Cambridge Side Events Winter 2023

A blistering 1:48.40 blindfolded single on the 4x4x4 cube set the tone for an intense weekend of niche speed cubing disciplines at The Diamond, Cripps Court. Ryan Eckersley delivered that standout solve to capture the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title, edging Ezra Hirschi by barely a second in one of the most demanding events on the roster. The performance established the mood for Cambridge Side Events Winter 2023, where non-standard puzzles and memory-heavy formats took centre stage over the course of February 11 and February 12.

Held in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, the gathering drew 39 competitors across 10 events and 16 rounds of action in early 2023. Rather than focusing solely on traditional sprints, this cubing competition gave specialists in blindfolded solving, alternate-mechanism puzzles, and deliberate efficiency a rare platform to lead the billing. Across two days of high-focus problem solving, the lineup tested the full spectrum of competitive dexterity and spatial memory.

Switzerland competitor Ezra Hirschi put together an exceptional campaign across multiple specialized disciplines. Hirschi secured victory in 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a top single of 3:45.27, outlasting United Kingdom challenger William Wright who posted 4:13.22. Hirschi also claimed top honours in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a winning average of 25.02 and a best single of 21.85, ahead of Mengfei Shen and Ryan Eckersley. Adding a third title to his tally, Hirschi took first place in Clock with a 7.01 average, narrowly beating Sean Moran and Callum Hales-Jepp.

The tactical 3x3x3 Fewest Moves challenge delivered a remarkably tight finish at Cambridge Side Events Winter 2023. Yunhao Lou topped the field of 27 competitors with a 25.00 move average, anchored by a best single of 24 moves. Fabio Schwandt pushed hard for the win, finishing just behind in second place with a 25.33 average, while Jan Bentlage rounded out the international podium in third with 27.33. The event demanded pure analytical patience, giving solvers an hour per attempt to discover the shortest path to solve the classic puzzle.

Square-1 and Megaminx also produced top-tier displays from seasoned contenders. Ryan Eckersley picked up his second victory of the weekend in Square-1, recording a 9.46 winning average and a single of 8.65 to lead Fabio Schwandt and Sean Moran. Moran rebounded in the Megaminx division, taking first place with a 35.41 winning average and a swift 29.97 single. Moran added another gold in 3x3x3 One-Handed, posting an average of 14.55 to finish ahead of Schwandt and Robert Yau.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors made substantial progress across diverse categories. Joby William Hastwell logged a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 22.15 seconds, improving by 36.8 percent from 35.05, while tackling 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 33.91 single. Jeannie Farquharson-Wood took on six separate events, slashing her 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 33.9 percent down to 1:11.39 and recording a 68 in her first ever 3x3x3 Fewest Moves attempt. Ethan Lam cut 20.6 percent from his Square-1 best with an 18.83 single on his way to an 11th place finish. Alex Walker improved his 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best by 20 percent down to 28, while also registering a 44.65 in his first one-handed attempt.

The weekend also provided memorable milestones for several other dedicated solvers. Haotian Hu took on a demanding schedule of nine events, clocking a 23:10.00 in a first 4x4x4 Blindfolded attempt, recording a 1:51.61 Megaminx debut, and setting a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best of 27. David Forsell lowered his 3x3x3 Cube best by 13.6 percent to 16.64 and completed his first 3x3x3 Fewest Moves attempt with 50. Megan Neely entered seven events, marking her first attempt at Square-1 with a 25.57 single and achieving a personal best of 19.09 in 3x3x3 One-Handed for a 10th-place finish. Jago Foord attended their first WCA competition, logging a 15.68 single and a 19.91 average in the 3x3x3 Cube.

The mainstream formats retained plenty of excitement alongside the specialty events. In the traditional 4x4x4 Cube, Eli Jay took first place with a 31.30 average, besting Sean Moran and Robert Yau. Jay also led the 3x3 results in the classic Rubik's Cube event, securing the title with an 8.02 winning average and a single of 7.91 across two rounds that featured 34 competitors. Throughout the weekend, athletes representing the United Kingdom captured 23 podium spots, alongside four for Switzerland, two for China, and one for Germany.

As the final timers stopped, Cambridge Side Events Winter 2023 proved how vibrant the wider speedcubing scene remains when specialty disciplines get top billing. From intricate blindfolded solves to precision moves and rapid multi-layer execution, the tournament highlighted the deep technical versatility thriving across the competitive community.