Big N Blind Berwick 2023

A single blindfolded solve decided the headline contest when Michael Tripodi registered a blistering 19.68 single in the decisive third round to capture the 3x3x3 Blindfolded crown. The performance edged Theodore Chan of Singapore, who posted a best mark of 24.13, while Joshua Chau secured third place with a 29.33 single. With competitors pushing through memory sequences under strict scrutiny, Tripodi delivered his winning run at the crucial moment, setting the tone for an intense weekend of specialty events.

Held across December 16 and 17 at Berwick Seniors Citizen's Hall in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the Big N Blind Berwick 2023 gathering brought together 27 competitors across seven demanding disciplines. With 11 rounds scheduled, the program moved far beyond typical speedcubing schedules, showcasing the largest twisty puzzles alongside complex memory events. Across two days of high-stakes speed cubing action, Australian solvers collected 17 podium places, while Singapore earned three and China took one.

Tripodi added another major accolade by mastering the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, successfully solving 42 out of 45 puzzles within a time limit of 58:02. The field of 14 competitors faced massive recall demands, with Chan finishing runner-up thanks to a 21 of 25 result in 56:27. Swami Srinivasan earned third on the podium after completing 21 of 25 cubes in 58:19. The event proved to be one of the most grueling showcases of the cubing competition.

Big cube master Feliks Zemdegs commanded the weekend's heavy hardware, sweeping both the 6x6x6 Cube and 7x7x7 Cube tournaments across two rounds each. In the 6x6x6 Cube final, Zemdegs averaged 1:24.19 and recorded the best single of the event at 1:17.70 to take first place. Ryan Driscoll followed in second position with a 1:37.57 average, while David Epstein placed third at 1:47.15 among 20 participants.

Zemdegs repeated his mastery on the 7x7x7 Cube, posting a winning average of 2:08.19 and a single of 2:06.57 to defeat a field of 18 competitors. Driscoll once again claimed the second spot on the podium with an average of 2:33.52, and Epstein rounded out the top three with an average of 3:05.80. The consistency of Zemdegs across both large-cube divisions anchored the traditional speed events of the program.

In the specialty blind categories, international competitors made decisive contributions. Chenhao Sun took victory in the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event with a winning average of 4:00.45 and a top single of 3:33.03, ahead of Hans Lin at 4:39.79 and Srinivasan at 7:34.36. In 5x5x5 Blindfolded, Theodore Chan earned the title with a single of 4:28.83, as Lin took second in 11:35.00 and Srinivasan finished third in 18:51.00. Meanwhile, Max Parris captured the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest with an average of 31.67 moves, finishing ahead of Benjamin Kao and Chau, who each posted 36.33.

Beyond the championship trophies, the weekend saw remarkable individual breakthroughs that standard 3x3 results rarely reveal. Aiki Yaginuma made first career attempts in two complex disciplines, recording 13:50.00 in 4x4x4 Blindfolded and 2/2 in 11:09 in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, while trimming their 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best by 35.2 percent down to 1:52.56. Carlo Malagar cut their 3x3x3 Fewest Moves mark by 26.9 percent to 49 moves, dropped their 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 20 percent to 1:06.07, and set a personal record of 16:14.00 on the 4x4x4 blindfold layout. Ben Wakelin improved their 7x7x7 Cube personal best by 15.1 percent to 7:29.60 and their 6x6x6 Cube time by 8.8 percent to 4:55.73. David McLean lowered their 5x5x5 Blindfolded personal mark by 13.4 percent to 19:39.00 to finish fourth.

Several other solvers tackled new formats or delivered steep personal gains across the schedule. Timothy Yang logged a first career attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 40 moves and lowered their 6x6x6 Cube best by 10.4 percent to 2:23.60. Putian Ye completed a first ever official attempt at 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 8:08.66 on the way to entering six events. Aaron Spiller entered seven events and set a personal best of 8/8 in 46:14 in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, while Matthew Sieredzinski also tackled all seven disciplines, setting a 6x6x6 Cube personal best of 1:48.94 to finish fourth overall.

The gathering in Berwick highlighted the full diversity of competitive solving, testing mental endurance alongside traditional finger dexterity. From classic Rubik's Cube variations to the absolute concentration demanded by high-cube blindfolded solving, every discipline provided a distinct test of preparation. As the 2023 calendar wound down, Big N Blind Berwick 2023 offered a pure exhibition of specialist talent across 11 hard-fought rounds at an official WCA competition.