Amherst Fall 2024

Sixty-seven competitors gathered at the UMass Campus Center on November 23, 2024, as Amherst Fall 2024 delivered 11 fast-paced rounds across five distinct events. Hosted in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA, the gathering brought together seasoned campaigners and emerging talents alike in a single-day test of speed and precision. For experienced hands looking to sharpen their form, the one-day speedcubing tournament served as a clear proving ground, with veterans rising to the challenge and setting high benchmarks from the opening scramble to the final podiums.

Veteran competitor Curtis Chai delivered an absolute masterclass throughout the weekend, securing victories across three separate disciplines. Chai started his dominant run in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 34.22 seconds alongside the round's best single of 28.49. Elijah Rain Phelps pushed hard to capture second place with a 34.96 average, while Margot Audero claimed third place with a mark of 35.83. The performance highlighted Chai's deep familiarity with larger puzzles, establishing control over the field early in the schedule.

Chai carried that sharp momentum straight into the classic 3x3x3 Cube, where 66 competitors battled through three grueling stages of competition. In the decisive final round, Chai locked down top honors with a tournament-winning average of 7.00 seconds, powered by a blistering 6.12 single solve. Phelps secured another runner-up finish on the day, turning in a steady 7.93 average to finish just ahead of Audero, who earned third place with an 8.29. The final 3x3 results demonstrated how reliable veterans can dictate the pace under intense tournament pressure.

The 2x2x2 Cube final developed into a thrilling, razor-thin duel at the top of the standings. Chai completed his three-event sweep by taking first place with an average of 1.84 seconds, backed by a best single of 1.07. Ethan Zhuang took the second step on the podium with a 1.87 average, edging Quinn Maloney, who rounded out the top three with a 1.90 mark. In a fast event where fractions of a second separate the top tier, the established names traded rapid solves to make it the closest contest of the entire WCA competition.

Beyond Chai's triple crown, the specialized categories saw standout individual performances from seasoned solvers. Nipun Kisari claimed victory in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, putting up a winning average of 11.97 seconds and a sub-10 single of 9.49 across two rounds. Phelps placed second with a 13.57 average, and Levi Gibson finished third at 14.01. Meanwhile, the Pyraminx title went to Yuki Nagai, who averaged 2.63 seconds to top David Andron-Silva's 2.74 and Phelps's 2.96 in another tightly contested finish.

Julian Kim, the founder and developer of Speedcubing.app, was also in action across four events during the competition. Kim recorded an 8.11 average in Pyraminx to take 12th place, backed by a single solve of 5.55. In the 2x2x2 Cube, he placed 22nd with a 5.55 average, while his run through the standard 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube yielded 34th place with a 20.67 average. Kim also secured a personal best in the 4x4x4 Cube, finishing 29th behind a single of 1:10.41 and an average of 1:21.57.

Away from the top of the standings, the day brought massive progress across the board. Gavin Cleary tackled four events and delivered a massive personal best average of 7.21 seconds in Pyraminx, shaving 53.2 percent off his previous record of 15.40, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube best of 14.21 and his first ever 4x4x4 Cube attempt at 1:25.22. Harrison Clark also made major strides in five events, taking 51.6 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube personal best with a 2.01 average compared to his prior 4.15. Patrick Casey cut 44.9 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube best to hit 7.40 and dropped his Pyraminx mark by 40.9 percent to 8.33.

That trend of rapid development continued across multiple brackets and experience levels. Peter Parker Emerson shaved 42.1 percent off his 3x3x3 One-Handed average to post 37.11 seconds while also logging a 3.50 personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube. Fintan Andrew Jones improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 12.45 seconds, a 36.3 percent drop from 19.54, and made his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt at 1:12.84. Danesh Moghadaszadeh notched a 34.4 percent improvement in Pyraminx with a 6.44 average, while Theia Kenyon made first-ever official attempts in three categories including Pyraminx at 7.76 and Matthew Isabella debuted in three disciplines including a 46.93 in 4x4x4 Cube.

All 15 podium places across the five events were claimed by United States competitors, closing out Amherst Fall 2024 on a high note. From the dominant three-victory showcase by Curtis Chai to the vast number of new personal records achieved throughout the brackets, the tournament offered a comprehensive look at speed cubing depth in the region. As the 2024 calendar heads toward its conclusion, the level of execution in Amherst set a strong benchmark for the upcoming cubing competition schedule.