PODCAST · leisure
Piece Talks
by Rob Shields
Discussions with competitors, organizers, and puzzle makers in the competitive jigsaw puzzle world.We cover speed puzzling, puzzle chess, and pretty much any other way that people are using jigsaw puzzles to compete.
Episodes
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#44 - MORE Jim Eakins and Mari Black
The last time Mari Black and Jim Eakins were on Piece Talks it was clear that one episode wasn’t going to be enough, so they’re back! We talk about Mari’s experiences on the Wicked Quick and Whimsy Pieces teams, and then dive into the world of puzzle coaching and puzzling theory. If you listen...
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#43 - Inge Sinot and Maartje van der Meer
Dutch puzzlers are known for speed when it comes to busy puzzles. In this episode we talk to two of the speediest puzzlers from the Netherlands - Inge Sinot and Maartje van der Meer - about what makes a whole nation excel at a skill.
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#42 - Caryn Knill + AI
World-class puzzler Caryn Knill’s usual approach to preparing for competitions was by doing puzzles, but at some point she decided that there was probably a better way, so she turned to the tool that’s apparently everywhere these days: AI.
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#41 - Hanna Lehikoinen
Hanna Lehikoinen didn't stumble into competitive speed puzzling. She sprinted straight at it. Growing up in Finland, Hanna was surrounded by puzzles and competition in equal measure, and it turned out that was exactly the right training ground. When she discovered speed puzzling, the switch…
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#40 - Emma Quirke and Rachael Chambers
Emma Quirke won the UK Nationals in 2025. Rachael Chambers won it in 2026. Does that make them bitter rivals? Quite the contrary! In this episode we dig in to their intertwined history, how their differing approaches to puzzling land them within second of each other over and over again, do a deep...
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#39 - US Nationals: A Love Story
EB and I are joined by several of the competitors that made a splash at this year's US Nationals. The theme that kept coming up over and over? How much everyone loved this year's event. Joining us are: Alice Rowe Jessa Douglas Josh Trauger Lewis Dracobly-Helsel
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#38 - Louise Jackett
Louise Jackett knew she had found her tribe at her very first competition. Since then, Lou has dedicated herself to giving others that same sense of community, building from Covid-era competitor to one of the most influential figures in Australian competitive puzzling. Along the way she made...
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#37 - US Nationals Preview
Trigger Alert! THIS EPISODE CONTAINS NEARLY NO STATS! We wanted to explore a different way of talking about the upcoming US National Championships in Atlanta. To help us out, we brought back some former guests, and a new one you might recognize.
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#36 - Thomas Kaeppeler
Thomas Kaeppeler has been at Ravensburger pretty much his entire working life. From working on the factory floor at Ravensburger headquarters in Germany, to becoming the President of Ravensburger North America. In this episode, we get a whole DIFFERENT kind of nerdy.
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#35 - Hannah Doyle
Hannah Doyle really didn’t think about jigsaw puzzles much until a fateful night where she was looking for something to do. Suddenly she was obsessed, and within a year she was finishing second in the California state competition, live streaming puzzles on Twitch, and gearing up for US Nationals...
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#34 - Daphne Harmsen and William Shandling
If you think that being a competition judge is primarily about taking down times, well…you’re right. But international judges Daphne Harmsen and William Shandling show us that it’s also about innovation, empathy, and a deep sense of fairness.
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#33 - Jim Eakins and Mari Black
What happens when you combine the analytical mind of a physics educator with the precision of a world-class violinist? You get a partnership that shares a single competitive brain to deconstruct jigsaw puzzles at a cellular level. In this episode, Jim and Mari break down their unique roles: Mari...
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#32 - Lauren Kautz
Lauren Kautz's first puzzle memory is also the story of her first cuss word. And honestly, that tells you everything you need to know about her. In this episode, we trace her journey from a kid doing puzzles upside down just to make them harder, to a three-time state champion and member of the...
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#31 - Linda Maxwell
Brand Experience Director for Cobble Hill, LINDA MAXWELL joins me to talk about how a self-described “California girl” ended up working for a Canadian jigsaw brand and how they came to sponsor teams like the Golden State Puzzlers and events like the US Nationals. I learned so much from Linda, and...
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#30 - 2026 State of Play Roundtable
I gathered up some previous guests and asked them to bring some topics we can all talk about. Joining me on this episode are: EB Caron Katrina Coleman Kristin Thuv Sarah Schuler Valerie Coit
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#29 - PJM Guests
Before we had any idea what we were going to do for the 2025 Portland Jigsaw Master livestream, I put a call out for people who would be interested in hopping on the livestream and chatting for a brief chat. The thinking was that it would be fun to get some different perspectives on the world of...
