Min’s Puzzle Story: 

Min (she/her) is originally from Ohio and now lives in California. As a kid, she puzzled sporadically, recalling her first puzzle to be a wintery Dowdle puzzle. Now she puzzles extensively with all sorts of puzzle brands. She discovered speed puzzling upon moving to San Diego, when she attended her first Pacific Puzzlers event in 2021. She has been hooked ever since! 

She loves seeing how fast she can put a puzzle together, sharing that it’s a thrill to hit new first-time personal records. She recently set a new “PR” on a new 1000-piece puzzle by Elena Essex, “Favorite Things”, in under 90 minutes. Min’s 500-piece PR is on the Ravensburger “Disney & Pixar Color Palette”, where she is part of the elite group of puzzlers who have finished sub-30 minutes. She loves that she can focus on a puzzle and let her stresses and worries fade into the background, citing that it’s great for her mental health.

Min has participated in the LA Strategicon Pairs event, is a regular at Orange County Speed Puzzlers events, and plans to attend the California State Jigsaw Puzzle Championships. So keep your eyes on Min as she continues to hone her skills and continues to rise on the leaderboard of various competitions, all while being known as one of the most fashion-forward puzzlers in our community!

Q&A Time:

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

“My advice is to have fun, focus on your personal milestones, be patient with yourself, give yourself time, and observe what works for you. What may work for other people may not apply to you! But do your best to try every idea and try them out for yourself. Did you try edges last? Did you try “dead reckoning?” Did you try different brands? Did you try a different music playlist? Did you try repeating these different strategies in a month, two months, six months? Don’t rule out ANY strategic possibilities no matter how silly they are, unless you’ve tried them personally! 

Once upon a time, believe it or not, I did not finish a 500-piece puzzle in two hours. It's true! The proof is on Webscorer for the 2021 USAJPA Solo Challenge on the Eurographics puzzle “Dragon Kingdom.” I did not finish the puzzle in under two hours, and I'm listed as “DNF”. As you can see, I did not let that discourage me (and may mean I was really stubborn). In any case, I have earned some incredible times since and I want to let beginner speed puzzlers know that it's possible to speed up! So don't give up!”

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

“If you know me at all, you know I have a corgi named Yoshi. Or if you’ve seen me competing, I usually wear my corgi hair clip to keep my hair out of my eyes. So when it comes to favorite subjects, I love to collect and do any puzzle that features a corgi! No matter how prominent or how small the corgi is. Please let me know if you find a puzzle that has a corgi in it! 

I also am a big sucker for escape rooms or murder mystery jigsaw puzzles. Give me recommendations on your favorites!

My favorite brands include Trevell and Magnolia for their puzzle quality and feel. Ravensburger will always have a special place in my heart, and I own quite a few because they are accessible and superior. I also enjoy Wasgij, Pintoo, Gibsons, and Sunshine Puzzles. I also have been getting into wooden puzzles and I love StumpCraft! Their whimwhams are truly magical!

My favorite types of puzzles are usually busy, colorful, and 500 pieces.”

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

“I have several unforgettable puzzle-related memories, but the biggest one is probably my journey going into the 2024 World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. Not only did I make history on the Guinness World Record Attempt for the fastest 2000-piece puzzle solve, but I also proved to myself that I can qualify for each final. I also got to show off many puzzle themed outfits, one of which was featured on a German television segment! Shoutout to The Puzzle Republic for their wonderful rainbow leggings and Karen N. for making beautiful puzzle earrings.

My very close runner-up memory is staying up 24 hours for the first-in-the-US puzzle marathon with my team “Sleepless in Pieces”, where we got 2nd place. That was a bonding experience that is truly one-of-a-kind. Shoutout to my teammates Sammy, Hannah, Kyle, Emma, Alice, Claire, and Whitney, and the OCSP event organizers Lisa and William!”

What do you enjoy most about the puzzle community?

“I love that the puzzle community has given me an opportunity to make lifelong friends across the world. I often say: “I came for speed puzzling, but stayed for puzzling friends.” There are not many communities that are as inclusive, welcoming and like-minded as the puzzle community. Whenever I get a chance to travel, I always think if I have a puzzle friend there that I can visit!”

What is the puzzle community like in your area?

“San Diego has an incredible puzzling community for both casual and speed puzzlers, only rivaled by other amazing community hubs in Minnesota and in the Bay Area. I can always find local puzzle swaps, multi-county puzzle swaps, local speed puzzling competitions, and even drive north to access more events! It’s the best, and it makes it hard to ever imagine leaving.”

Tell us a bit about any of your puzzling teammates!

“I am truly blessed to have some of the best teammates across the country; literally! So many to name, so hopefully I don’t miss anyone. I have a special place in my heart for my “Odd Birds” team that debuted at Worlds 2024 (Turtle M., Faith T., and Jamie A.) and again at the 2025 USA Jigsaw Nationals (with Jasper L. subbing in for Faith). I had an amazing pair partner in Emma P. when we took 7th place in Pairs at the 2025 USA Jigsaw Nationals! Biggest shoutout to Jessa D. who has become my unofficial PR “Puzzle Relations” representative ever since we paired at the 2024 Portland Jigsaw Masters. Also my long-time pair partner Lindsay S., who I’ve paired with at five major competitions. Finally, all the puzzling people I have had a chance to puzzle with once, twice, and hopefully many more times in the future: Yvonne F., Aly K., and Andrea P., to name a few.”

Connect:

You can find Min on Instagram: @mincorgnito