
​Solo/
Pair/
​Team
​​500
Register here
500 All
Jan 11
​1:30p
Zoom
283
Solo/
Pair/
​Team
​1000
Register here
1000
February (14 contests)
Date & Time
​(Central)
Location
Speed
Puzzling #
Event
​Type
# of
​Pieces
​Registration
​info or Status
​​Included
with
​Groupie?
Feb 1
9a
North Richland Hills, TX
SP 284
Solo
​210 Jr/Sr,
​500 Adult
TX2025 - TEXAS SPEED PUZZLING CHAMPIONSHIP.  Register here.
no
Feb 1
​11:30a
North Richland Hills, TX
SP 285
​Pairs Relay
210 x 2
TX2025 - TEXAS SPEED PUZZLING CHAMPIONSHIP.  Register here.
no
Feb 1
​1p
North Richland Hills, TX
SP 286
​Pair
​300 Jr/Sr,
500 Adult
TX2025 - TEXAS SPEED PUZZLING CHAMPIONSHIP.  Register here.
no
Feb 1
​3:15p
North Richland Hills, TX
SP 287
Team
​500 Jr/Sr,
1000 Adult
TX2025 - TEXAS SPEED PUZZLING CHAMPIONSHIP.  Register here.
no
Feb 1
​5:45p
North Richland Hills, TX
SP 288
​Pair Wooden Puzzle
​~350
TX2025 - TEXAS SPEED PUZZLING CHAMPIONSHIP.  Register here.
no
Feb 7
7p
Zoom
SP 289
Solo
​500
CHALLENGE SERIES for Black Belts & Blue Belts (by invitation only).  Contact Jonathan for the link.
500 Challenge
Feb 8
​11a
Zoom
SP 290
Solo
​300
Registration info coming soon
300
Feb 8
12:30p
Zoom
SP 291
Solo
500
Registration info coming soon
​500 Solo
Feb 8
​3p
Zoom
SP 292
Solo
500
Exclusive USA JPA contest.  See a recent USA JPA newsletter or contact Jonathan at [email protected] for the registration link.
500 JPA
Feb 21
​6:30p EST​
Zoom
SP 293
Solo
​500
MARYLAND State Championship.  Registration info coming soon.
no
Feb 21
​7p EST​
​Zoom
SP 294
Solo
​500
NEW JERSEY State Championship.  Registration info coming soon.
no
Feb 21
​6:30p​
​Zoom
SP 295
Solo
​500
WISCONSIN State Championship.  Registration info coming soon.
no
Feb 22
​11a
​Zoom
SP 296
​Solo/
Pair/
​Team
​500
Registration info coming soon
500 All
Feb 22
​1:30p
​Zoom
SP 297
​Solo/
Pair/
​Team
1000
Registration info coming soon
1000
How do Speed Puzzling contests work?
  1. Anyone in the USA can participate in our LIVE Zoom events.  With enough lead time (3-4+ weeks), we also ship anywhere in the world.  International puzzlers pay for the additional shipping.  So far, we have shipped to Canada, the UK, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Israel, Australia, and United Arab Emirates.
  2. Click on the registration link and purchase the desired contest(s).  Your payment covers the cost of the puzzle, shipping, sales tax, and participation in the Zoom contest event.
  3. About 2 weeks before the event date, we ship everyone the same undisclosed puzzle in a poly mailer or box.  Contestants keep the shipping package sealed until told to open it--together with the rest of the puzzlers on the Zoom call.
  4. A day or two before the contest, we email each puzzler a Zoom link with instructions on camera setup, etc.  You can review the instructions in advance here.
  5. On the contest day, at the assigned check-in time, puzzlers join the Zoom meeting using the emailed link.
  6. The judges check each puzzler's camera angle and unopened puzzle package.  Brief instructions are given via Kahoot slides, and then all puzzlers unwrap their puzzle boxes together.
  7. We'll count down "3, 2, 1, GO!" (starting the timers on "GO"), and everyone puzzles simultaneously.  We basically follow the USA JPA rules and procedures, found here.
  8. The first individual/team to finish WINS!
  9. After the contest is over, judges verify all entries and post the rankings, names, and completion times of all participants.
  10. Prizes are sent to the winners of each division.
Other Speed Puzzling guidelines/considerations:
  • Not available on the contest date/time?  If you have a schedule conflict that prevents you competing, you may compete offline if you let us know in advance.  Detailed instructions are here.
  • Find dozens of tips and strategies here.
  • Nervous about competing against puzzle ninjas?  Starting in 2023, our Fastest Newbie gets a prize!  And you can get a good idea where you might finish by trying a puzzle previously used in our contests.  Check out our Results page to see all previous puzzles/times/rankings.
  • What puzzling tools are allowed for a contest?  Scissors/blades, sorting trays, box top holders, and timers are allowed.  Other tools (spatulas, magnifying glasses, cell phone cameras to enlarge the puzzle image) are NOT.
  • We promote friendly competition!  Let's build this group and encourage each other's progress.
  • Please let us know how we can improve your competition experience.