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#28 - Tammy McLeod
You might know Tammy McLeod as one of the founders of the United States Jigsaw Puzzle Association. You might know her as a Guinness World Record holder. Or possibly as a US National Sudoku champion, a member of the US escape room team, or competitive ballroom dancer. But however you know her,...
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#27 - Andrew Bradburn
Andrew Bradburn placed third in the US Nationals competition…in 1983. In this episode he talks about what that experience was like, how he was present as the USAJPA began to come together, and what he’s been up to since.
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#26 - Charlie Kendall
If you’ve watched the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship, you’ve probably seen Charlie Kendall. Officially he’s the onsite announcer, but he occasionally appears on the livestreams and the odds are good that if something needs fixing, he’s in the middle trying to fix it.
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#25.4 - Worlds Wrap Part 4: Wiktor Kacprzak
The last time we talked to Wiktor Kacprzak, we didn’t have enough time with him. We did not make that mistake this time. If you ever wanted to deep dive into a world-class competitor’s experiences at Worlds, this episode is for you!
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#25.3 - Worlds Wrap Part 3: Story Time!
If the first two episodes in this series were novels, this one is a collection of short stories of things we thought were interesting. We talk to Emma Williamson about her surprise win in an individuals semi-finals round, EB relays text conversations she had with Worlds Individuals Champion...
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#25.2 - Worlds Wrap Part 2: Alejandro Clemente León
In the second episode of the Worlds Wrap mini-series, EB Caron and I check in with two-time World Champion Alejandro Clemente León to see if the 2025 Worlds ended up being as stress free as he thought it was going to be.
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#25.1 - Worlds Wrap Part 1: Kathi Reiner
In the first episode of the Worlds Wrap mini-series (!), EB Caron and I talk to European Champion Kathi Reiner about the progress she's made since last year's Worlds and how she managed to place in the top 3 of every event at this year's Worlds. There may even be a stat or two.
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#24 - Who to Watch at Worlds 2025
EB Caron joins me once again to talk about some puzzlers you might want to watch for at the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship this year.
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#23 - Alejandro Clemente León
Alejandro Clemente León was just a regular boy who liked playing sports and using puzzles to relax his mind, never suspecting the extraordinary destiny that awaited him. Until the fateful day stumbled upon a hidden world of competitive jigsaw puzzlers, and determined that he would join them. That...
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#22 - Polish Powerhouse
Leading up to Worlds 2024, there were quiet rumors about Poland being a secret puzzling powerhouse. As the competition drew to a close, it was clear that the rumors were true. In this episode, I talk with Polish puzzlers Wiktor Kacprzak and Weronika Huptas live, and weave in parts of a text...
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#21 - Aussie All Stars
In this episode, I talk to the Aussie All Stars: Hannah Farthing, Katrina Coleman, Melissa Townsend, and Rhianna Eriksen. Formed on January 1st, 2024, their explicit intention was to bring Australia onto the World Championships podium; a feat their country had never achieved. We discuss how this...
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#20 - Michelle Kasper
Michelle Kasper launched the Euro Jigsaw Jam virtual competition series within four months of having her passion for speed puzzling ignited by a YouTube video, despite never seeing an online competition herself. In this episode, we talk about what it took to bring the idea together, the vibrant...
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#19 - Michaela Keener
In this episode of Piece Talks, I sit down with Michaela Keener. She takes us back to the early days of the modern competitive puzzling era, from the excitement of the first Duluth Derby to how the pandemic fueled the rise of "puzzlegram" and the unique world of puzzle influencer culture.…
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#18 - Devon Donaldson
Canadian champion Devon Donaldson brings her big heart and thoughtful spirit to Piece Talks! Devon won the Canadian Nationals Individuals in 2023, the Teams in 2024, and the Pairs in the recent 2025 Canadian Nationals. In this episode, Devon gives us a deep dive into the world of Canadian speed...
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#17 - Kelly Walter
Kelly Walter swept the 2025 US Nationals. In this episode we talk her experiences at the major competitions, and how her approach has evolved over time, including a change in her mindset (and playlist) at the start of an event.
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#16 - 2025 US Nationals Wrap Up
In this MEGA episode, I talk about the 2025 US Nationals with: EB Caron Conner DeLaat, Kimberly DeLaat, and Josh Trauger Alice Rowe Zak Hill Faith Taylor and Valerie Coit
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#15 - US Nationals Guide with EB Caron
Speed puzzler extraordinaire EB Caron joins me to run down the individuals, pairs, and teams you should be looking out for (and why) at the 2025 US Nationals competition.
