Where to buy this month's contest puzzles
Most contests keep their puzzle secret until the timer starts. When an organizer does name one, before or after the contest, we list it here with the stores that sell it. Here's what's public for Oct–Nov 2026.
Contest sources checked Oct 21, 2026. Prices checked Oct 21, 2026; we rebuild this page every week.
Most contest puzzles are secret until the start. SpeedPuzzling.com mails everyone the same undisclosed puzzle to open together, and the 2027 Nationals use unreleased Ravensburger puzzles. So this page lists only the puzzles an organizer has named, plus contests that are still secret.
USAJPA Puzzle Club (members-only, on Zoom)
Monthly, October to December 2026 · Online · USA Jigsaw Puzzle Association
USAJPA says its October to December 2026 Puzzle Club races use a bundle of new Speedmaster 500-piece puzzles from Boardwalk. Which puzzle goes with which month is only in the member newsletter, so we list all three. Boardwalk sells them as a 3-pack (the USAJPA Q4 bundle).
| Puzzle | Where to buy (from our data) |
|---|---|
| Speedmaster “Laundry Day” 500 pieces |
Dowdle $24.99 Dowdle's store lists it under Speedmaster Puzzles. |
| Speedmaster “Midnight Snack” 500 pieces |
Dowdle $24.99 Dowdle's store lists it under Speedmaster Puzzles. |
| Speedmaster “Flour Power” 500 pieces |
Dowdle $24.99 Dowdle's store lists it under Speedmaster Puzzles. |
Also: Boardwalk's 3-pack bundle.
Sources: USAJPA Puzzle Club page, Boardwalk's USAJPA Q4 bundle page.
Minnesota Speed Puzzling Championship (MN2026)
Sat, Oct 10, 2026 · Minnesota · SpeedPuzzling.com
SpeedPuzzling.com's results images name these puzzles. Results for the other divisions weren't posted when we checked.
| Puzzle | Where to buy (from our data) |
|---|---|
| Ravensburger “Disney Portraits” 500 pieces · Solo Advanced |
Not in our data. |
| Ravensburger “Halloween House” 300 pieces · Solo Casual |
Not in our data. |
| Boardwalk “Twin Cities” 210 pieces · Pairs Relay |
Dowdle $12.99 Dowdle's store lists it under Boardwalk Puzzle Company. |
| Cavallini “A Year in Flowers” 240 pieces · Pairs Relay |
Puzzledly $13.00 |
Source: SpeedPuzzling.com results.
NCJPA #005, 500-piece solo
Sat, Oct 3, 2026 · North Carolina (multi-state) · North Carolina Jigsaw Puzzle Association
NCJPA lists it as a special unreleased Rose Cat Khan puzzle from Boardwalk.
| Puzzle | Where to buy (from our data) |
|---|---|
| Boardwalk “The North Seas of Centernia” 500 pieces · Solo |
Not in our data. |
Source: NCJPA contest results.
Coming up: puzzle not announced
These contests haven't named their puzzle. Some post it with the results afterward, and we add it here when they do.
