CCPA Open 2023

Inside the halls of the Centro Cultural Paraguayo Americano, the rhythm of turning layers and dropping timers set the tone for an intense day of Rubik's Cube action. The cultural center provided an energetic setting in Asunción, Paraguay, welcoming dozens of solvers to the tables on July 22, 2023. Family members, peers, and organizers filled the venue as tables steadily buzzed with preparation. The one-day gathering drew 48 competitors who took on eight rounds of play across six distinct puzzles, turning the site into a lively hub for the local community.

The competitive schedule at CCPA Open 2023 reached its peak during the 3x3x3 Cube tournament, where 46 competitors stepped up across two rounds of intense solving. When the final round concluded, David Emmanuel Velozo Cabrera secured the title with a winning average of 9.56 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single of 8.00 seconds. Martin Alejandro Benítez López took second place on the podium with a 10.03 average, while Elías Villamayor rounded out the top three with an average of 10.15. The decisive 3x3 results capped an impressive showcase of top-tier speed cubing under pressure.

David Emmanuel Velozo Cabrera expanded his winning tally well beyond the main event, delivering gold-medal performances in two additional disciplines. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, which gathered 14 competitors, he captured victory with a 17.73 average and a 16.14 single, finishing ahead of Elías Villamayor at 18.19 and Kenji Julián Cáceres Matsumoto at 20.53. Cabrera also led the field of 12 solvers in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 40.86 and a single of 37.69 to finish clear of Cáceres Matsumoto at 44.88 and Misael Alexander Mancuello Ayala at 47.16.

Martin Alejandro Benítez López captured two victories of his own during the day. In the 2x2x2 Cube, he topped a field of 20 competitors with an average of 2.84 seconds alongside a single of 2.24, leading Kenji Julián Cáceres Matsumoto at 3.16 and David Emmanuel Velozo Cabrera at 4.33. Benítez López repeated his winning form in the Pyraminx, outpacing 18 rivals across two rounds with a 4.96 winning average and a 3.66 single, joined on the podium by Misael Alexander Mancuello Ayala at 5.41 and Carlos Benjamin Mereles Martinez at 6.66.

The Skewb contest wrapped up the podium roster, featuring five participants in a single final round. Elias Miguel Acosta Acosta earned the victory with a 6.95 average and a best single of 6.31 seconds. Carlos Benjamin Mereles Martinez secured the runner-up position with an 11.45 average, while Enrique Saul Rios Demattei collected third place with a 33.58 average. Across all six events at the venue, Paraguayan competitors captured every one of the 18 available podium positions, reflecting the collective depth across varied twisty puzzle formats.

Beyond the top podium steps, the cubing competition served as a breakthrough stage for competitors pushing their personal records to new heights. Lucca Navarro Romero took on three events, achieving an 11th-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube with a first-time mark of 2:29.27 while cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 6.72 seconds, which was 53.2 percent faster than his prior best of 14.36. Matías Penayo Méndez delivered a massive leap in the 4x4x4 Cube, taking 7th place with a 1:22.64 personal best that improved upon his old standard of 2:23.90 by 42.6 percent. Oliver Richard Zoilan Avalos entered five events and finished 5th in the 3x3x3 Cube, lowering his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark to 19.12 for a 31.9 percent gain, his 3x3x3 Cube best to 8.97 for a 28.4 percent drop, and his Pyraminx best to 6.77 for an 18.1 percent boost. Tobías Benjamín Funez Coronel logged his first 3x3x3 One-Handed solve at 54.51 to place 12th, while trimming his 3x3x3 Cube best by 25 percent to 18.85.

Other competitors took on brand new challenges and registered notable milestones in the hall. Nilton Tobias Ojeda Martinez competed in four events, finishing 7th in 2x2x2 Cube, tackling his first Pyraminx solve in 11.29 and first 4x4x4 Cube solve in 4:06.00, while improving his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 11.3 percent to 19.99. Gonzalo Daniel Britez Gago recorded his first official 2x2x2 Cube solve at 7.71 to finish 17th and reduced his 3x3x3 Cube standard by 22.8 percent to 34.30. Jorge Sol took on four events, placing 4th in Skewb with a debut attempt of 22.88 and improving his 3x3x3 One-Handed time by 20.3 percent to 36.09. Lucas Román finished 9th in Pyraminx with a first attempt of 9.65 and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube time by 15.9 percent down to 34.36.

First-time participants also stepped onto the floor to mark their official debuts at a WCA competition. Isaias Coronel completed his first tournament appearance by taking on three events, posting an initial 25.10 in 2x2x2 Cube, 40.30 in 3x3x3 Cube, and placing 12th in Pyraminx at 21.13. Kevin Ovelar achieved a 13th-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube with a debut of 6.91 alongside a 25.78 in 3x3x3 Cube. Tiago Rafael Morales Ibarra took 10th in Pyraminx with an 11.19 debut and recorded a 38.39 in 3x3x3 Cube, while Amir Benegas logged a 41.99 in 3x3x3 Cube and a 15.19 in Pyraminx. These maiden attempts highlighted the expanding base of local solvers in Asunción.

When the final timers reset at CCPA Open 2023, the gathering stood as a celebration of dedicated speedcubing across Paraguay. Solvers tested their skills against the clock, broke through personal barriers, and shared tables in the spirit of open competition. With multiple puzzle champions crowned and dozens of official marks established, the tournament delivered a memorable chapter in the country's competitive speedcubing history.