{"id":178018,"date":"2025-04-17T11:27:54","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T09:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=178018"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:46","slug":"this-employee-is-one-of-the-best-puzzlers-in-the-netherlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/04\/17\/this-employee-is-one-of-the-best-puzzlers-in-the-netherlands\/","title":{"rendered":"This employee is one of the best puzzlers in the Netherlands"},"content":{"rendered":"

ESSB staff member Paula Etman enjoys puzzling in her spare time. Together with her sister and friends, she made it to the finals of the Dutch jigsaw puzzle championship in Roelofarendsveen this year, finishing thirteenth out of 750 teams. \u201cThough we mostly join in for the fun of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Paula Etman (right) is participating in a puzzle competition, together with her sister and friends<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPaula Etman<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences\u2019 operations coordinator developed a love for puzzling at an early age. \u201cAll kids do jigsaw puzzles at some point, but in our house it went a bit further\u201d, she says. Her mother would regularly bring out 5,000-piece puzzles, which the family would complete together. They were so enthusiastic that Paula\u2019s father built special boards to use as puzzle trays on the sofa, so they could puzzle and watch TV at the same time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely did it every day until I was about twelve. After that, a bit less, but I still often joined my mum\u201d, she says. Her sister is also a big fan of puzzling. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t do it as often as I do, but she\u2019s more competitive, which really helps during the championship.\u201d<\/p>\n

It started as a joke<\/h2>

Four years ago, Paula was at her parents\u2019 holiday home with a friend. They were working on a wooden children\u2019s puzzle that her father had once made. That\u2019s when the idea of taking part in the Dutch puzzle championship came up. \u201cIt started as a joke\u201d, she recalls. Her sister and her friend\u2019s sister joined in, and the team was complete. \u201cWe signed up that same year, made it to the finals and finished in 24th place.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also made the finals the past two years. Paula still feels a healthy bit of nerves during the competition. \u201cBut the first time was the most nerve-wracking. Now we know who the competitors are, how the contest works and roughly where we stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

While many teams train intensively, Paula\u2019s team takes a more relaxed approach. \u201cWe do have a few practice nights starting about a month before the final. We grab a 1,000-piece puzzle, set a timer and just go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

No long sleeves<\/h2>
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Paula and her teammates are competing in the championship.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPaula Etman<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Last year, the team finished seventh, and this year they were again hoping for a top-ten finish. That didn\u2019t happen in the end. \u201cThe championship is becoming more and more popular, so the competition\u2019s getting tougher too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The final was held two weeks ago in a large sports hall in Roelofarendsveen. The competing teams were given a puzzle especially designed for the championship. Each team has its own strategy to complete the puzzle as quickly as possible. \u201cWe sort by colour\u201d, Paula explains. \u201cA puzzle with clear colour blocks, like red or purple, is much easier than one that\u2019s mainly grey or orange shades.\u201d Another important tactic: never wear long sleeves. \u201cBefore you know it, you\u2019ve wiped a whole section of puzzle off the table with your sleeve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her team completed the puzzle in 1 hour and 7 minutes, while the winners finished in just 51 minutes. \u201cWe kept hearing cheers from teams that had finished \u2013 it broke our concentration.\u201d Paula\u2019s team ended up in thirteenth place this year. \u201cNot bad at all\u201d, she says with a laugh. \u201cEspecially since we\u2019re mainly in it for the fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Work as a puzzle<\/h2>

Although she no longer puzzles every day, it remains an important hobby. \u201cI even put it on my CV\u201d, she says. As operations coordinator, her puzzling skills come in handy. \u201cMy job is basically one big puzzle. Bringing everything together, making connections, looking for what fits. Luckily I\u2019m really good at that\u201d, she adds with a wink.<\/p>\n\n\t

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