Cavite Speedcubing Open VI 2023

A mere nineteen hundredths of a second decided the premier event of the Cavite Speedcubing Open VI 2023, delivering one of the most razor-thin finishes of the year. Toby Litiatco captured first place in the 3x3x3 Cube with a blazing 6.99 average, barely staying ahead of Brenton Angelo Lo Wong, who put together a sterling 7.18 mark across five solves. Javier Ignacio secured third place on the podium with an 8.46 average. In a discipline where the slightest pause can cost a championship, Litiatco delivered under pressure through three rounds of Rubik's Cube competition to capture the title.

The 2023 WCA competition took place on December 17, 2023, at Robinsons General Trias in General Trias, Cavite, Philippines. A total of 77 competitors gathered to test their skills across seven events and nine rounds, creating an electric atmosphere for Philippine speedcubing. While Litiatco grabbed the spotlight in the classic 3x3 event, the day featured a diverse lineup of puzzles, drawing specialist solvers and seasoned competitors to the tables from morning to evening across the province of Cavite.

Despite coming up just short in the main event, Brenton Angelo Lo Wong put together a dominant showing throughout the Cavite Speedcubing Open VI 2023. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Wong secured victory with an average of 1.86 seconds and a best single solve of 1.39 seconds. Lorenzo Layug took second place with a 2.02 average, while Yuji Yoshida rounded out the podium at 2.80. The 2x2 bracket proved to be a fast-paced sprint featuring 62 entrants, but Wong set the standard early and held off all challengers to claim the top spot.

Wong continued his winning ways across multiple disciplines, claiming two more gold medals before the day concluded. He won the 5x5x5 Cube with a 56.56 average and a single solve of 44.93, edging out Christian Naguio at 58.11 and Dale Palmares at 59.95 in a hard-fought big-cube battle. In the Clock event, Wong took first place with a 7.16 average, while Javier Ignacio placed second with 7.59 and Yuji Yoshida followed in third with 7.90. His versatility across diverse mechanical puzzles was a defining feature of the weekend speed cubing action.

The larger puzzles also produced compelling podium duels throughout the afternoon. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Christian Naguio secured victory with a winning average of 1:40.56, holding off Dale Palmares at 1:44.43 and Brenton Angelo Lo Wong at 1:48.66. Palmares reversed the order in the 7x7x7 Cube, posting a 2:22.38 winning average to defeat Naguio, who finished in second with 2:30.62, and Louie Jay Quibote in third with 2:39.85. The Pyraminx contest rounded out the event champions, where Jansen Alvarez claimed first place with a 2.80 average over Chris Padua at 3.42 and Lorenzo Layug at 4.73.

Away from the championship rounds, the cubing competition served as a launchpad for major personal breakthroughs. Ace Vallen Cambel tackled four events, recording an 11.90 in their first ever attempt at Clock and dropping their Pyraminx personal best to 4.04, which was 57.8 percent faster than their prior best of 9.58, alongside a 2x2x2 personal best of 3.01. Bernard Jon T. Eugenio entered four events, logged a first ever attempt at Clock of 16.28, shaved 51 percent off their 2x2x2 mark down to 7.75, and cut their 3x3x3 best to 21.73. Jose Ace Constantine V. Rosario III recorded a 6.31 on their first ever attempt at Pyraminx and improved their 3x3x3 personal best by 38.6 percent to 23.99, while Pierce Victor Takai posted first-time efforts in Pyraminx with 11.38 and 2x2x2 with 5.86, along with a 27.7 percent drop to 15.17 in the 3x3x3 Cube.

