Rules WJPC

World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship 2025

Individual Category

It will consist of 3 phases: first round, second round and final.

Individual First Round: A maximum of 1.800 players will participate, divided into 9 groups (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I) with a maximum of 200 participants per group.

Each participant will receive 2 puzzles of 500 pieces hidden in an opaque bag that they cannot discover until the beginning of the event, and they must assemble only one of them in a maximum time of 90 minutes, with the first 55 classified in each group accessing the next round. In the event of a tie for the last place that gives access to the next round, both participants will access.

The top 8 classified in each group will participate on a single table in the next round, the rest will share a table with other participant.

Play-off: Of all the countries that have not achieved any representatives in the second round, the participant from each of those countries that has achieved the best position in the first round will advance to the next round.

Second round: A maximum of 540 players will participate, divided into 3 groups of a maximum of 180 participants per group (165 by direct qualification and max 15 by play-off):

Participants will have to assemble an unpublished 500-piece jigsaw puzzle (Catalogue 2026), within a maximum period of 75 minutes, with the first 60 qualified from each round of the second round accessing the final.

The top 8 in each round will participate in a single table in the final, the rest will share a table.

Individual Final: 180 players will participate (90 qualifiers from each semifinal). The Individual World Champion will be the participant who manages to assemble an unpublished 500-piece jigsaw puzzle (Catalog 2026) in the shortest possible time, or in the case of no participant finishing within the maximum period of 75 minutes, the one who has placed the highest number of pieces correctly.

The individual registration fee is €60, until May 31th (20% discount). The amount includes the two puzzles of the first round, and the remaining puzzles if you qualify for the second round and the final.

Pairs Category

It will consist of 3 phases: first round, semifinal and final.

Pairs First Round: A maximum of 1.200 pairs will participate, divided into 6 groups (A, B, C, D, E and F) with a maximum of 200 pairs per group.

Each participating pair will receive 2 puzzles of 500 pieces hidden in an opaque bag that they cannot discover until the beginning of the event, and they must assemble only one of them in a maximum time of 75 minutes, with the first 55 pairs classified in each group entering the next round. In the event of a tie for the last place that gives access to the next round, both participants will enter.

The top 8 pairs classified in each group will participate on a single table in the semifinal, the rest will share a table with other pair.

Play-off: Of all the countries that have not achieved any representatives in the second round, the pair from each of those countries that has achieved the best position in the first round will advance to the next round.

Semifinal Pairs: A maximum of 360 pairs will participate, divided into 4 groups of a maximum of 180 pairs per group (160 by direct qualification and 20 by country play-off):

The participating pairs will have to assemble an unpublished 500-piece jigsaw puzzle (Catalogue 2026), within a maximum period of 60 minutes, with the first 50 qualified from each semi-final going through to the final.

Final Pairs: 100 pairs will participate (50 classified from each semifinal). The World Champion pair will be the one who manages to finish an unpublished 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle (Catalogue 2026) in the shortest time, or in the case of no pair finishing within the maximum period of 2 hours, the one who has placed the most pieces correctly.

The registration fee for pairs is €60 per pair, for registrations made until May 31th (20% discount). The amount includes the two puzzles of the first round, and the remaining puzzles if you qualify for the second round and the final.

Teams Category

It will consist of 2 phases: first round and final.

Teams must be composed of a minimum of 3 people and a maximum of 4. No changes will be allowed during the competition.

Each team must choose the first puzzle, not being able to start assembling second puzzle until first puzzle has been correctly completed and a member of the Organization verifies the correct assembly, records the time in participation act and authorizes to start next puzzle.

If after starting the first puzzle, the team decides to change the puzzle before finishing it, it must be completely destroyed and put back in its box before opening the other puzzle.

Qualifying Round Teams: A maximum of 500 teams will participate, divided into 5 groups (A, B, C, D and F) with a maximum of 100 teams per group. The teams will have 3 hours to assemble two 1.000-piece jigsaw puzzles from 4 models. The team will have a few minutes before the start to chose 2 models, removing the 2 discarded models from the table. During the test, it is not possible to modify the 2 chosen puzzles.

The first 20 classified teams from each group will advance to the final

Play-off: Of all the participating teams from non-qualified countries, the best position team from each country will advance to the final, up to a maximum of 5 countries

Teams Final: 105 teams will participate (20 classified from each group + 5 of playoff). The World Champion team will be the one that assembles in the fastest possible time two unpublished 1.000-piece jigsaw puzzles (Catalogue 2026) in the order that they prefer. In the case in which no team finishes both puzzles in the maximum period of 3 hours, the winning team will be the one that has placed the highest number of pieces correctly.

Registration fee in this category is €125, until May 31th (20% discount). The amount includes all the 1.000-piece jigsaw puzzles in the tests in which participate.

Prizes

The awards ceremony for all categories will take place once the team final is finished, that is, on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

The prizes by categories are the following:

Best Newcomer, Individual Category

All people who have not previously participated in this category in any of the previous editions may opt for this award.

