Piece Talks

Rob Shields
  • 5.0 (3)
  • GAMES
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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.

  1. #37 - US Nationals Preview

    MAR 22

    #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.

    1h 8m
  2. #36 - Thomas Kaeppeler

    MAR 15

    #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.

    1h 25m
  3. #35 - Hannah Doyle

    MAR 1

    #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.

    1h 49m
  4. #34 - Daphne Harmsen and William Shandling

    FEB 22

    #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.

    1h 49m
  5. #33 - Jim Eakins and Mari Black

    FEB 15

    #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.

    1h 50m
  6. #32 - Lauren Kautz

    FEB 9

    #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.

    1h 32m

  7. JAN 26

    #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!

    1h 29m

  8. JAN 11

    #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

    2h 15m
See All (40)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Rob Shields
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Piece Talks

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