Crewe Winter 2025

Inside the grounds of Crewe Alexandra Football Club, the steady clatter of turning plastic resonated across the competition hall as 78 competitors gathered for a packed weekend of speedcubing action. Tables were lined with timers and mats across 11 official events and 19 separate rounds, bringing together puzzle solvers from around the world to test their speed, dexterity, and problem-solving focus. The atmosphere in Crewe, Cheshire, United Kingdom was electric from the start of the schedule on February 15 to 2025-02-16.

The standout performer of the weekend was undoubtedly Cham J. Chambers, who produced a commanding display across multiple disciplines at Crewe Winter 2025. Chambers secured victories in four distinct events, asserting control over the big cube categories while displaying total precision in the memory event. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Chambers claimed first place with a winning average of 54.43 seconds, outpacing runner-up Max Kwok U Sam of Macau, who finished on 55.27 seconds, and Katie Moughan in third with 57.21 seconds.

Chambers carried that same dominance into the 6x6x6 Cube, taking the title with a top average of 1:28.95 and a best single of 1:25.81. Kwok U Sam again took second position with 1:44.92, while Moughan rounded out the podium at 1:54.26. The 7x7x7 Cube saw the very same podium order, as Chambers earned the win in 2:30.26, followed by Kwok U Sam at 2:35.15 and Moughan at 2:58.32. To cap off the sweep of demanding categories, Chambers took gold in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where competitors must memorise and execute every turn without sight, recording a winning single of 37.95 seconds ahead of Oliver Castledine and AJ Nicholls.

Beyond the multi-cube masterclass from Chambers, the classic 3x3x3 Cube field gathered 75 competitors in search of quick times and sharp turn rates. Nicholas Archer proved to be the standard-setter in the main event, capturing first place with a 6.82 average and a 6.51 best single across two competitive rounds. Caleb Wolf Dunn took the silver position with a 7.46 average, while Chambers rounded out the podium in third place on 7.64 seconds. The 3x3 results demonstrated fierce consistency right through to the final solves of the weekend.

Archer also showcased exceptional technique in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, securing another gold medal with an 8.56 winning average and a 7.66 best single. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Max Kwok U Sam earned the top spot on the podium with a 32.55 average, holding off Daniel Chiu of Hong Kong who averaged 33.59 seconds and Chambers who took third at 33.93 seconds. Meanwhile, Dan Turner swept to victory in the 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid 1.77 average, finishing ahead of Archer at 1.94 and Canada's Jensen Belen-Brown at 2.20.

Away from the top of the podiums, the cubing competition produced remarkable breakthroughs and personal milestones across the entire field. Zayan Ambalia logged one of the most striking leaps of the tournament, taking down a Skewb personal best of 7.05 seconds, which was 64.6 percent faster than their previous mark. Sofia McCormick tackled nine events and achieved an impressive 53 percent improvement in Pyraminx with a personal best of 3.82 seconds, alongside making a first attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 3:00.85. Oscar Roberts improved on Skewb by 42.6 percent to hit 17.64 seconds and completed a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:43.49, while Sebastian Costa dropped their 4x4x4 Cube best by 40.5 percent down to 46.27 seconds.

The spirit of this WCA competition was equally evident among those trying unfamiliar puzzles for the very first time. Elliott Stephens took on 10 events at Crewe Winter 2025, recording a first 5x5x5 Cube time of 1:50.93 and a Megaminx time of 2:44.60 while securing a 23rd-place finish in Pyraminx. Daniel Wan entered seven events, making a first 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt of 30.10 seconds and improving their 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 23.6 percent to 2:01.06. Fraser Weir took part in their first official speed cubing tournament and registered times across six categories, including a 23.58 in the 3x3x3 Cube, while Haru Kato made their tournament debut with runs in Pyraminx, 3x3x3 Cube, and 2x2x2 Cube.

The side events rounded out an exceptional programme of speedcubing in Cheshire. Katie Moughan claimed the Megaminx title with a winning average of 42.61 seconds and a best single of 38.16 seconds. In Pyraminx, Edward Burgess topped the standings with a 2.34 average ahead of Caleb Wolf Dunn at 2.62 and Dan Turner at 3.07, while Ariel Benchetrit earned victory in Skewb with a 2.61 average. United Kingdom competitors captured 25 podium places across the weekend, with Macau securing five, Canada claiming two, and Hong Kong taking one.

As competitors packed up their Rubik's Cube collections and timers at the close of Crewe Winter 2025, the 2025 tournament left behind a trail of rapid times, four titles for Chambers, and dozens of personal milestones. With 19 rounds concluded across two days of intense competition, the participants head into the next stretch of the speedcubing calendar with new benchmarks established.