General conditions

Registration

The registration period begins on January 1 at 12:00 AM GMT and closes 5 days before the start of the WJPC or once the participant quota is filled.

Individuals aged 14 or older may register unless accompanied by an adult as a pair or team.

Each person may only participate once per category, meaning they cannot be part of two different teams or partner with two different people to compete in different groups during the first round.

Registration is considered final, with a reserved table, only when confirmed by email to the participant.

All puzzles provided in each round become the property of the participant once the round is completed.

The Organization may reassign tables and puzzles of participants who fail to take their place or are absent 10 minutes after the round begins, with no compensation or refund granted to the participant.

The Organization may require a passport or other official document to verify the participant’s nationality if they advance to the next round, based on quotas allocated by country.

In the event of cancellation or postponement of the Championship due to circumstances beyond the Organization’s control, the Organization will not be responsible for indirect expenses incurred by participants, apart from reimbursing paid registration fees.

If a participant cancels their registration, a refund will only be granted for cancellations made up to 15 days before the competition begins.

The Organization reserves the right to deny registration, participation, and entry to the venue to individuals who may disrupt the event or have demonstrated behavior contrary to the Organization’s principles.

Competition Area

Access to the competition area is restricted to participants, judges, and authorized personnel with proper accreditation.

All tables will be numbered and display the names and countries of origin of the participants. In the initial phase, the seating arrangement will be based on rankings and results achieved in previous championships recognized by the WJPF. In subsequent phases, the order will be determined by the position achieved in the prior phase.

In the preliminary individual and pair phases, all competitors will share tables regardless of the final number of participants in each group.

Participants must report to the competition area 15 minutes before the start of each round.

The use of boosters or any objects that alter the height or layout of the tables is not allowed.

For shared tables, participants may not encroach on the space of adjacent competitors or hinder their puzzle assembly. Severe interference may result in disqualification.

The competition area will have 108 tables arranged as follows: one row of 6 tables, one row of 8 tables, eight rows of 10 tables, another row of 8 tables, and one row of 6 tables.

The Organization reserves 6 tables for non-competitive guest use.

Bringing food into the competition area is prohibited.

During the round, participants may leave the Competition Area for restroom breaks or to rest, but no player substitutions are allowed, and the time will continue to count as if the participant were actively competing.

Start of the round

Participants may not remove the puzzle(s) from the bag, unseal, or open the boxes until the presenter or head judge signals the start of the round and the timer begins.

If sealed puzzles (with shrink wrap or side adhesives) are provided, the Organization will supply a tool for opening the boxes. Under no circumstances may participants use scissors, box cutters, knives, or any sharp or pointed objects that could cause injuries or pose a risk to their safety.

If the puzzle(s) provided do not match the models for the round, the Organization will correct the mistake by recording the time elapsed in the official log and subtracting it from the participant’s final time. If the participant is unable to complete the puzzle within the allotted time, they will be given extra time equivalent to the delay at the start of the round.

Permited Accesories

Participants are not allowed to use extra lighting or any mechanical or digital devices that assist in puzzle assembly.

The use of printed templates with a 1:1 scale image of the puzzle, templates showing the manufacturer’s cutting pattern, or any printed document that provides information about the morphology of the pieces in each position—even if included with the product—is prohibited.

Digital devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) cannot be used to view or magnify the puzzle image.

For puzzles with 500 pieces, participants may use up to 2 trays made of cardboard, foam, or other materials, with a maximum size of A3. For puzzles with 1,000 pieces or more, up to 4 trays with a maximum size of A2 are allowed.

Supports for the puzzle box lid to hold it in a comfortable position are permitted.

Any assistance during the competition from individuals not registered as participants may result in disqualification.

The use of magnifying glasses and prescription glasses with magnification is allowed.

Headphones are permitted as long as they do not disturb other participants.

Singing or shouting is prohibited. The Organization may disqualify participants who are repeatedly warned for improper conduct.

Pets are not allowed in the competition area.

Group Assignment for First Round

The distribution of groups in the first round will be based on proportionality, ensuring that:

The total number of participants per group will be determined by dividing the total number of participants by the number of groups.

Only the Organization may make changes to group assignments, and only for duly justified reasons.

If the number of participants exceeds expectations, the Organization may adjust the group distribution and schedule for the preliminary phase. Any such changes will be announced no later than one month before the start of the competition.

The Organization will release the group assignments 15 days before the competition begins and notify each participant of their assigned group via email.

Data Protection

The applicant agrees that their name, nationality, and age may appear on the participant list for the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship (WJPC), in rankings, and in any other digital or printed publications related to the Championship. Additionally, the applicant authorizes the Organization to use their image in photographs, videos, or any other recorded media during the event for the promotion of the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship.

All published images and videos are the intellectual property of the Organization.

The Organization recommends that all team members wear the same shirt design, displaying their names and country of origin.

The Organization is not responsible for lost items during the Championship.

Participation in the World Championship implies full acceptance of these rules. Any issues not covered in the rules will be resolved by the Organization.

Frequently Asked Questions