Caré Open 2025

Navigating a scrambled puzzle entirely from memory remains one of the ultimate tests of discipline, and Daniel Baeza delivered the standout performance of the day by claiming victory in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event with a sharp single time of 1:11.20. While blindfolded solving demands immense concentration to commit pieces to memory before donning the blindfold, Baeza kept his composure across the single round to outpace a determined field of 13 competitors. Joel Hernández of El Salvador took the second step on the podium with a strong 1:17.41, while Juan Jose Ajcam secured third place with a time of 2:21.40.

The blindfold contest set the tone for Caré Open 2025, an action-packed one-day cubing competition held on April 26, 2025, at Colegio Caré in Guatemala City, Guatemala. A total of 57 competitors gathered to test their skills across six official events spanning nine rounds of intense speedcubing. The atmosphere throughout the venue reflected a vibrant mix of seasoned contenders and determined challengers, making the 2025 tournament a pivotal meeting for the regional puzzle community across Central America.

Beyond the memory test, the traditional Rubik's Cube brought fierce competition in the main event across three full rounds of play. Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado emerged victorious in the 3x3x3 Cube, recording a winning average of 8.45 seconds alongside the tournament best single of 7.65. Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez pushed hard to earn second place with an 8.67 average, while Daniel Escobar rounded out the podium in third with an average of 9.16. The final 3x3 results capped a demanding bracket that started with 55 entrants.

Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado was not done with just one title, continuing his exceptional form in the fast-paced 2x2x2 Cube event. Facing 44 competitors across two rounds, Melendez Maldonado captured the gold with a brisk winning average of 2.86 seconds and a best single of 2.41. Elvis Isaí Rosales Hernández of El Salvador took the runner-up position with an average of 3.51 seconds, narrowly edging Daniel Baeza, who added a third-place finish to his earlier blindfolded triumph with an average of 3.56.

The longer and alternative puzzles belonged decisively to Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez, who staged a brilliant double-victory performance. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Batz Rodríguez outmanoeuvred 30 rivals to capture first place with an impressive 31.55 average and a 30.04 single, finishing ahead of Brian Bernabé Bolaños Arreaga with 34.28 and Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado with 35.17. Batz Rodríguez carried that momentum directly into the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, securing another gold medal with an average of 14.43 seconds. Jose Pablo Morales Gomez took second with 15.70, while Melendez Maldonado claimed third with 16.77.

The mechanical challenge of the Clock event rounded out the schedule, featuring 13 competitors in a direct final round. Natalia Sosa delivered a steady and commanding series of solves to take the title with a winning average of 9.58 seconds and the fastest single of 7.88. Roberto Icaza Kinloch of Nicaragua captured the silver medal with an average of 11.27 seconds, while Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez collected yet another podium placing by taking third place with an 11.98 average.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones through sheer persistence and dramatic improvements. José Luis Lemus Sipaque produced one of the sharpest drops of the weekend, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 51.9 percent down to 3.98 seconds, while also trimming his 3x3x3 mark to 23.45 and tackling his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:55.75 finish. Kevin Jafet Galvez Perez lowered his 3x3x3 Cube personal record by 40.8 percent to 20.72 seconds and logged his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 1:06.76. Daniel Eduardo Bardales Otzoy made major leaps across multiple disciplines, improving his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 39.5 percent to 18.78 seconds, dropping his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 35.7 percent to 46.93, and improving his 3x3x3 Cube best to 9.22 on his way to ninth place.

The progress continued as Azael Sánchez shaved 35 percent off his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best with a time of 31.16 seconds to finish 22nd. Diego Alejandro Ajquejay Chavez saw his 3x3x3 Cube best drop 30.2 percent to 16.63 seconds alongside an improved 49.50 in one-handed solving. Antony Jorge Ajquejay Angel tackled his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:03.17 while lowering his one-handed best by 18.8 percent to 20.58 seconds. Edder Esaú Díaz Ruiz delivered a superb fifth-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logged his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 6.80 seconds, took on his first 4x4x4 Cube solve in 1:09.01, and trimmed his 3x3x3 Cube best to 10.32. Juan Marcos López Pérez took on six events, achieving fifth in blindfolded, logging his first ever attempt at Clock with 12.44 seconds, and improving his 4x4x4 Cube record to 1:01.27.

First-time participants also left their mark in their first WCA competition, including Bennett Jacobs who took on four events with a 4.75 in the 2x2x2 Cube, Cohen Jacobs who completed two events, and Rudy Rivera who finished three events including a 26th place in 4x4x4 Cube. By the close of Caré Open 2025, host nation Guatemala had earned 15 podium places, with El Salvador claiming two and Nicaragua one. The speed cubing community in Guatemala City showed tremendous depth across every event, setting a high competitive standard for the rest of the 2025 season.