Other competitors took on demanding multi-event schedules to achieve significant personal milestones. John Hermiel Catacutan competed in five events, securing a best finish of 21st in the 2x2x2 Cube while posting debut attempts of 4:27.00 in the 5x5x5 Cube and 8.66 in Clock, along with a 35.1 percent Pyraminx improvement to 5.10. Dwight Anthonie R. Mactal notched a 22.3 percent improvement in 3x3x3 to 9.49 while recording debut marks in 2x2x2 of 4.14 and 5x5x5 of 1:30.95. Brandon Enriquez Nocon achieved a 44.9 percent improvement on 2x2x2 to 3.43 and logged a first ever Pyraminx attempt of 7.47. Leomel Ezekiel II O. Velasco took on four events, logging debuts in Clock with 19.24, Pyraminx with 10.64, and 2x2x2 with 8.02.

Looking at the complete 3x3 results and podium totals, Philippine competitors claimed all 21 podium places available across the seven disciplines. With 76 entrants tackling the standard cube alone, the final round proved how fine the margins can be at the highest tier of regional competition. Litiatco and Wong set a tremendous standard that pushed the entire field to solve faster under tournament pressure.

As competitors packed up their cubes and timers at Robinsons General Trias, the Cavite Speedcubing Open VI 2023 proved to be a fitting conclusion to a busy year of racing in the region. Between Wong capturing three separate titles, Litiatco holding on in a fractional battle for the 3x3x3 crown, and dozens of solvers recording major personal time reductions, the event delivered high-caliber speedcubing from the opening solves to the final presentations.

Puno ng pananabik at matinding tensyon ang buong bulwagan ng Robinsons General Trias bago pa man mailapag ang mga timer sa huling yugto ng labanan. Sa harap ng 77 kalahok na nagtipon para sa paligsahan, naging saksi ang lahat sa mabilisang galaw ng mga kamay at pag-ikot ng mga puzzle. Ang paligsahang ginanap noong Disyembre 17, 2023 ay naghatid ng matinding aksyon sa bawat mesa kung saan bawat segundo at bawat bahagi nito ay naging mapagpasya sa pagtukoy ng mga tatanghaling kampeon sa entablado.

Sa pangunahing kategorya ng 3x3x3 Cube na umabot sa tatlong rounds kasama ang 76 na kalahok, humantong ang laban sa pinakahuling solve upang matukoy ang kampeon. Matagumpay na nasungkit ni Toby Litiatco ang unang pwesto matapos magtala ng winning average na 6.99 kalakip ang best single na 6.01. Bahagya lamang niyang naungusan si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na pumangalawa sa average na 7.18, habang nakuha naman ni Javier Ignacio ang ikatlong pwesto sa kanyang 8.46 average sa kapanapanabik na pagtatapos.

Bagamat pumangalawa sa tradisyunal na Rubik's Cube, naging pambihira ang araw para kay Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na humakot ng tatlong magkakahiwalay na kampeonato. Pinatunayan niya ang kanyang bilis sa 2x2x2 Cube kung saan nanguna siya sa 62 kalahok gamit ang 1.86 winning average at 1.39 single. Pumangalawa sa nasabing event si Lorenzo Layug na nagtala ng 2.02 average at 1.68 single, habang pumangatlo si Yuji Yoshida na may 2.80 average at 2.16 single.

Hindi nagpaawat si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong sa iba pang mga kategorya ng bilisan. Sa 5x5x5 Cube, pinangunahan niya ang 34 na kalahok sa pamamagitan ng winning average na 56.56 at best single na 44.93, kung saan tinalo niya sina Christian Naguio na nagrehistro ng 58.11 at Dale Palmares na nagtala ng 59.95. Nadagdagan pa ang kanyang ginto sa Clock nang maglista siya ng 7.16 average laban sa 28 kalahok, na sinundan nina Javier Ignacio sa 7.59 at Yuji Yoshida sa 7.90.

Sa larangan naman ng mas malalaking cube, nagpakitang-gilas ang iba pang mga mahuhusay na manlalaro sa paligsahan. Sa 6x6x6 Cube, nagwagi si Christian Naguio na may winning average na 1:40.56 at single na 1:34.59 sa hanay ng 16 na kalahok, habang pumangalawa si Dale Palmares sa 1:44.43 at pumangatlo si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong sa 1:48.66. Bumawi naman si Dale Palmares sa 7x7x7 Cube upang tanghaling kampeon sa 14 na kalahok gamit ang average na 2:22.38 at best single na 2:13.80, kasunod sina Christian Naguio sa 2:30.62 at Louie Jay Quibote sa 2:39.85.

