Cubing at the Course CT 2025

Curtis Chai produced the defining performance of the weekend with a blistering 7.74 winning average in the 3x3x3 Cube, anchoring a standout showing on home soil in the United States. Held on January 4, 2025, Cubing at the Course CT 2025 brought fast-paced speedcubing to the Lake of Isles Golf Course in North Stonington, Connecticut, USA. A total of 77 competitors gathered to contest five official events across 11 rounds of intense puzzle action.

The 3x3x3 Cube main event delivered high drama throughout three rounds of competition among 74 competitors. Chai took top honours in the final, bolstered by a best single of 6.98 seconds. Ethan Zhuang secured second place with an average of 8.00 seconds, while Daniel Gutierrez earned third with an 8.07 mark. Fans tracking the 3x3 results witnessed a dominant finish from Chai, who kept his solves composed and quick under pressure.

Chai was not done after the traditional Rubik's Cube final, adding another victory in the 2x2x2 Cube. Out of 64 competitors across two rounds, Chai posted a winning average of 1.59 seconds with a 1.24 best single. Jay Pharma finished in second place with an average of 1.99 seconds, while Ethan Zhuang joined the podium in third with 2.21 seconds. The rapid turns and short execution times kept the crowd engaged throughout the final round.

Clem Tucker emerged as another dominant force at Cubing at the Course CT 2025, capturing gold across two distinct disciplines. In Pyraminx, Tucker outpaced a field of 59 competitors with a winning average of 2.13 seconds and a sharp 1.63 single. Chai took the second step on the podium with a 2.91 average, followed by Pharma in third with 3.27. Tucker also claimed victory in Clock, posting a 3.65 average to hold off Brandon Villadolid at 3.96 and Zhuang at 4.00.

One-handed solving rounded out the competitive categories, requiring mastery of finger dexterity on a single hand. Daniel Gutierrez took the 3x3x3 One-Handed title with an impressive winning average of 11.98 seconds and a single of 10.69 from a pool of 40 competitors. Charles Amarello claimed second place with an average of 13.30 seconds, while Christopher Landgrebe secured third with a mark of 14.39 seconds in the two-round bracket.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their individual journeys. Yong Chen took on four events, setting a Pyraminx personal best of 3.93 seconds, which was 56.9% faster than their previous best of 9.11, while also dropping their 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 49.6% to 25.72 seconds and trying 2x2x2 Cube for the first time with a 3.20 solve. Rudhran Jagannathan delivered huge personal bests in three events, slicing 55% off their 2x2x2 Cube mark with a 6.91, improving their Pyraminx by 50.5% to 9.23, and taking 45.2% off their 3x3x3 Cube best with 25.11. Dominic Bologna tackled four events, recording a first Pyraminx attempt of 6.88 and lowering their Clock personal best by 33.9% to 16.17 seconds.

First-time event attempts provided plenty of memorable moments for other dedicated solvers at the competition. Skylar Jeffrey Adam Sanderlin competed in five events, logging a first Clock try of 22.54 seconds, a Pyraminx solve of 8.49, and a 3x3x3 One-Handed mark of 1:02.56. Michelangelo DiNunzio also entered five events, earning a 12th place finish in 3x3x3 Cube while registering first official attempts in Clock at 23.57, Pyraminx at 12.94, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 28.82. David Lars Maxwell took on four events, posting a first Clock single of 32.03 and dropping their 2x2x2 Cube best by 23.6% to 8.43. Meanwhile, newcomers Michael Malin and Elliott DiGirolamo each made their career debut at a WCA competition, with Malin trying five events including a 9.71 Pyraminx, and DiGirolamo tackling four disciplines, highlighted by a 20.72 solve on the 3x3x3 Cube.

The energy across the tables highlighted the thriving local community for speed cubing in the region. With 15 podium places earned by competitors representing the United States, Cubing at the Course CT 2025 gave both experienced champions and developing talent a memorable stage to open the 2025 calendar. Solvers packed up their puzzles with fresh milestones in hand, looking ahead to the upcoming slate of regional gatherings.