Berkeley Winter B 2023

128 competitors gathered at the West Pauley Ballroom on January 22, 2023, for a high-tempo showcase of diverse puzzle formats. Held in Berkeley, California, USA, the action covered four distinct events across 13 rounds, testing every dimension of turning ability, lookahead, and cognitive discipline. From the standard Rubik's Cube to large-cube complexity, single-handed solving, and blindfolded execution, this speedcubing meeting highlighted how varied the modern cubing competition landscape has become. Entrants balanced precision with adaptability all day long.

Max Park delivered a commanding multi-event performance across the roster, capturing first place in three separate disciplines. In the 4x4x4 Cube, which drew 78 competitors across three rounds, Park secured victory with an average of 23.47 seconds alongside a single of 22.77 seconds. Heidi Chan finished second with a 32.11 average, followed by Brandon Lugtu in third at 33.78. The larger puzzle demands intricate edge-pairing and center construction, and Park set a blistering standard that stood far clear of the chasing pack.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest tested memory, spatial mapping, and execution under total sensory deprivation. Across three rounds featuring 27 competitors, Anto Kam of Hong Kong claimed top honours by registering a winning single of 27.67 seconds, despite a DNF average. Nolan Yiu took the second step on the podium with a single of 55.33 seconds, while Evan Chin placed third with a time of 1:01.77. The event demands absolute concentration, requiring competitors to commit the scrambled layout to memory before donning an eye cover to solve without visual feedback.

Single-handed dexterity took the spotlight in 3x3x3 One-Handed, where 67 competitors battled over three rounds. Max Park topped the podium with a winning average of 10.49 seconds, backed by a best single of 8.60 seconds. Anto Kam earned second place with a mark of 12.47 seconds, and Ryan Peh of Singapore placed third with an average of 12.82 seconds. The event requires specialized fingertricks and table-sliding techniques that push manual control to extreme boundaries.

The weekend concluded with the standard 3x3x3 Cube, bringing together 126 entrants through four intense rounds. Max Park clinched his third title of the day with a winning average of 5.69 seconds and a tournament-best single of 4.57 seconds. Heidi Chan secured second place with an average of 7.41 seconds, while Benjamin Brown locked in third place at 8.40 seconds. The official 3x3 results rounded out an explosive slate of top-tier speed cubing at the West Pauley Ballroom.

Beyond the championship trophies, Berkeley Winter B 2023 saw remarkable breakthroughs from several competitors taking on tough assignments. Randy Zhong took on four events, securing a 5th place finish in 3x3x3 Cube while recording a personal best single of 7.60 seconds, lowering their 3x3x3 One-Handed best to 13.64 seconds to mark an improvement of 67.3 percent, and making a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 3:14.96. Abhimanyu Singh cut their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 56.3 percent down to 12.64 seconds and completed a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:24.50. Baron America notched a personal best of 33.25 seconds in 3x3x3 One-Handed, a 57.4 percent improvement over their prior mark. Lawrence Zhao tackled three events, posting a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 57.30 seconds and taking their 3x3x3 One-Handed best down by 52.8 percent to 21.86 seconds.

The progress continued across the scorecards as Ahana Praveen tackled four events, making first ever attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 34.07 seconds and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:06.50, while dropping their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 38.5 percent to 14.78 seconds. James Yang entered three events, logging a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 49.70 seconds and improving their 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 39 percent down to 23.70 seconds. Brandon Yee recorded a 25.6 percent personal best improvement in 3x3x3 Cube to 14.56 seconds while delivering first ever attempts at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:19.18 and 3x3x3 One-Handed in 1:07.73. Hayden I. Lee completed three events, recording first ever attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed with 34.94 seconds and 4x4x4 Cube with 1:11.22 alongside a 16.9 percent 3x3x3 Cube drop to 12.18 seconds.

The collective efforts across all disciplines highlighted the deep technical talent present throughout the field. Across every round of this WCA competition, competitors pushed the boundaries of their mechanical speed and memory limits, proving that versatility across varied puzzle categories remains one of the ultimate tests on the competitive circuit.