Rookie to Rock Star: Feifei X. Climbs the Speed Puzzling Leaderboard

When Feifei X. (they/them) discovered that the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship in Spain did not have a qualification process, they jumped at the chance to compete. There was just one small issue: They weren’t a speed puzzler. However, what started as a spontaneous plan for an international vacation quickly became an intentional trip into a new passion.

Feifei began speed puzzling and joined USAJPA in January 2025, just days after registering for Worlds. By April of that year, as a first-time speed puzzling competitor, they reached all the final rounds at USA Jigsaw Nationals. In 2026, the self-described pick-and-placer finished 15th in their individual preliminary round at Worlds.

Beyond puzzling, Feifei is a rock climber and co-founder of the non-profit Queer Crush Climbing. As a USAJPA volunteer, they lead the technology team, working alongside John W. and Donald D. Feifei is also a member of the Bay Area Rapid Puzzlers, a group that hosts bring-your-own-puzzle practice events for speed puzzlers in San Francisco.

Q&A Time:

How much time do you devote to speed puzzling practice?

MySpeedPuzzling.com tells me I puzzle between 37 and 112 hours per month. I’m averaging about 60 hours per month in 2026.

Do you have a favorite brand, type, style, or subject of puzzle?

I like fast puzzles! And I have a weakness for trying new gimmicks like lenticular puzzles, double-sided puzzles, etc. I like bright, modern illustrations but also have a soft spot for a good Wysocki.

Do you have any special puzzling habits or superstitions?

At home, I mostly speed puzzle on a competition-size folding table at standing height (elevated with secondhand PVC pipes). I'll often listen to audiobooks or podcasts. In competition, I listen to fast-paced music. The speed puzzling playlist has evolved over time, but I've never changed the first song: a Zelda/Pikachu trap remix. For marathons, sugar is important (i.e., "send Skittles").

What do you enjoy most about the puzzle community?

As I’ve gotten to know people, I love that the culture is strong on openness and generosity! I feel very lucky to be based in the San Francisco Bay Area where there is such a high density of speed puzzlers. While there's still room for improvement, it's reasonably comfortable to exist as a trans person in this community. I appreciate when teammates, and especially commentators, note pronouns and use them correctly!

Tell us about a cherished or unforgettable puzzle memory.

Being on the cusp of qualifying for finals in every division at Nationals 2025, and then squeezing in each time, was wild. My entire team was refreshing the results page, and I was texting with my partner at home. My mind was blown each time I made it to a final round. It was a tipping point where I thought, “Maybe I'm kind of good at this?”

(My second memory is) finishing first in the pairs qualifying round at Canadian Nationals 2026 with Jessica R. I'd never felt that feeling of, "Omigawd, nobody's cheered yet, and we're close to being done" in such a large venue before. Very unique, lots of adrenaline, and so happy to have clinched it with a friend!

Do you consider yourself a puzzle collector?

I don't think of myself as a collector, and yet the current puzzle situation is NOT under control. I would like everything to fit in or on my 4x4 (IKEA) Expedit, but we've overflowed into many, many cardboard boxes at this point. If you are ever at my house, please take puzzles home with you!

What are your other hobbies? Have they helped your puzzling at all?

Volunteering at SCRAP has contributed to my puzzle hoard! They don't typically accept toys and games as donations, but puzzles sometimes sneak in at the bottom of a donation box. I rescue them either from the free shelf or for $0.50–$1.00 each. Sometimes they are a bust, but sometimes there are cool and unique puzzles, like a complete copy of Springbok's 1972 Magic Mirror Enchantment!

Also, I'm a big believer in, "If you can name it, you can build it," and I think having more words for colors helps me discern them in the pile. I take art classes, and I like to think the time spent mixing paint and matching hues has helped with sorting pieces.

How does rock climbing impact your puzzling, if at all?

I do joke that it might be good that I spend time both hunched over (puzzling) and leaning back (belaying). Rock climbing might actually be anti-helpful with speed puzzling. The skin on my hands and fingers is always in an evolving state depending on how much I've been climbing or using antihydral spray—fingers too dry, and I can't pick up pieces as well, but palms too sweaty and I can't quickly put down handfuls of pieces! I have hand lotion on my speed puzzle packing list so I can reset before each round.

In what areas have you improved the most as a speed puzzler since attending Nationals in 2025, and what’s your advice for someone who wants to improve their puzzling abilities?

I've gotten better at picking what to start with. For example, going for identifiable pieces instead of just "anything yellow.” I've learned lots of techniques from others, like how to palm the edge pieces same-side-up while flipping, how to use a tray to delineate the build space while flipping, how to methodically build a difficult edge, how to “shop” with both hands while pulling, etc.

Puzzle with as many different people as you can and ask questions!

Doing many puzzles of a specific brand also helps a lot. Even if you're not fully memorizing the piece cut, you're getting to know what kind of variance the brand has added to its knob shapes. Or with random cut puzzles, you have a better sense of what shape piece (or pieces!) might fill an empty gap or which edges are real vs. fake.

Also, just reminding yourself to puzzle faster literally makes you puzzle faster!

Are you participating in any upcoming speed puzzling competitions?

The 2026 California Speed Puzzling Championship, Super Saturday Mini Tourney #7 (SSMT7), 2027 USA Jigsaw Nationals, 24H puzzle de France, and (hopefully) the 2027 Speed Puzzle World Series.

Connect: 

You can find Feifei on Instagram @feifeipuzzle and @bayarearapidpuzzlers.