| Date | Contest | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 23, 2026 | Adult + Junior Pairs (SP #656) SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | 300 to 400 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | Solo Challenge Series (SP #657), invite only SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | 500 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Solo races (SP #658, #659) SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | 300 and 500 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | 500-piece NEW RELEASE race (SP #660) SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | A new-release 500-piece puzzle. Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Spooktacular Speed Puzzle Showdown USAJPA-sanctioned · North Richland Hills, TX | A Halloween-themed puzzle; 210, 300 or 500 pieces by division. Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Wisconsin State Jigsaw Puzzle Championship WI-JPA · Rothschild, WI | 500 pieces (solo, pairs), 1,000 pieces (teams). Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Puzzle Contest Fundraiser White Mountain Puzzles · Jackson, NH | White Mountain provides the puzzles: 300, 500 and 1,000 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 25, 2026 | Puzzled & Possessed Puzzle Race Baraboo Parks & Rec · Baraboo, WI | 300 or 500 pieces, teams of 2 or 4. Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 27, 2026 | NCJPA Speed Puzzling Night NCJPA · Raleigh, NC | 500 pieces, teams of up to 4. Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 30, 2026 | Zoom state championships: WV, ND, SD, MT SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom (state residents) | 500 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Solo/Pair/Team races (SP #665, #666) SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | 500 and 1,000 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Junior Solo race (SP #667) SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | 100, 200 or 300 pieces by age. Puzzle not announced. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Solo Challenge Series (SP #668), invite only SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | 500 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Solo races (SP #669, #670) SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | 300 and 500 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 500-piece NEW RELEASE race (SP #671) SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | A new-release 500-piece puzzle. Puzzle not announced. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | California Speed Puzzling Championship (CA2026) SpeedPuzzling.com · California (2 locations) | 500 pieces (Adult Advanced), 300 pieces (other solo divisions), plus relay and pyramid rounds. Puzzle not announced. |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Zoom state championships: DE, MS, WY SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom (state residents) | 500 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Solo/Pair/Team races (SP #680, #681) SpeedPuzzling.com · Zoom | 500 and 1,000 pieces. Puzzle not announced. |
| Nov 24, 2026 | NCJPA Speed Puzzling Night NCJPA · Raleigh, NC | 500 pieces, teams of up to 4. Puzzle not announced. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Super Saturday SpeedPuzzling.com · Many US locations, same puzzles everywhere | Smaller piece counts for shorter time limits. Puzzle not announced. |
Already held, puzzle not named
- Oct 17, 2026: Utah Speed Puzzling Championship (UT2026) (SpeedPuzzling.com). The posted results list piece counts but not the puzzle names.
For every other event, see our events list or calendar and check the organizer's page.
Practice puzzles from popular contest brands: how we picked
- Exactly 500 pieces, the size most solo contests use.
- From the brands SpeedPuzzling.com's Brands page shows it has used most in its contests: Ravensburger, Buffalo Games, Cobble Hill, MasterPieces, White Mountain and Galison.
- In stock when we last checked.
- Newest first, with no more than 2 picks from one brand.
- These aren't the secret contest puzzles. They're the same brands and size, so they make good timed practice.
We don't know how many of each puzzle a store sells, so nothing here is ranked by sales. "Popular" means contest organizers pick these brands often, per SpeedPuzzling.com's Brands page.
No Ravensburger 500-piece puzzles were in stock in our data this week. See Ravensburger puzzles we track.
Practice puzzles from popular contest brands: 10 picks
MasterPieces
Valentine's Day - All You Need Is Love 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
$14.99
500 pcsat MasterPieces
MasterPieces
St. Patrick's Day - Shamrock Shenanigans 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
$14.99
500 pcsat MasterPieces
Buffalo Games
Stranger Things Demogorgon Lights 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
$13.00
500 pcsat Buffalo Games
Buffalo Games
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
$13.00
500 pcsat Buffalo Games
Some links may earn us a small fee if you buy. You never pay more. How we make money.
Questions
Why don't you list the puzzle for every contest?
Because most organizers don't share it. SpeedPuzzling.com, for example, mails everyone the same undisclosed puzzle in a sealed package that you open together on Zoom. We only list a puzzle when the organizer has named it.
What is a NEW RELEASE contest?
SpeedPuzzling.com runs a monthly 500-piece solo race that uses a new-release puzzle. The title stays secret until the race. Afterwards it usually shows up on their results page, and we add it here.
Which puzzles does Nationals use?
The 2027 USA Jigsaw Nationals solo rounds use unreleased Ravensburger puzzles, so you can't buy them ahead of time. See our Nationals 2027 page.
How do I practice for a contest?
Time yourself on 500-piece puzzles you haven't done before, at a table like the one you'll use. The practice picks on this page are 500-piece puzzles from brands contests use a lot.
How often is this page updated?
We rebuild it every week with fresh prices and stock. We check the contest sources each month and add puzzles as organizers reveal them.
Contest info from SpeedPuzzling.com, the USA Jigsaw Puzzle Association, NCJPA and each organizer's page linked above. Prices and stock are from the stores' own listings.
More guides
- The best 1000-piece puzzles under $20
- New Christmas jigsaw puzzles for 2026
- Good puzzles for beginners: 300 to 500 pieces
- How to register for the 2027 USA Jigsaw Puzzle Nationals
- The Pokémon 40,000-piece puzzle: price tracker and guide
- How to tell if a jigsaw puzzle uses AI art
- Lost a puzzle piece? How to get a replacement
- Black Friday puzzle deals
New puzzles and the 5 best deals, every week
One short email. Easy to unsubscribe.