From a simple bet in a warehouse to an international community of puzzlers.
It all began in the warehouse of AdviceStore, the online store managed by Salvatore Cialdini. Looking at the shelves, there were 12 copies of a Cobble Hill puzzle: from a simple bet, the idea was born to organise the first online tournament.
The online magazine Jucari.it was the first home of the project, used to publish rules, rankings and competition updates.
In the first tournaments, participants were not required to keep their webcam on during the event. Over time, however, some results began to seem unbalanced and the first reports arrived. It was therefore necessary to step in to make the competition clearer, fairer and more transparent.
With the 9th Tournament, the option to participate on different days was introduced and seconds were added to time tracking, whereas previously only minutes had been recorded.
The 11th Tournament marked a decisive moment: the competition was opened to participants residing outside Italy as well. From that point, a new phase began for the online tournaments.
Also from the 11th Tournament, webcam use became mandatory for those wishing to compete for the top positions. Those who preferred to participate without a webcam could still do so, experiencing the event in a more relaxed way, but their time would be recorded beyond a preset threshold. This made it possible to keep a space open to everyone, while distinguishing amateur from competitive participation.
With the international opening and the introduction of the webcam, the basic rules were established that still guide competitions today.
In 2026, the need arose to make the entire experience simpler, more organised and harmonious: from registration to tournament management, all the way to live streams. From this evolution, Online Jigsaw Puzzle Competition was born.