Bishop's Stortford Spring - British Blind Off 2023

Thirty competitors gathered at Birchwood High School across March 11 and March 12 for an intense weekend of specialty speedcubing disciplines. Held in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, the event featured 8 events spread over 11 total rounds of high-level competition. Many entrants took on brand-new puzzles and unfamiliar formats, expanding their horizons well beyond standard Rubik's Cube solving. Bishop's Stortford Spring - British Blind Off 2023 tested both lightning reflexes and long-term memory, demanding total concentration from every participant who took a seat at the solving stations.

The blindfolded categories took center stage, where Switzerland's Ezra Hirschi put together a masterclass across multiple disciplines. Hirschi claimed top honors in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by successfully solving 40 out of 52 cubes in a time of 58:42, finishing ahead of Jan Bentlage of Germany and Ryan Eckersley of the United Kingdom. Hirschi also secured first place in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a single solve of 1:34.73, and added a third victory in 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a winning single time of 2:57.33.

In the classic 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, three rounds of intense competition yielded brilliant 3x3 results across the board. Kamil Przybylski of Poland captured the title with a winning average of 25.11, while also logging a best single of 20.07. Fellow countryman Adrian Dębski finished as runner-up with a mark of 20.26, and Hirschi earned third place with a 21.11 single. A field of 26 solvers took on the challenge, requiring careful memorization and execution without sight.

Beyond the memory disciplines, standard speed cubing events delivered tight finishes across the weekend. Daniel Partridge led the way for the home nation, capturing two separate titles. In Clock, Partridge topped the podium with an average of 5.56, edging out Hirschi and Sam Spendla. Partridge followed that performance by winning Megaminx with an average of 48.63, finishing clear of Ben Stokes and Fabio Schwandt in an all-British podium sweep at this memorable WCA competition.

The versatility of the field was further demonstrated in Square-1 and 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. Marcus Siu captured the Square-1 victory with an average of 9.62, followed closely by Ryan Eckersley and Daniel Partridge. Meanwhile, the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest finished in a remarkably tight triple tie on average at 25.67 moves. Lichi Fang took first place, with Robert Yau taking second and Jan Bentlage taking third, proving that efficiency and analysis remain vital pillars in any cubing competition.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones away from the top spots on the leaderboard. CJ Brooke took on three events and delivered a massive personal best of 1:15.63 in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, cutting their previous best mark by 52.7 percent, while also completing their first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a clean 6/6 in 44:19. Haotian Hu tackled six events and posted a Clock personal best of 7.67, which was 37.3 percent faster than their prior record, on the way to a sixth-place finish in 5x5x5 Blindfolded. Federico De Paoli lowered their 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best to 28.43, a 32.4 percent improvement, and notched an eighth-place finish in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. Ashwyn Wadhawan entered eight events, cutting their 4x4x4 Blindfolded personal best down to 4:29.66, which was 38.8 percent faster.

The personal breakthroughs continued as Oscar Coleman Green tackled eight separate events, logging a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 Blindfolded of 3:38.77 and a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves of 36, alongside an 18.2 percent Clock personal best of 4.45 to place fourth. Achim Spies recorded a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a successful 2/2 in 14:31 and secured a 19.1 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Blindfolded at 2:37.84. Eleanor Sinnott entered six disciplines, setting a new Clock personal best of 8.88 and taking sixth in Square-1, while Cheung-Hao Tu contested seven events and earned sixth place in 5x5x5 Blindfolded. In total, the host nation of the United Kingdom secured 11 podium finishes across the program.

As the final timers stopped, Bishop's Stortford Spring - British Blind Off 2023 concluded as a showcase of memory and precision. With 30 competitors pushing their limits across 8 events, the tournament highlighted the immense technical skill required for top-tier blindfolded solving and specialty puzzles. The weekend proved that Bishop's Stortford Spring - British Blind Off 2023 offered an ideal arena for established champions and dedicated entrants alike to test their focus in 2023.