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#14 - Nathanael Mortensen
What makes a great speed puzzling image? Nathanael Mortensen, illustrator of five Ravensburger puzzles—including two unveiled at US Nationals—helps pull back the curtain on the art of puzzle design. We explore how he got into digital painting, what goes into crafting an engaging puzzle, and…
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#13 - Chiara Dellantonio
You may know that Chiara Dellantonio is a world-class speed puzzler who has finished 11th or higher in the individuals at every one of the last three years at the World Championships. But you may not know that she’s also an avid marathon puzzler. In this episode, we’ll talk about her journey...
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#12 - Jeanne and Cathy Roiter
Twin sisters Jeanne and Cathy Roiter had been quietly kicking around the competitive jigsaw scene for a couple of decades until they won the first US Nationals Pairs competition by over 6 minutes in 2022. Most recently, they teamed up with Andrea Peng and Becca Taylor in the 2024 World...
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#11 - Valerie Coit
Chances are that you’ve heard of Valerie Coit. A competitive puzzler since 1999, she is a member of the iconic puzzling team Wicker Kittens (and a standout personality in the movie of the same name), was a founding member of the USA JPA, and is currently Vice President of the World Jigsaw Puzzle...
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#10 - Kristin Thuv
She did it! Kristin Thuv is the 2024 World Jigsaw Puzzle Champion! After coming in second place in both 2022 and 2023, Kristin was determined to take home the gold this year. In this episode of Piece Talks, Kristin shares how she transformed her approach from casual to performance-driven. She…
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#9 - Jessa Douglas and Puzzle Chess
In this episode, Jessa Douglas talks about her journey into the world of speed puzzling, and takes me on a journey into the world of puzzle chess!
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#8 - Kathi Reiner, EB Caron, and Worlds Wrap Up
Kathi Reiner joins host Rob Shields and and returning guest EB Caron about Kathi's journey from the 2023 World Jigsaw Championship to the 2024 Worlds, including how she practiced for Worlds, and the self doubt that she battled along the way. Kathi also brings some analysis she did on this year's...
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#7 - Sarah Schuler
Sarah Schuler is a force of nature both in and out of competition, with multiple podium finishes in the US Nationals and World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships. We cover a lot of ground, from her childhood spent competing at the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, to her string of second place finishes in…
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#6 - EB Caron and Internationals to Watch at Worlds
EB Caron joins me for the second of two episodes on who to watch at worlds. This time around: Everyone else! BONUS: Predictions!
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#5 - EB Caron and Americans to Watch at Worlds
EB Caron, world-class puzzler in her own right, joins me in the first of two episodes exploring who to watch at worlds. First up: the Americans!
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#4 - Yvonne Feucht
Yvonne Feucht was the Individual’s champion of the 2022 US Nationals competition, is the current overall leader on speedpuzzling.com and the second member of the Golden State Puzzlers team to appear on the show. We talk about everything from what it’s like to compete on the national and world...
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#3 - Lane Weatherly
Lane Weatherly is the cofounder of Portland Puzzle Company, which, beyond just making great puzzles, hosts a weekly jigsaw puzzling league in Portland Oregon, and is the founding sponsor of the Portland Jigsaw Masters competition. We talk about everything from how puzzles are cut, to how to make...
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#2 - Aly Krasny
Aly Krasny is one of the cofounders of the USA Jigsaw Puzzle Association And a member of the titanic team known as the Golden State Puzzlers. We talked about how a local puzzling competition got started in her house, how the USAJPA got started, and her experiences as part of the USA Nationals...
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#1 - Andrea Peng
Speed puzzling powerhouse Andrea Peng talks about her experiences at the World and US Nationals competitions, and discusses how she approaches puzzles when competing individually, in pairs, and in teams. The podcast cover art for this episode is from Andrea's favorite puzzle.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Piece Talks have?
Piece Talks currently has 47 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Piece Talks about?
Discussions with competitors, organizers, and puzzle makers in the competitive jigsaw puzzle world.We cover speed puzzling, puzzle chess, and pretty much any other way that people are using jigsaw puzzles to compete.
How often does Piece Talks release new episodes?
Piece Talks has 47 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Piece Talks?
You can listen to Piece Talks on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Piece Talks?
Piece Talks is created and hosted by Rob Shields.
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