Cuenca Open SDC 2023

Luis Fernando Aldás Cuestas delivered a masterclass at the Unidad Educativa Sindicato de Choferes de Cuenca on February 25, 2023, capturing four separate championship titles. The standout Ecuadorian solver set the tone across ten rounds of play, winning the marquee 3x3x3 Cube event with a final winning average of 13.53 seconds and an event-best single solve of 11.59 seconds. His authority across both two-handed and specialty formats anchored a day defined by personal breakthroughs across a field of 39 competitors.

Beyond the premier puzzle, Cuenca Open SDC 2023 brought intense energy to Cuenca, Ecuador across seven official events. Aldás Cuestas proved unstoppable in the extended formats, collecting first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with an average of 50.76 seconds after notching the single best time of 43.62. He followed that victory with gold in 3x3x3 One-Handed, averaging 24.99 seconds to top a field of seven specialists, demonstrating complete command over varied solving styles.

The blindfolded discipline, requiring intense memorisation and execution away from sight, also went to Aldás Cuestas. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded category, he registered a winning average of 1:27.80 and a tournament-best single solve of 1:18.27 among three competitors. His versatility placed him on the podium in six different disciplines, making this WCA competition one of the most prolific individual multi-event performances seen in the region during the 2023 calendar year.

Canada broke through in the 2x2x2 Cube, where Achilles Standring claimed victory with an average time of 4.32 seconds and a sharp 2.84 single solve, edging out Aldás Cuestas who took second with 4.55 seconds. Standring also captured third place in the Pyraminx with an 8.46 average. In the Skewb event, Josué Ordóñez stepped into the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 6.15 seconds, finishing ahead of Aldás Cuestas at 10.04 and Bryam Gutiérrez at 12.12.

The Pyraminx event featured a winning performance from Adrián Leandro Pazmiño Aldás, who posted a 4.75 winning average and the best single of the bracket at 3.30 seconds. Josué Ordóñez finished second with a 6.90 average to cap off an exceptionally busy day where he reached the podium across five distinct categories. The breadth of events tested agility, spatial reasoning, and stamina as racers cycled quickly between tables in Cuenca.

Beneath the top podium steps, significant personal growth shaped the tournament narrative. Jean Carlos Echeverría Jácome cut his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 25.82 seconds, a remarkable 45.3 percent drop from his previous 47.16 mark, while also shaving time on the 2x2x2 Cube with a 9.55 personal best. Matías Huera achieved an impressive double breakthrough, dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best by 27.3 percent down to 12.14 seconds and slashing his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 17 percent to 1:13.30. Axel Robert Honores Ríos marked his second tournament by entering three events, registering a first ever 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 6.10, a debut Pyraminx run of 13.93, and trimming his 3x3x3 Cube time by 19.6 percent to 23.98 seconds. Ariel Esteban Cruz Andrade similarly found speed, lowering his 3x3x3 Cube best by 26.6 percent to 19.09 seconds alongside his first official 2x2x2 Cube mark of 11.63.

The wave of progress extended to newcomers and multi-discipline solvers testing fresh formats on the competition floor. Ronmel Fabian Tenezaca Rios tackled five disciplines at Cuenca Open SDC 2023, recording his first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 2:22.19 and Skewb at 13.16 while trimming his Pyraminx best by 36.3 percent to 11.71 seconds. Pablo Sebastián Flores Peralta reached fifth in the main event while lowering his 3x3x3 Cube record by 38.6 percent to 16.95 seconds, additionally logging debut attempts in 2x2x2 Cube with 5.40 and 4x4x4 Cube with 1:24.48. In their very first official appearances, Yarik Sebastián Chalán Lozano took on five events and secured a 5th place finish in 4x4x4 Cube with a debut 1:19.78, while Joel Guarango launched three separate event careers with initial marks of 4.48 in 2x2x2 Cube, 30.79 in 3x3x3 Cube, and 15.81 in Pyraminx.

The 3x3 results in the main bracket proved exceptionally competitive through all three rounds of action. Mateo Keneth Toala Rios earned the silver medal behind Aldás Cuestas with a 15.92 average, while Josué Ordóñez locked down bronze with a 17.18 average. Eduardo David Cedeño Palacios followed close behind in fourth with a personal best of 14.05 seconds, illustrating the rising standard of classic Rubik's Cube solving in the area.

Podium finishes leaned heavily toward host nation Ecuador, which secured 19 podium placements alongside two for Canada across the afternoon. With speedcubing continuing to expand in technical depth and participation, the one-day gathering proved that milestone personal bests remain just as vital to the community as gold medals. As competitors wrap up their schedules and look toward the remainder of the speed cubing season, the marks set in Cuenca establish an exciting benchmark for everyone involved.