Crewe Winter 2026

Inside Crewe Alexandra Football Club, rows of solve stations hummed with nonstop movement as 72 competitors gathered for a packed weekend schedule. Across two days on February 21 and 22, the Cheshire venue served as the battleground for 10 official events divided into 20 rounds of play. With varied round allocations ranging from single direct finals to rigorous three-stage qualifiers, the weekend structure tested endurance and adaptability across a vibrant speedcubing competition in Crewe, Cheshire, United Kingdom.

The 2026 calendar at this WCA competition placed heavy demands on puzzle specialists navigating both short and long formats. In events with multiple phases, competitors had to survive preliminary rounds before earning a seat in the final, while direct finals in the larger mechanisms allowed no room for warming up. The classic Rubik's Cube brought 70 solvers to the tables across three rounds, forcing finalists to maintain their pace through dozens of solves before reaching the ultimate podium showdown.

When the final round of the 3x3x3 Cube concluded, Caleb Wolf Dunn captured the top spot with a winning average of 6.09 seconds. Dunn delivered the best single solve of the event at 5.00 seconds to cement his victory. Danny Morgan chased closely in the final phase to claim second place on a 6.54 average, while Daniel Partridge finished third with 6.75 seconds. These 3x3 results capped a demanding three-round contest where consistent execution across all stages proved necessary for a top finish.

Dunn also showed complete mastery in the 4x4x4 Cube, another event that featured a full three-round progression for 53 competitors. Dunn secured first place with an average of 27.05 seconds, posting the competition low single of 23.60. Daniel Partridge took second place with an average of 28.57, just edging out Harvie Partridge who registered a 28.66 average for third. The three-round design allowed these finalists to refine their turning through the weekend before delivering their best averages under pressure.

Where direct single-round finals were used, the dynamic shifted entirely, rewarding immediate speed without preliminary safety nets. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Daniel Partridge captured first place among 31 entrants with a 2:09.44 winning average and a single of 2:02.83. Partridge matched that direct dominance in the 6x6x6 Cube, recording a winning average of 1:27.12 and a single of 1:23.46 ahead of Danny Morgan at 1:27.38 and Cham J. Chambers at 1:29.91. Partridge also added the 5x5x5 Cube title across two rounds with a 44.20 average over Morgan's 44.62.

Beyond the title fights, numerous competitors used the varied schedule to achieve standout individual milestones away from the podium spotlight. Oscar Roberts delivered one of the weekend's biggest leaps, recording a Skewb personal best of 4.91 seconds that was 72.2 percent faster than their previous mark of 17.64, alongside an improved 3x3x3 best of 17.84. Charlie Addy dropped their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 35.3 percent down to 8.69 seconds, while Theo Dussard-Colbourn took on eight separate events, logging personal bests of 5.28 in Skewb and 57.91 in Square-1. Jacob Elliot Gough also shaved time across multiple disciplines, finishing with a 4.32 in 2x2x2 and 6.06 in Skewb.

First-time appearances in specific events highlighted the depth of participation across the floor. Weiyi Liu entered six events and registered their first ever official attempts in both 5x5x5 Cube at 2:48.85 and Megaminx at 2:51.58, in addition to an 8.13 3x3x3 personal best. Jensen Piltz tackled eight events, setting marks in their first attempts at 7x7x7 Cube with 6:23.73 and 6x6x6 Cube with 3:59.26. Jeffery Dick took on a demanding eight-event schedule and logged a first ever official 3x3x3 Blindfolded solve of 7:41.98, while Lewis Barratt made their official debut in speed cubing by posting initial marks across six disciplines, including 3.50 on 2x2x2 and 8.52 on Skewb.

Specialist puzzles brought distinct challenges across the remaining brackets. In Square-1, Isaac Corker took victory with a 6.45 average and a 4.84 single, outlasting Daniel Partridge at 9.17 and Danny Morgan at 9.20. Katie Moughan claimed the Megaminx title across two rounds with a 37.59 average and a 33.40 single. In the Skewb final, Ariel Benchetrit averaged 2.49 for first ahead of Harry Owen at 3.72, while Daniel Robinson won the 2x2x2 Cube in 1.30 seconds over Morgan's 1.66.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded event concluded after two rounds of intense focus, where solvers had to complete the puzzle entirely from memory. Cham J. Chambers took the victory with a single solve of 46.93 seconds, leading Astro Willmoth at 50.79 and Matt Prestwich at 54.42. Across every event format and cut line, Crewe Winter 2026 proved to be an extensive showcase of endurance, precision, and technical versatility in the northwest cubing scene.