Dazzling Debut: College Student Lewis D.H. Earns Two Top 10 Finishes at Nationals

Lewis D.H. is a junior at DePaul University in Chicago, where he is studying theatre technology and looking forward to work as a theatrical carpenter after graduation. Originally from Washington state, Lewis began puzzling as a toddler. He participated in his first puzzling competition in August 2025 after just over a year of timed practice.

In his debut at the 2026 USA Jigsaw Nationals seven months later, Lewis finished sixth in the final individual round with a time of 42:03 and eighth in the pairs finals with his teammate Kate Y. He credits the Chicago Puzzle Club for the experience: “The Chicago Puzzle Club does wonderful events—shout out to Eric, Frank, and Shirley, who run the club. I wouldn't have gone to Nationals this year, or met as many amazing people as I have, if it weren't for them and their events.”

Q&A Time:

Tell us more about your time at Nationals.

Coming into Nationals, my goal was to get top 20. I was probably more confident seeing my individual prelim round puzzle than I was seeing the final puzzle. On both, I chose not to start on the borders and instead focus on what colors and textures stood out to me. 

I was surprised as I finished, realizing I got sixth, something I think you can see on my face at that moment. I had both my earbuds in, with the music playing pretty loud, so the only thing I could hear was the cheering when people finished. Right after, I got a few congratulatory messages from friends who were feeling stressed just from watching the livestream. It was definitely a surreal experience walking around after the final and getting congratulations from people I had not met. Everyone was super nice before and after, and it helped make the whole event unforgettable.

What is your best advice for someone who wants to improve their speed puzzling abilities?

Practice on smaller piece count puzzles because 500-piece puzzles can be intimidating. I've found puzzles that have a small piece count and small piece cut are especially nice to work on as you do not have to use the whole table just to spread out the pieces. Ravensburger and Boardwalk are brands with puzzles that have small piece counts and small individual pieces.

What do you enjoy most about puzzling?

Puzzling allows me to relax while focusing on something separate from everything else going on. Especially when I'm puzzling casually, I can really get lost in the puzzle, which is a nice way to unwind. Seeing the progress of the puzzle as it comes together is also super satisfying.

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

Old Springbok puzzles are my favorite. I also like circles and gradients.

Do you have a cherished or unforgettable puzzle-related memory?

In my freshman year of college, there was a 5,000-piece Ravensburger puzzle (pictured above) that had been started in my school's paint shop. It was communal, so anyone could work on it, but I ended up doing most of it.

At the time, I lived in a dorm across the street, so I would sometimes stay at school until midnight working on the puzzle. When the puzzle got finished after four to five months of on-and-off progress, the head of the paint shop glued it together and hung it up in a corner of the paint deck. She had me sign it as well, although the silver Sharpie I used was dying, so you can't really see the signature.

Tell us a bit about your puzzling teammates.

For this year at Nationals, I paired with Kate Y., who is also from Chicago. We met at my first Chicago competition, where I came in first and they came in third. We competed together in a few smaller events and ended up competing together at Nationals after Kate's original teammate had to cancel. It was a blast to compete with them at Nationals and also just to hang out and practice back in Chicago.

Are you participating in any upcoming speed puzzling competitions?

I’m hoping to attend Winter Carnival in Minneapolis next January, and of course Nationals next year. School and summer work are keeping me busy for a good chunk of the rest of the year, but I hope to keep attending Chicago Puzzle Club events when I'm in the city.

Connect:

You can find Lewis on Instagram @theatre.tech.and.puzzles.