Golden Jigsaw Puzzle Challenge

[Tami]

The Golden Jigsaw Puzzle Puts $1 Million Up For Grabs In 21st Century Online 'Treasure Hunt' Challenge

Get ready to bin that Xbox, Wii or PlayStation – the jigsaw is back. However, the traditional wooden game has been dragged firmly into the 21st century and, now, a sense of satisfaction isn't the only reason to play, as a jaw-dropping $1million (£490,000) prize is up for grabs thanks to the Golden Jigsaw (http://www.goldenjigsaw.com), an online jigsaw puzzle with a difference.

The Golden Jigsaw is about to take the world by storm... but competitors will be looking for missing pieces on the internet instead of down the back of a sofa.

Puzzlers who enter the challenge receive special 'Jigboard' software. Clues are then e-mailed to them in the form of anagrams which, when solved, reveal the names of websites containing hidden jigsaw pieces. The first person to collect all 1,000 pieces and complete the puzzle wins the huge payout.

The free competition is the brainchild of Julian Hanford, 46, of Hereford, who owns ideas company, Infinite Ideation. He was inspired by his six-year-old twins, Aurelia and Lucian (Bug and Lou), and their love of online puzzles.

He explains: "Bug and Lou were piecing together a puzzle on screen, dragging the pieces from the edge of the browser window, and clicking them in place. They were absolutely fascinated by it.

"It suddenly dawned on me that, if there were a way to hide these jigsaw pieces on other websites, and for players to find them, it would make a highly compelling game. The Golden Jigsaw is the 21st Century answer to Kit Williams’ best-selling book, 'Masquerade', and I expect it to be as popular."

He adds: "It is three things: a puzzle, a treasure hunt and an educational tool -because players will visit websites they probably wouldn't have come across before. I also hope it will give people considerable enjoyment of using the internet."

Sadly for Bug and Lou, although they inspired the game, they will not be taking part in the great jigsaw hunt as players have to be 18 years or over to paticipate. However, the girls can be seen on Youtube and Myspace, in their own video clips (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7g0ONqBJDQO) showing the world’s web community how to play the game.

To enter the challenge and download the Jigboard software, go to www.goldenjigsaw.com