BC Spring Solving A 2023

A mere 48.79 seconds was all it took for Sameer Aggarwal to commit the scrambled puzzle to memory and solve it entirely sightless, securing a thrilling 3x3x3 Blindfolded victory at Walton Elementary School. Blindfolded solving remains one of the most intense tests in speedcubing, demanding absolute spatial recall and flawless execution without visual feedback. Aggarwal edged out Max Siauw, who finished close behind with a 49.24 single, while Jack Anderson captured third place with a 2:10.74 solve.

The single-day WCA competition brought 70 competitors to Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada on May 21, 2023. Staged across nine rounds and six distinct events, BC Spring Solving A 2023 tested solving ability in everything from classic three-layered puzzles to larger hardware and specialty mechanisms. The gathering served as a dynamic showcase of speed cubing excellence in the region, bringing international talent and regional competitors onto the same stage.

While Aggarwal took top honours without sight, Max Siauw commanded the overall weekend with an impressive haul of four individual titles. In the main 3x3x3 Cube event, Siauw posted a winning average of 6.83 seconds alongside the round best single of 6.02 across three rounds of play. Brian Sun took second place with a 7.50 average, while Aggarwal rounded out the podium in third with an 8.10 average, delivering exceptional 3x3 results at the top of the standings.

Beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube, Siauw demonstrated remarkable control on the bigger cubes. He claimed victory in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 25.79 average and a 24.07 single across two rounds, holding off Aggarwal, who finished runner-up at 26.19, and Jonathan Truchot in third at 33.36. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Siauw secured another first-place finish with an average of 49.57 and a best single of 45.89, again leading Aggarwal at 53.21 and Truchot at 1:07.32.

The duel between Siauw and Aggarwal extended straight into the side disciplines. Aggarwal earned his second victory of the day in 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a 13.31 winning average and a stunning 9.65 single, just ahead of Siauw's 13.49 average and Peter Barnwell's 18.45. Siauw rebounded in Square-1, clocking a winning average of 5.90 to narrowly beat Aggarwal's 6.02, while Eeshir Pannun secured third place with an average of 10.02.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their events. Lawrence Li took on five events and made dramatic progress, cutting his Square-1 personal best by 62.5 percent down to 18.11 seconds, improving his 3x3x3 Cube best to 11.39, and finishing 12th in 5x5x5 Cube with a personal best of 1:39.48. Joseph Goyder registered his first ever attempt at Square-1 with a 24.80, while shaving 36.7 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube mark down to 38.37 and placing 5th in 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:21.11 personal best.

Fresh milestones continued through the brackets as Anderson Gao secured 4th place in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a personal best of 2:31.41 alongside a 24.88 in Square-1. Almish Subuktegin logged a 28.41 in his first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed and slashed his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 33.3 percent to 10.48. Jacob Domingo tackled three events, making first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:57.06 and One-Handed at 1:16.36, while Matthew Ma lowered his Square-1 best to 18.23. Tony Lu logged a 34.22 in his first One-Handed attempt, and Sohum Nigam entered four events, posting a 24.53 in his first One-Handed run.

The cubing competition also saw an international milestone in the 3x3x3 Cube, where Abdulrahman Saif established a National record single for Yemen with a time of 28.37 seconds. First-time competitors made their marks as well, with Cheng Cheng recording a 13.32 single in their opening 3x3x3 Cube round and Firas Qumsieh putting up official marks across four events in their debut appearance.

With 15 podium positions going to American competitors and three secured by Canadian solvers, BC Spring Solving A 2023 offered a complete view of competitive puzzle solving. From the intense focus of blindfolded solving to lightning-fast averages on mechanical hardware, the tournament provided a memorable benchmark for speedcubing in British Columbia as participants look ahead to future meetings on the regional calendar.