Crewe Spring 2024

Inside the function spaces at Crewe Alexandra Football Club, the steady hum of turning plastic and the click of stopwatches set the rhythm for two full days of competition. Tables were packed with participants sharing algorithms, comparing puzzle tensions, and catching up between stages. A field of 95 solvers gathered for Crewe Spring 2024, creating an inviting weekend where newcomers and experienced hands shared the same warm environment across 24 rounds of action.

Held across April 27 and April 28 in Crewe, Cheshire, United Kingdom, the event captured the social core of the sport. While the schedule packed in 10 different disciplines, the moments between heats were just as lively. Solvers gathered in side rooms to practice tricky turning sequences, time each other unofficially, and debate hardware setups. For anyone traveling across the region, this WCA competition offered an ideal blend of serious official racing and relaxed camaraderie.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest stood at the center of the weekend, drawing a packed field of 91 entrants across three competitive rounds. Caleb Wolf Dunn delivered an exceptional standard to claim the headline victory, locking in a winning average of 6.65 seconds alongside a tournament best single solve of 5.74. Danny Morgan secured second place with a 7.48 average, while Cham J. Chambers completed the podium on a mark of 7.72. The final 3x3 results capped a thrilling display of top-tier Rubik's Cube speedcubing.

Caleb Wolf Dunn also enjoyed a stellar run in Clock, where a 3.60 average and a single of 3.04 brought home another victory, outpacing Cham J. Chambers at 4.60 and Sam Shaw at 4.81. Meanwhile, Nicholas Archer produced remarkable consistency across the shorter and specialist events. Archer won the 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid 1.73 average ahead of Alan Tan and Danny Morgan, and later took top honors in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 10.50, outperforming Morgan and Matt Stephenson in the final round.

Beyond the top podium steps, the weekend provided countless personal breakthroughs that never appear on the winners board. Richard Mang entered seven events and dropped his Skewb personal best down to 5.52 seconds, a 49.7 percent improvement over his previous mark, while shaving 27.2 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube best with a 1:17.97. Joey Bolton took on nine events, logging a 41.1 percent personal best improvement in Clock with a 9.54 and completing first ever attempts in both 5x5x5 Cube and Megaminx. Callum Inglis also gained a 41.1 percent Skewb personal best of 4.12 while recording first official attempts in Square-1 and 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Naveen Robin Sheikh lowered their 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 29 percent to 3.25 and posted a first Skewb attempt of 5.90.

The diverse lineup gave many solvers the perfect platform to expand their repertoires across new puzzles. Stanley Treshansky tackled nine events, posting a first attempt in Clock of 18.07, a 30.6 percent personal best cut in 2x2x2 Cube to 2.45, and a 15.7 percent improvement in Megaminx. Ostap Snihura also entered nine disciplines, finishing 15th in Skewb and registering debut official attempts in Megaminx, 5x5x5 Cube, and 3x3x3 One-Handed. Nathan Kelly registered first tries in both 4x4x4 Cube and One-Handed alongside a 4.59 personal best in Skewb, while Ronnie Grieveson tackled seven events including first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube, Skewb, and Clock.

Big cubes and complex twisty puzzles rounded out the intense schedule throughout the venue. Dean David captured the 4x4x4 Cube title with an average of 29.16 seconds, prevailing over Nicholas Archer and Danny Morgan. Morgan bounced right back to secure first place in the 5x5x5 Cube final, logging a winning average of 51.47 ahead of David and Chambers. Cham J. Chambers topped the Megaminx podium with a 48.07 average, Dorian Chan claimed Square-1 in 9.71, and Matt Stephenson clinched the Skewb victory with a 3.68 average.

The blindfolded contest added drama to the closing stages, where competitors relied purely on memory and tactile execution without visual feedback. Ben Stokes took victory in 3x3x3 Blindfolded on the strength of a 26.86 single, leading Cham J. Chambers and Nevins Chan Pak Hoong. As Crewe Spring 2024 concluded, the mix of fast solves, shared advice, and personal milestones reinforced the unique appeal of this vibrant speed cubing community in 2024.