Chapacos Cuberos 2023

The bright halls of Cine MegaCenter buzzed with energy on August 26, 2023, as puzzle enthusiasts gathered in Tarija, Bolivia for a full day of official World Cube Association action. Timers blinked, inspection stands filled rapidly, and the rhythmic clicking of plastic mechanisms set the tempo for the day. Chapacos Cuberos 2023 brought together a vibrant field of 67 competitors across five events and ten total rounds of intense solving, creating an electric atmosphere right from the opening scrambles.

A defining feature of this speedcubing meeting was the remarkable wave of new faces stepping up to official timing tables for the very first time. Beginners and first-time entrants accounted for a huge portion of the roster, proving how fast the sport is expanding across the region. For dozens of solvers, this WCA competition offered an introductory stage to test their practice under strict tournament conditions, bringing unmatched enthusiasm to every station in the venue.

At the front of the pack in the flagship 3x3x3 Cube event, Enrique Adolfo Delgado delivered a masterclass across three competitive rounds. Navigating a massive lineup of 65 competitors, Delgado secured the title with a winning average of 9.24 seconds, punctuated by the tournament best single of 7.04 seconds. Daniel C. Bedoya took the second step on the podium with a 10.10 average, while Luis Ernesto Gutierrez Tolaba earned third place with an average of 11.40. These sharp 3x3 results highlighted the elite precision present at the top of the draw.

Delgado was not finished with his winning ways, doubling his gold medal tally in 3x3x3 One-Handed. In a single-round sprint featuring 23 competitors, he maneuvered through the single-handed solve to take first place with a 15.54 average and a fast single of 13.14 seconds. Daniel C. Bedoya took the runner-up position with a 17.55 average, followed closely by Luis Ernesto Gutierrez Tolaba in third at 18.37, cementing a dominant day for the trio.

Beyond the headline battles, the true heart of this cubing competition emerged in the personal breakthroughs achieved by determined participants. Álvaro Choque Mamani had an extraordinary day, shaving huge margins off his marks by recording a 3.81 in 2x2x2 Cube that was 57.6 percent faster than his prior best, alongside a 31.20 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, a 24.5 percent improvement. Marianela Fernández Mamani also posted stunning personal records, trimming 52.9 percent off her Pyraminx single with a 5.85 and lowering her 3x3x3 Cube best by 11.3 percent to 22.67. Jhonatan Mamani Cotave took fourth place in 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 2.96 seconds, marking a 39.3 percent leap, while also notching a 9.00 Pyraminx single and trying 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 53.10 solve. Agustín Adriano Luis Soto knocked 40.3 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube mark with a 32.24 single and completed his first Megaminx attempt in 6:12.47.

The wave of debuts continued as Seferino Victor Flores Condori entered 2x2x2 Cube for the first time, putting up a swift 3.20 single on his way to fifth place, while also lowering his 3x3x3 Cube best to 11.90. Matías Pantoja Suter contested five separate events in his first WCA competition, recording a 41.13 in the classic Rubik's Cube, a 9.93 in 2x2x2 Cube, and a 4:14.85 in Megaminx. José David Mallcu Terceros also tackled five events in his official debut, logging a 20.91 on 3x3x3 Cube, a 10.32 on Pyraminx, and a 54.12 in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Meanwhile, Gael Flores Marquez recorded a 7th place finish in Pyraminx while logging first-ever official attempts in three formats: a 5.60 on 2x2x2 Cube, an 8.20 on Pyraminx, and a 2:50.78 on Megaminx.

The 2x2x2 Cube tournament delivered high-speed drama across two rounds and 43 competitors, where Jhersson Cabezas Luizaga claimed the gold medal with a composed winning average of 3.28 seconds. Cabezas Luizaga also captured the top single of the event at 2.93 seconds. Marcelo Lara Llanos secured the silver medal with a 3.66 average, while Enrique Adolfo Delgado added yet another medal to his haul by taking third place with an average of 4.77 seconds.

Cabezas Luizaga continued his exceptional speed cubing form in Pyraminx, sweeping the field of 30 competitors across two rounds to capture his second title of the day. His winning average of 5.26 seconds and tournament-best single of 2.73 sealed the victory over Sebastián Morón Mariscal, who placed second with a 5.67 average. Rodrigo Ugarte rounded out the podium positions in third place with a 7.83 average.

In the complex, twelve-sided Megaminx event, Luis Ernesto Gutierrez Tolaba proved untouchable over two rounds featuring 18 competitors. Tolaba recorded a blistering winning average of 45.46 seconds and the fastest single of the weekend at 40.28 seconds to capture the title. Enrique Adolfo Delgado claimed second place with a 55.69 average, while Sebastián Morón Mariscal rounded out the top three with a time of 1:05.42, ensuring that all 15 podium places across the competition went to Bolivian solvers.

As the final timers stopped and certificates were presented at Cine MegaCenter, Chapacos Cuberos 2023 concluded as a massive triumph for the local scene. Between multi-event triumphs from established contenders and the inspiring performances of dozens of debuting solvers, the tournament established a high standard for Tarija and set an exciting foundation for the next chapter of Bolivian speedcubing.