Beaconhouse Malaysia Cube Open 2023

Inside the bustling hall at Beaconhouse Sri Inai International School, tournament timers flashed beneath bright hall lighting as stacks of puzzles waited beside official scorecards. A focused energy filled the venue on October 28, 2023, where competitors gathered at judging stations and practice tables to prepare for a fast-paced day of action. Coming late in the annual calendar, the Beaconhouse Malaysia Cube Open 2023 offered a crucial stop on the speedcubing circuit, giving contenders an ideal platform to benchmark their progress before the year drew toward its conclusion.

The single-day WCA competition brought together a competitive field of 156 competitors in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, taking on 11 rounds across five distinct events. As an autumn fixture, it provided regional speed cubing talents a prime chance to battle for national pride and personal breakthroughs. Host nation competitors made their presence felt immediately, claiming ten podium spots over the course of the day, while visiting delegations from China and Singapore secured three and two podium finishes, respectively.

In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube, the premier test featuring the classic Rubik's Cube, Yiheng Wang delivered an outstanding performance to lead the 150-competitor field across three rounds. Wang captured the title with a dominant winning average of 4.83, highlighted by a blistering best single of 4.07. The final 3x3 results saw Lim Hung secure second place with an average of 7.99, while Ng Jia Quan rounded out the podium in third with an average of 8.78.

Yiheng Wang doubled his gold medal haul in the 2x2x2 Cube, outpacing 131 competitors across two rounds with a winning average of 1.33 and a top single of 0.91. Ng Jia Quan earned the silver medal in the final with an average of 1.59, and Singapore standout Nigel Phang took bronze with a mark of 1.73. Phang and Ng pushed the pace throughout the bracket, contributing to an intense sprint across both rounds of the event.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the Beaconhouse Malaysia Cube Open 2023 served as a major proving ground for athletes tackling new events and setting steep personal bests. Ahmad Rashdan Bin Khairul Rahimi entered four events, posting his first ever attempt in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.45 and his first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 36.56, alongside a Pyraminx personal best of 5.00 that was 63.5 percent faster than his previous best of 13.70. Ajay Sreedharan took on five events, logging a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 Cube at 18.61, a first ever attempt in Pyraminx at 10.08, and dropping his Skewb personal best by 61 percent to 9.15 from 23.44. Chiew Jie Xi tackled five events, recording a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 42.80, while cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 2.72 (47.8 percent faster) and Skewb personal best to 7.45 (42.6 percent faster).

The depth of progress continued across the venue floor throughout the afternoon. Natalie Cate Skelchy contested five events, delivering a first ever attempt in 2x2x2 Cube at 2.90, a first ever attempt in Pyraminx at 6.55, and a Skewb personal best of 6.21 that improved upon her previous 9.43 mark by 34.1 percent. Tai Howard entered four events, earning a best finish of 9th in Pyraminx with a first ever attempt of 3.96, while also registering a first ever attempt in 2x2x2 Cube at 4.14 and a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 22.83. Chow Kai Zen took on four events, setting marks in his first ever attempt in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.59, first ever attempt in Pyraminx at 9.20, and first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 46.28.

The one-handed event tested dexterity across two rounds featuring 86 competitors, with Tan Kwan Yang emerging on top of the podium. Tan clinched victory in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 12.60 and a best single of 11.55. Ng Jia Quan collected another podium place by taking second with a 13.74 average, while Lim Hung secured third place with an average of 14.32 to complete an all-Malaysian podium sweep in the event.

Side events brought exceptional drama to the schedule, beginning with Pyraminx, where Ephraim Lim Shao Liang topped a field of 104 competitors. Lim captured gold with a winning average of 2.88 and a best single of 2.08, holding off Yiheng Wang, who finished second with an average of 3.12, and Gregory Soo Jo-Huang, who placed third with an average of 3.39. In Skewb, Yee Wen Foo triumphed over 74 competitors across two rounds, securing first place with a 3.16 average and a best single of 2.46, edging Nigel Phang by one hundredth of a second at 3.17, while Eng Dickson took third place with an average of 3.77.

With 11 rounds wrapped up in Petaling Jaya, this cubing competition provided an emphatic snapshot of regional mastery and rising form as the 2023 season headed into its final stretches. The Beaconhouse Malaysia Cube Open 2023 demonstrated the depth of the local speedcubing community alongside world-class international standards, leaving competitors primed for future opportunities on the circuit.

Dewan di Beaconhouse Sri Inai International School dipenuhi tumpuan padu para peserta yang tekun mengendalikan kiub Rubik masing-masing sebelum acara bermula. Peserta dan keluarga berkumpul dari pelbagai pelosok, membawa semangat persaingan sukan speedcubing ke Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Suasana pertandingan yang tenang dan teratur membolehkan setiap pemain mempersiapkan mental demi menghadapi 11 pusingan merentasi lima acara berbeza pada 28 Oktober 2023.

