August Bank Holiday Manchester 2023

A total of 112 competitors assembled across 17 distinct rounds of play at the Wythenshawe Forum for the August Bank Holiday Manchester 2023. Over the August 26 to August 27 weekend in Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, the schedule put contestants through intense multi-stage formats. Each progression cut the field down to the sharpest hands, demanding both baseline consistency in the opening phases and peak speed when the margins tightened in the finals.

The classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube brought together 106 competitors across a rigorous three-round gauntlet. Harry Savage navigated the format with composure, securing the tournament victory behind an average of 7.58 seconds and the event's best single time of 5.47 seconds. Jason Harley took second place with an 8.21 average, closely trailed by Fabio Schwandt at 8.24. The 3x3 results demonstrated how navigating multiple eliminations rewards steady execution under pressure.

In the 2x2x2 Cube, an 84-person field was whittled down across three elimination stages to produce blistering times. Luke Burns delivered a standout performance, taking the title with a 1.67 final average after having lowered the British national record average to 1.32 earlier in the contest, alongside an unmatched 0.99 single. Jaye Sloan pressed Burns closely with a 1.72 average for second, while Ben Stokes secured third place averaging 2.20 in the final.

Big cubes demanded enduring stamina through multi-round formats, and Eli Jay swept the upper tiers of the competition. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Jay captured the title across three rounds with a 53.28 winning average and a 46.94 single, leading Daniel Partridge at 54.78 and Dean David at 56.63. Jay doubled down in the two-round 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:30.04 average over Partridge's 1:45.86, and closed the set across three rounds in the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:29.62 average, again ahead of Partridge's 2:34.61.

The specialized disciplines brought distinct tactical formats to August Bank Holiday Manchester 2023. In the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, resolved over an intense single round, Jaye Sloan claimed victory by finding an efficient 23.00 average, including a best single solve of 22 moves. Harry Savage followed in second place with a 26.33 average, and Fabio Schwandt was third at 27.00. The two-round 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline tested memory under speedcubing conditions, where Switzerland's Ezra Hirschi triumphed with a 25.80 average over Sloan's 22.97 and Charlie Harrison's 25.66.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones through the weekend program. Edwin Williams-Higuchi logged massive gains, taking his 2x2x2 personal best down to 5.13 seconds, a 60.1 percent reduction from his former 12.87 mark, while dropping his 3x3x3 mark to 19.71 for a 43.2 percent improvement. Nikki Needham tackled 2x2x2 for the first time with a 41.06 single and carved 50.6 percent off their previous 3x3x3 best down to 1:30.10. Elliot Sutcliffe logged a first 2x2x2 attempt of 3.58 and lowered their 3x3x3 personal best by 39.9 percent to 21.41. Adejuwon Adebusuyi Oluwemimo completed seven events, posting a 6x6x6 personal best of 3:12.82 that was 36.3 percent faster than before, alongside first attempts at 7x7x7 in 5:58.50 and Fewest Moves with a 39-move solve.

Other solvers similarly made their mark across diverse disciplines at this WCA competition. Errol Bland recorded a 30.6 percent reduction on 2x2x2 with a 2.25 personal best, while making initial event attempts in 5x5x5 at 3:01.50 and Fewest Moves at 69. Alex Smith registered a 26.6 percent drop in 3x3x3 to 10.77, a 25.8 percent improvement in 2x2x2 down to 3.33, and a 41-move first attempt in Fewest Moves. Jack O'Callaghan improved their 5x5x5 standard by 19.5 percent to 2:01.24 and debuted in both 6x6x6 at 4:47.83 and Fewest Moves at 39. George Tudor tackled seven categories, securing 17th in Fewest Moves on a 38-move debut alongside personal bests in 2x2x2 at 3.08 and 5x5x5 at 1:07.74.

The 2023 gathering proved the depth of talent throughout the region, with United Kingdom competitors taking 20 podium places alongside Switzerland's single top-three finish. The combination of grueling multi-phase qualifiers and direct single-round finals demanded versatile preparation across seven events. As the speed cubing circuit moves into the next season, the August Bank Holiday Manchester 2023 highlighted how tiered round structures sharpen results and push competitors to their absolute fastest.

For the 112 participants who traveled to the Wythenshawe Forum, the weekend served as an essential benchmark for speed and consistency. Every bracket test and cut line challenged competitors to deliver under timed scrutiny. With memorable record-setting averages, big cube sweeps, and numerous personal breakthroughs, this cubing competition in Manchester set a high bar for local and visiting speedcubers alike.