Cubing Party Xela 2023

Inside the bustling hall of El salón de los Abuelos, the steady click of turning plastic filled the room as timers flashed green and hands flew across tables. Gathering forty-five competitors for a packed one-day schedule, the venue in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala hosted a fierce test of precision and consistency. The gathering brought together veteran hands and fresh faces eager to test their skills in an intense atmosphere where every single turn mattered.

Cubing Party Xela 2023 took place on April 23, 2023, offering a diverse slate of seven events across nine rounds. Speedcubing enthusiasts travelled to the regional hub to showcase their preparation, with seasoned entrants seeking to reassert their mastery across both classic puzzles and side events. The high standard of execution throughout the single-day schedule proved that the country's most experienced solvers remain in peak form.

Leading the way in dominant fashion, Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez produced a remarkable performance across multiple disciplines. In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube, which drew the full field of 45 competitors over two rounds, he secured the title with an average of 8.97 seconds and a best single solve of 7.15 seconds. Efrain Lopez claimed second place with an average of 9.36 seconds, while Daniel Escobar took third at 10.22 seconds in the final 3x3 results.

Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez also captured gold in two other events, demonstrating remarkable breadth in this WCA competition. In the 2x2x2 Cube, he posted a winning average of 3.97 seconds with a fast single of 3.56 seconds to lead Ronald Josué Sicá Alvarado, who took second at 4.92 seconds, and Pablo Say in third at 4.94 seconds. In Pyraminx, Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez finished atop the podium with a 5.30 average, besting Rubén Moir Ramirez at 5.82 seconds and Estheban Heredia at 6.39 seconds.

The side events provided equally compelling contests for the competitors at Cubing Party Xela 2023. In Skewb, Olander Rafael Hernández Morales took top honours with an average of 4.50 seconds, narrowly edging out Rubén Moir Ramirez, who finished with a 4.51 average, while Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez earned third place at 5.34 seconds. The Megaminx title went to Alexander Batz with a standout 52.18 average and a 49.51 single, finishing ahead of Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez at 54.02 and Rubén Moir Ramirez at 1:02.29.

Specialist puzzles rounded out the podiums with sharp performances. Ronald Josué Sicá Alvarado claimed the Clock victory with an average of 9.64 seconds, ahead of Olander Rafael Hernández Morales at 10.53 seconds and José Enrique Jiménez from El Salvador at 10.56 seconds. In Square-1, Daniel Escobar earned the title with a 23.41 average and an 18.10 single, leading Jorge Estuardo José Son García at 26.24 seconds and Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez at 35.52 seconds.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones away from the spotlight at Cubing Party Xela 2023. Pablo Emanuel Say tackled five events, recording his first ever attempt at Clock with a 19.11, an initial Skewb attempt of 7.86, and a Pyraminx personal best of 8.29 that was 48.5 percent faster than his previous benchmark. Joseph Lee Daniels Celada showed massive progress in the Rubik's Cube, setting a personal best of 56.73 seconds that improved on his previous mark by 38.4 percent. Dominick Iván Alberto Palacios Alpirez logged his first Skewb attempt at 25.42 seconds and cut 21.2 percent off his 3x3x3 mark with a 20.27 solve, while Jose Carlos Pineda Rodas took 24.4 percent off his 3x3x3 best to stop the clock at 19.76 seconds.

The surge of new milestones continued with Rafael Alejandro Menchù Tuy, who set a 3x3x3 personal best of 10.97 seconds, an 18.3 percent improvement, alongside a Skewb personal best of 6.02 seconds. Fernando José Figueroa Recinos took on two events, delivering his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.42 single and improving his 3x3x3 mark by 11.3 percent to 19.16 seconds. Angel De León competed across four events and posted his first ever attempt at Skewb with a 25.74 solve, while Brandon Gil took on six disciplines and set a Megaminx personal best of 2:52.77, which was 12.8 percent faster than his prior record.

With twenty podium spots earned by Guatemalan competitors and one by El Salvador, the one-day speed cubing festival highlighted the depth of regional talent. Cubing Party Xela 2023 delivered intense racing, personal triumphs, and textbook executions across every category, setting a high standard for the community as the season progresses.