Perjalanan jauh menjadi latar utama penganjuran Beaconhouse Malaysia Cube Open 2023 apabila seramai 156 peserta berhimpun di satu gelanggang. Ada yang menempuh penerbangan antarabangsa dari Australia, China, India, Singapura, dan Vietnam semata-mata untuk bertanding di bumi Malaysia. Pertemuan merentas sempadan ini memperlihatkan betapa kuatnya tarikan acara ini kepada komuniti peminat teka-teki yang sanggup mengembara demi mencatat masa terpantas di pentas antarabangsa.

Bintang dari China, Yiheng Wang, menampilkan ketangkasan luar biasa dalam acara utama kiub 3x3x3 yang menghimpunkan 150 peserta. Beliau mengungguli tiga pusingan sengit dan memastikan kemenangan di pentas akhir dengan purata catatan 4.83 saat serta masa terpantas 4.07 saat. Tempat kedua disandang oleh Lim Hung dari Malaysia dengan purata 7.99 saat, manakala wakil tuan rumah yang lain, Ng Jia Quan, meraih tempat ketiga menerusi purata 8.78 saat.

Kecemerlangan Yiheng Wang diteruskan dalam kategori kiub 2x2x2 yang menampilkan 131 peserta merentasi dua pusingan. Beliau muncul juara dengan purata 1.33 saat dan catatan tunggal terbaik 0.91 saat. Ng Jia Quan berjaya menaiki podium kedua dengan purata 1.59 saat, diikuti peserta dari Singapura, Nigel Phang, di kedudukan ketiga dengan 1.73 saat. Penguasaan peserta antarabangsa dan tempatan ini menjadikan saingan papan atas berlangsung dalam margin masa yang amat tipis.

Dalam acara sebelah tangan 3x3x3 One-Handed, Tan Kwan Yang membawa kegemilangan kepada Malaysia selepas mencatat purata kemenangan 12.60 saat dengan single terbaik 11.55 saat. Beliau mengetuai podium yang disapu bersih wakil tuan rumah, mendahului Ng Jia Quan yang mencatat purata 13.74 saat dan Lim Hung dengan purata 14.32 saat. Prestasi mantap ini membuktikan kedalaman bakat pemain tempatan dalam mengendalikan kiub menggunakan sebelah tangan secara pantas.

Bukan sahaja kelompok teratas yang mencipta detik bermakna di Beaconhouse Malaysia Cube Open 2023, malah ramai peserta lain melakar pencapaian peribadi yang sangat membanggakan. Wong Ze Xi merekodkan lonjakan prestasi besar apabila memotong rekod Skewb miliknya sebanyak 51.8 peratus kepada 12.01 saat, di samping memperbaiki catatan kiub 3x3x3 sebanyak 18.9 peratus kepada 35.63 saat serta membuat percubaan rasmi pertama bagi kiub 2x2x2 dengan catatan 13.68 saat. Satheesh Varrathan pula mencatat kemajuan 46.4 peratus pada acara 2x2x2 kepada 3.25 saat, memperbaiki masa 3x3x3 sebanyak 25 peratus kepada 11.55 saat, dan mencatat masa 22.32 saat dalam percubaan sulungnya untuk 3x3x3 One-Handed.

Peserta luar negara dan tempatan lain turut menuai hasil usaha gigih mereka di atas meja pertandingan. Montgomery Jude Oliver yang datang dari Australia memotong catatan kiub 3x3x3 miliknya sebanyak 44.3 peratus kepada 20.13 saat, menurunkan masa 2x2x2 sebanyak 27.1 peratus kepada 6.52 saat, dan menyempurnakan cubaan Pyraminx pertamanya dengan 6.99 saat. Eu Yan Luong dari Vietnam memperbaharui rekod 3x3x3 One-Handed sebanyak 41.3 peratus kepada 17.58 saat dan Pyraminx kepada 4.56 saat, manakala Wong Yoon Hang mengurangkan masa Pyraminx kepada 4.17 saat selain mencuba acara 3x3x3 One-Handed dan Skewb buat kali pertama. Law Kai Yuan melengkapkan penyertaan dengan rekod peribadi 3.29 saat bagi 2x2x2 berserta penampilan sulung dalam Pyraminx dan 3x3x3 One-Handed.

Dua lagi acara turut menyaksikan pertarungan sengit di peringkat akhir. Ephraim Lim Shao Liang membawa kejayaan kepada Malaysia dalam acara Pyraminx dengan purata kemenangan 2.88 saat, mengatasi Yiheng Wang yang mencatat purata 3.12 saat dan Gregory Soo Jo-Huang dengan 3.39 saat. Dalam saingan Skewb, Yee Wen Foo merangkul gelaran juara menerusi purata 3.16 saat, menewaskan Nigel Phang yang menamatkan saingan dengan purata 3.17 saat serta Eng Dickson yang mencatat 3.77 saat.

Secara keseluruhan, peminat teka-teki tempatan boleh berbangga apabila wakil Malaysia memenangi 10 tempat podium sepanjang kejohanan, manakala peserta China memperoleh 3 podium dan Singapura mengutip 2 podium. Penganjuran Beaconhouse Malaysia Cube Open 2023 ini berjaya menjadi medan pertemuan bermakna bagi komuniti antarabangsa yang berhimpun di Petaling Jaya demi menguji ketangkasan mental dan kemahiran menyelesaikan kiub pada tahun 2023.