Ian Koenig set a record in the basement of his Brewster Road home where he completed the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle. Made by Ravensburger Puzzles in Germany, the 32,000-piece puzzle features 32 panels of Keith Haring’s artwork in vibrant reds, pinks, blues, oranges, yellows and greens. The puzzle's limited color palette makes it even more challenging to put together. Pictured below, the puzzle comes in a 3 foot by 2 foot box that weighs 42 pounds.
We asked him how he came to complete the puzzle and here is what we learned:
How did you become interested in pursuing this feat?
I’ve always been a fan of jigsaw puzzles. I find them relaxing. So last Christmas I received this one as a Christmas present from my wife and sons. I have to admit that I never would have bought it myself since I did not actually believe I could do it (My initial estimate was that it would take me 18 years). But since it was Christmas break and I was on vacation and we were not going anywhere, I decided to give it a try. I finished the first section (of 4,000+ pieces) about 3/12 weeks later on January 17th. Completing the first section gave me hope and I forged through the rest in just under 5 months.
How did you sort the pieces?
I sorted each major solid color into its own pile: blue, yellow, red, green, pink, orange, and white. I arrayed these around the table in a semicircle. By the way, I had trouble distinguishing orange and red at times and mixed those up a bit. Behind each solid color, I made a pile that was that color plus black. Behind the color=black pile, I made a pile of color+black+white.
In between the piles I made piles which had two base-colors plus black. In this puzzle, I had: yellow+blue+black, red+yellow+black, green+pink+black, etc. You get the picture. No matter how hard I tried I never really get better than about 99.9% right.
I also developed a system and sorted the pieces by shapes. After awhile, I learned how the puzzle was cut so I had a feel for the kind of piece I was looking for.
Is the puzzle custom made or mass-produced?
It's mass produced (the largest mass produced jigsaw puzzle in the world) by Ravensburger. Here it is on Amazon.com:
What is the cost of the puzzle?
It cost $257 and comes in a very large box, but I was able to pick up the box.
Are you the first person to complete it?
As far as I know, I am sixth in the world. At least I am the sixth entry in the Hall of Fame:
Where did you have space to put it together?
I completed the puzzle in my basement where it is now mounted on a wall. I wrote a detailed blog about my experience, including how I eventually mounted it. The blog is here.
What do you do professionally?
I am the Chief Software Architect at LexisNexis
Do you think your professional skills came into play in completing the puzzle?
When you work in software you look for patterns in things which is similar to what you do when working on a puzzle.
Did anyone help you with the task?
My sons Robert and Jonathan both age 12 helped with about 100 pieces. The other 32,000 I did myself. (Dakota, the dog didn’t actually help and might actually of eaten one of the pieces.)
What did you miss while you were in the basement?
Life takes priority. I never missed dinner or a night of sleep – though I did put in some 18-hour days working on it.
What’s the largest puzzle you completed before this one?
A 5,000 piece puzzle of the wonders of the ancient world.
What was your family’s reaction?
They were happy that they found a Christmas present that I really enjoyed!
Westchester Reform Temple Early Childhood Center (WRT ECC) is once again holding their popular Bagels & Babies program this summer. This free, informal playgroup is designed for moms, dads, caregivers and grandparents to have a cool place for their babies to play during the hot summer months.The drop-in program will take place 9:15– 10:15 AM on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning on June 25 and concluding on August 1. There is no program on July 4.
Sports legend Victor Cruz came to Scarsdale on Saturday June 2 to greet fans and sign memorabilia at Last Licks on Palmer Avenue. Fans signed up beforehand for the privilege of meeting Cruz and getting his signature. Though he wasn’t due to arrive until noon, the line formed early, beginning at 11 am outside the shop at the Five Corners. Cruz, who is a wide receiver for the 2012 Super Bowl winning New York Giants is well-known for the salsa dance her performs after every touchdown. Watch him do his famous dance 
Imagine a facility that has 2 full-size indoor ice rinks; an aquatics center with an Olympic-size pool, water park, water polo team, and warm water lesson pool; a 100-yard turf field for soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and football with an indoor track around the perimeter; classes for children with special needs and everything handicap accessible, gorgeous locker rooms, a daycare center, great food, and in the near future, a medical facility. Now imagine you could drive to it in about 30 minutes (traffic permitting), find easy (free!) parking, have a variety of membership options (including a day rate), all with brand-spanking-new equipment and top-level instruction. Well, this place does exist and is located in nearby Stamford, CT, right off of I-95 at exit 9. I was lucky enough to take a hardhat tour of Chelsea Piers CT two weeks ago and the place is amazing. The facility is owned by the same group as the NYC location and offers equal top-notch instructors/coaches, clean design and friendly, helpful people. Here is a brief overview of just some of the activities offered. The fun starts July 5, 2012.
and Under tennis, summer camps for kids, adult clinics, private lessons, adult league play and organized, social tennis events. The Director of Tennis is Gigi Fernandez, who has been a dominant fixture in the tennis world. During her 14-year WTA Tour career, Fernandez won 17 Grand Slam doubles crowns, as well as 2 Olympic Gold Medals.
The Rinks at Chelsea Piers CT will operate 7 days a week, welcoming skaters of all ages and ability levels for ice hockey, league play, figure skating, general skating, and birthday parties. The facility will have an extensive ice hockey program, including youth and adult ice hockey leagues, lunch time hockey for adults, summer and holiday camps, Mite Development and Mite Cross-Ice leagues for kids, and a full roster of youth and adult weekend and holiday tournaments. Players looking to take their game to the next level can take advantage of off-ice training at BlueStreak Sports Training. The Skating School at Chelsea Piers CT will offer private instruction and group classes taught by a professional coaching staff. General skating hours will be available for individuals and organized groups interested in spending a fun day on the ice. Rental skates and helmets for children are available. The general skating schedule will be posted in July. This is a great option when it is 100 degress in the shade in August.
On Saturday May 19 the Scarsdale-Edgemont Girl Scouts celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting in the United States. Hundreds of girl scouts, parents, brothers, sisters and community members turned out to join the party, which took place on Scout Field from 11 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Mother Nature provided the finishing touches on the grand celebration. The day not only was filled with sunshine, but with laughter, fun and teamwork! Organizers planned for the event for months, and on the big day, everything came together perfectly.
