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Piece Talks

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.

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20 episodes
Avg 1 hr 41 min
English

Episodes 20

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S1 · E44
August 8 · 1 hr 25 min
#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 carefully, you can hear my mind get blown at least once.
S1 · E43
July 25 · 1 hr 55 min
#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.
S1 · E42
July 3 · 1 hr 27 min
#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.
S1 · E41
June 13 · 1 hr 37 min
#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 flipped almost instantly: within days she had an Instagram account, a timer, and her sights set on Worlds. In this episode, we trace Hanna's journey from casual Finnish puzzler to one of the breakout stars of the EJJ circuit, where she found herself finishing among the best puzzlers on the planet. We dig into what it was like to time herself from day one, how she thought about improving her skills, and what it actually feels like to be in panic mode during a competition when you're one of the fastest people in the world. We also talk about the competitive gene that seems to run in the family, the challenge of balancing a sudden career in elite puzzling with the organized chaos of family life, and what her prolific Instagram archive reveals about the honest, unfiltered arc of someone becoming great at something. Not just the sunshine, but the work.
S1 · E40
May 24 · 1 hr 55 min
#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 dive into their World Series experience, and find out why they may be one of the strongest pairs out there.
S1 · E39
May 3 · 1 hr 26 min
#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
S1 · E38
April 19 · 1 hr 32 min
#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 decisions that shaped the culture of the sport in ways she probably didn't anticipate, including an impulsive choice that gave Australian puzzlers their national identity at Worlds. That pattern of going from idea to execution runs through everything Lou does, and it's ultimately what led her to the presidency of the Australian Jigsaw Puzzle Association and to co-founding the Speed Puzzling World Series. In this episode we follow her puzzling arc, and dig into what the SPWS is all about.
S1 · E37
March 22 · 1 hr 8 min
#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.
S1 · E36
March 15 · 1 hr 25 min
#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.
S1 · E35
March 1 · 1 hr 48 min
#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 and Worlds.
S1 · E34
February 22 · 1 hr 49 min
#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.
S1 · E33
February 15 · 1 hr 49 min
#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 provides the world-class "hands" while Jim serves as the analytical "eye in the sky," spotting patterns and pieces from a distance that you just can't see when your hands are on the board. We dive into Mari’s "Type A Plus" competitive spirit and their shared pedagogical approach to mastering the table. Whether you're a casual fan or a hardcore sprinter, this episode is a deep dive into the thoughtful puzzling that defines elite play.
S1 · E27
February 9 · 1 hr 32 min
#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 legendary Betches. Along the way: an arch-rival turned best friend, an undefeated streak that had to end somewhere, tears at Nationals, and a hype man who just happens to be her husband.
S1 · E31
January 26 · 1 hr 28 min
#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 we only had time to talk about a small amount of the topics we could have explored!
S1 · E30
January 11 · 2 hr 15 min
#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
S1 · E29
Dec 29, 2025 · 2 hr 8 min
#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 speed puzzling. Some brave souls immediately raised their hands. In this episode I pulled together those six short conversations as well as three additional short conversations with folks that I weren’t able to get on to the livestream primarily due to my own lack of planning. In these conversations we discuss everything from what speed puzzling was like in Australia, to what it was like to do the same puzzle hundreds of times. Some notes: Since many of these conversations were recorded live at the event while competition is going on, the audio quality isn’t the best and you’ll hear us occasionally reacting to what was going on at the moment. These conversations were recorded in July and August of 2025, so references to events in the future at the time are now events in the past (e.g., the 2025 Worlds competition), and references to “last November” were referring to 2024. The complete livestream event can be found on YouTube at PortlandJigsawMasters, where you can also hear interviews with winners, and expert commentary by folks like Jeanne Roiter, Jim Eakins, and EB Caron(?). Speaking of expert commentary, you’ll also hear the insightful questions of my co-host for much of the event, Carlie Craig, who was brand new to competitive jigsaw puzzling.
S1 · E28
Dec 14, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
#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, you’ll probably agree that she brings an unrelenting drive to every single pursuit.
S1 · E27
Nov 30, 2025 · 1 hr 27 min
#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.
S1 · E26
Nov 17, 2025 · 1 hr 53 min
#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.
S1 · E25
Nov 3, 2025 · 2 hr 37 min
#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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