Altavista NxN 2023

Inside Grupo Altavista Lab & Trend, the tables were set with timing mats, displays, and rows of puzzles awaiting the morning scrambles. Competitors warmed up their fingers, inspecting layers and testing tensions across every size of mechanism. Altavista NxN 2023 brought together 22 competitors on February 12, 2023, turning the venue in Montevideo, Uruguay, into a bustling hub of focused turns and stopwatch clicks. From the first group of the morning to the final rounds, the one-day gathering captured the full spectrum of competitive Rubik's Cube solving.

For those taking their opening steps into the community, a first speedcubing tournament is an unforgettable experience. Stepping up to the judge station, sitting beneath the display clock, and awaiting the reveal of a scrambled puzzle brings a distinct surge of focus. Salvador Rodríguez made a memorable official debut at this WCA competition, recording a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube with a time of 26.15 seconds. Entering the arena for the very first time offers a unique challenge, and setting that benchmark marks the beginning of a competitor's journey through official speed cubing.

The spotlight across the field shone brightly on competitors locking in major personal improvements across various events. Mateo Damian Coitinho Gabarain tackled three events and shaved substantial time off his marks, delivering a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 2:37.89 that was 29.9 percent faster than his previous standard, while also taking twelfth place in the event and improving his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 17.2 percent to 1:18.26. Bruno Pacce entered one event and secured a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 13.25, improving by 25.1 percent over his previous best of 17.69. Fabricio Cancela Saez registered his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a time of 1:59.94 across his two events, and Sofía Rojo logged her first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:21.12 alongside a 3x3x3 personal best of 21.02, which was 12.6 percent faster.

That drive continued through the larger mechanisms as competitors tested their endurance across the schedule. Hugo Riera Ricciardelli contested four disciplines, achieving a seventh-place finish in 6x6x6 Cube while dropping his mark to 2:40.60 for a 16.7 percent improvement, alongside personal bests of 10.04 in 3x3x3 Cube and 47.76 in 4x4x4 Cube. Nicolas Aguirre took fifth place in 5x5x5 Cube with a personal best of 1:06.74, also logging personal records of 8.33 in 3x3x3 and 40.30 in 4x4x4. Xabier Monsalve earned an eleventh-place result in 5x5x5 Cube with a personal best of 2:36.29, a 10.7 percent drop, and added a 12.56 personal best in 3x3x3. Lautaro Espósito posted a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 14.88, improving by 6.9 percent.

The premier 3x3 results unfolded over three intense rounds, narrowing down a field of 22 contenders. Rodrigo Burone captured the 3x3x3 Cube title with a winning average of 8.53 seconds, bolstered by the weekend's best single of 6.03 seconds. Agustín Diano secured the runner-up position on the podium with an average of 8.80 seconds, while Octavio Arocena took third place with a mark of 9.39 seconds. The final round showcased tight margins and exceptional execution, closing out the classic category in front of an engaged room of peers.

In the mid-sized puzzles, Octavio Arocena topped the standings in the 4x4x4 Cube event, leading 17 competitors across two rounds with a winning average of 33.49 seconds and a standout best single of 25.28 seconds. Manuel Malvárez claimed second place with an average of 34.74 seconds, followed by Rodrigo Burone in third at 36.91 seconds. The event highlighted rapid edge pairing and fluid transitions, serving as an exciting bridge between the sprint formats and the marathon big cubes.

The big cube battles featured commanding displays from Agustín Diano, who swept two of the heaviest categories on the schedule. In 5x5x5 Cube, Diano claimed victory among 12 competitors with a winning average of 1:05.85 and a best single of 1:03.42, finishing ahead of Octavio Arocena at 1:06.57 and Manuel Malvárez at 1:11.56. Diano returned to the top of the podium in the 7x7x7 Cube final, recording a winning average of 3:28.60 and a best single of 3:25.60, with Arocena placing second in 3:35.31 and Malvárez taking third in 3:38.13.

Manuel Malvárez claimed top honours in the 6x6x6 Cube, navigating a seven-person field with a winning average of 2:12.97 and a fastest single solve of 2:09.18. Agustín Diano followed in second place with an average of 2:15.68, while Víctor Gálvez completed the podium in third with a time of 2:32.15. The event tested mental stamina and turning consistency across sixty individual pieces per solve, delivering a showcase of high-level big cube handling in Montevideo.

The schedule also provided a stern test of pure concentration with two blindfolded categories, where competitors must memorize the entire puzzle before donning a blindfold to execute the solve. Bruno Lezama stood as the sole entrant in both disciplines, securing first place in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a winning single of 8:43.67. Lezama repeated his victory in the 5x5x5 Blindfolded event, successfully registering a winning single of 23:01.00 to cap an extraordinary demonstration of memory and spatial awareness.

Across ten rounds and seven distinct events, Altavista NxN 2023 delivered a comprehensive celebration of layered puzzles. Competitors representing Uruguay claimed 17 podium places across the day, with emerging talents and seasoned solvers pushing each other to new personal records. As the timers were packed away at Grupo Altavista Lab & Trend, the day concluded with memorable debuts and fast solves, leaving the local cubing competition scene energized for future seasons.