Sa kategoryang Pyraminx na nilahukan ng 49 na competitors, ipinamalas ni Jansen Alvarez ang kanyang kahusayan upang makuha ang unang pwesto gamit ang winning average na 2.80 at best single na 2.28. Kasunod niya sa podium si Chris Padua na nagtala ng 3.42 average para sa ikalawang pwesto, habang pumangatlo naman si Lorenzo Layug na nagsumite ng 4.73 average sa nag-iisang round ng naturang kaganapan.

Sa likod ng mga nagwagi sa podium, kapansin-pansin din ang magagandang kwento ng pagsusumikap mula sa mga kalahok. Naitala ni Gabriel Inrico S. De Belen ang personal best sa Pyraminx na 4.87 na 37.6 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa dating 7.81, bukod pa sa kanyang personal best sa 5x5x5 Cube na 1:25.40 mula sa 2:02.56 na 30.3 porsyentong pagbuti, 8.84 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at ika-8 pwesto sa 2x2x2 Cube sa 4 na kategorya. Ipinamalas din ni Skyler Johann Bala ang personal best sa Pyraminx na 10.61 mula 16.98 na 37.5 porsyentong mas matulin, 2x2x2 Cube personal best na 9.48 mula 14.77 na 35.8 porsyentong pag-angat, at 38.07 sa 3x3x3 Cube mula 40.44. Samantala, nairehistro ni Ryle Ludwig L. Regalado ang kanyang unang pagsubok sa Pyraminx na 10.67 para sa ika-27 na pwesto, kasabay ng 2x2x2 Cube personal best na 6.31 mula 8.39 na 24.8 porsyentong bilis, at 3x3x3 Cube personal best na 20.29 mula 24.77. Sa apat na kategorya, nagtala naman si Karl Aaron P. Ilano ng unang pagsubok sa 5x5x5 Cube na 2:02.55, ika-11 pwesto sa 3x3x3 Cube, 2x2x2 Cube personal best na 3.34 mula 3.83, at Pyraminx personal best na 6.82 mula 7.55.

Naging mahalagang entablado rin ang paligsahan para sa mga sumabak sa kanilang pinakaunang WCA competition. Sumabak si Cesar Jake Berroya sa 4 na kategorya at nagtala ng unang pagsubok sa 5x5x5 Cube na 5:30.63 para sa ika-34 na pwesto, unang pagsubok sa Pyraminx na 11.58, at unang pagsubok sa 2x2x2 Cube na 10.63. Sa tatlong kategorya, naitala ni Santiago A. Goquingco ang unang pagsubok sa Pyraminx na 13.21 para sa ika-43 na pwesto, unang pagsubok sa 3x3x3 Cube na 18.25, at 8.15 sa 2x2x2 Cube. Gayundin si Pocholo Comanda na sumabak sa 3 kategorya at nagtala ng unang pagsubok sa 2x2x2 Cube na 4.57, 24.77 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 9.80 sa Pyraminx kung saan siya pumwesto sa ika-34. Nagtapos din si Toby Enrico M. Benitez sa dalawang kategorya na may unang pagsubok sa 3x3x3 Cube na 28.40 at 11.97 sa Pyraminx para sa ika-45 na pwesto.

Sa kabuuan ng 9 na rounds sa 7 kategorya, naging matagumpay ang pagdaraos ng naturang cubing competition na dinala sa General Trias, Cavite, Philippines noong taong 2023. Ipinamalas ng mga atleta ang kanilang buong galing sa bawat pag-ikot sa Cavite Speedcubing Open VI 2023, kung saan lahat ng 21 na pwesto sa podium ay nasungkit ng mga kinatawan mula sa Pilipinas, patunay sa lumalagong komunidad ng speedcubing sa bansa.