Anguja Open SIL 2023

A total of 35 competitors gathered in Asunción, Paraguay on October 21 to 22, 2023, delivering a blistering showcase of speed across 15 rounds of action. Hosted at Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola, the Anguja Open SIL 2023 put high-velocity puzzle solving on full display. The fast-paced weekend proved that the region possesses serious depth at the sprinting end of the spectrum, with the shortest events producing electric finishes and closely contested podium places across two action-packed days of speedcubing.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 34 competitors across two rounds, concluding with a masterclass from Kenji Julián Cáceres Matsumoto. Cáceres Matsumoto claimed the title with a dominant 9.19 winning average, backed by the best single of the weekend at 7.47. Martin Alejandro Benítez López took the second step on the podium with a 10.29 average, while Elías Villamayor rounded out the top three with an 11.40 mark. The classic Rubik's Cube final delivered the sharpest 3x3 results of the tournament.

The 2x2x2 Cube event was equally fierce as 20 competitors battled through a rapid single round. Milko Sebastián Gutiérrez Arroyo took top honors with an average of 3.88, locking down the gold thanks to a blistering single solve of 2.08. Martin Alejandro Benítez López pushed hard to take second place with a 4.01 average and a 2.78 single, while Elías Villamayor secured third place with a 4.13 average and a 3.43 single. The event saw a flurry of fast times that set the tone for the entire speed cubing schedule.

Beyond the standard two-handed formats, Kenji Julián Cáceres Matsumoto returned to the top in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event. Navigating two rounds against 17 competitors, Cáceres Matsumoto captured the victory with a 17.95 average and a 15.90 single solve. Elías Villamayor followed closely in second place with an average of 18.29, while Martin Alejandro Benítez López picked up another podium by finishing third with an 18.86 average.

Away from the top of the standings, the Anguja Open SIL 2023 revealed outstanding breakthroughs throughout the ranks. Piero Alessandro Rugilo Alsina took on nine events, dropping his Skewb personal best to 5.40 to go 56.8 percent faster, while cutting his Megaminx mark by 22.4 percent to 3:26.79. Francisco Delso tackled seven events, slicing his Skewb time by 55.9 percent down to 7.88 and lowering his 3x3x3 time by 31.2 percent to 19.46. Joan Miranda delivered a major leap in the 3x3x3 Cube, recording a personal best of 20.24 that was 51.5 percent faster, while Alexis Rafael Gauto Casco improved his 3x3x3 mark by 47.8 percent down to 24.88.

The cubing competition also served as an unforgettable proving ground for fresh attempts. Bruno Josías Emanuel Cristaldo Cáceres entered his first WCA competition, taking on four events and posting initial marks of 30.75 in Pyraminx, 49.61 in 3x3x3, and 6:55.21 in 5x5x5. Iñigo Franco Martínez also made his tournament debut, logging first-ever times of 24.70 in 3x3x3 and 1:34.39 in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Shin'ichi Kurita took on seven events and completed first attempts in 5x5x5 at 5:12.53 and 2x2x2 at 6.55, while Juan Andres Britos Gimenez entered 2x2x2 for the first time with a 12.47 mark and improved his 3x3x3 personal best by 28.1 percent to 38.15.

Mid-sized and big puzzles saw Milko Sebastián Gutiérrez Arroyo mount an exceptional campaign. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Gutiérrez Arroyo earned first place with a 44.31 average ahead of Kenji Julián Cáceres Matsumoto at 49.24 and Misael Alexander Mancuello Ayala at 49.43. Gutiérrez Arroyo then claimed the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 1:22.86, prevailing over Mancuello Ayala who posted 1:23.80. Adding to his collection, Gutiérrez Arroyo also secured the Megaminx victory with a 1:15.42 average and took the Skewb win with a 4.89 average.

Specialist events brought a varied selection of winners across the 12 total categories. Martin Alejandro Benítez López won Pyraminx with a 5.27 average, while Carlos Benjamin Mereles Martinez captured the Clock title with a 9.96 average ahead of Elias Miguel Acosta Acosta at 13.70. Giovanni Mendez topped Square-1 with a 17.69 average. The heavy cubes saw Misael Alexander Mancuello Ayala secure the 6x6x6 Cube victory with a single of 2:58.14, and Carlos Santiago Fariña Vera clinched the 7x7x7 Cube with a single of 5:48.98.

The successful conclusion of Anguja Open SIL 2023 highlighted the incredible talent active in Paraguay. Competitors represented Paraguay to capture 31 podium places, alongside three podium spots claimed by Venezuela. Across 12 distinct events, the weekend demonstrated incredible precision, fast hands, and determined progress that will carry momentum into the next season of competitive solving.