Desafío Rubik's Guatemala 2025

57 competitors gathered at Centro Comercial Paseo Antigua on November 22, 2025, bringing pure velocity to the tables for Desafío Rubik's Guatemala 2025. Unlike the deliberate pacing of pen-and-paper events like Fewest Moves, where solvers spend an hour charting rotations on paper to find optimal efficiency, this one-day cubing competition was entirely about explosive sprint speed. Across six total rounds, participants put their reflexes to the ultimate test in Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala.

The contrast with Fewest Moves could not have been sharper as the speed cubing schedule offered no pauses for long-form theoretical analysis. In a standard speedcubing sprint, every millisecond counts from the moment inspection ends until the puzzle hits the timing mat. The atmosphere at Desafío Rubik's Guatemala 2025 was defined by fast turning and intense head-to-head racing across the two events on the official schedule.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a packed field of 56 entrants across three elimination stages. Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez commanded the tournament bracket with steady execution, ultimately capturing first place with a winning average of 7.80 seconds. Rodríguez also posted the fastest single of the category at 6.26 seconds, leading the 3x3 results on the official scorecard from start to finish.

Behind the champion, the race for the podium in the Rubik's Cube main event remained fiercely contested through the final round. Brian Bernabé Bolaños Arreaga took the runner-up position with a strong 8.32 average, securing silver for Guatemala. Jose Pablo Morales Gomez joined them on the podium, registering an 8.81 average to finish third in a high-caliber showcase of domestic talent.

The dynamic 2x2x2 Cube event presented another sharp departure from analytical disciplines, demanding rapid recognition and immediate finger execution. Daniel Baeza took the title among 47 competitors across three rounds, delivering a winning average of 2.30 seconds alongside the best single of the event at 1.90. His pace kept him clear of the field in a rapid-fire final.

The smaller puzzle saw familiar names battling for top honors as well. Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez earned a second podium spot of the day by taking second place with a 2.91 average. Jose Pablo Morales Gomez mirrored his performance in the larger puzzle by taking third place with a 3.37 mark, rounding out an all-Guatemalan podium sweep in the event.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the schedule. Dany Cutzal logged a new 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 1.55 seconds, improving by 59 percent over a previous mark of 3.78, while also lowering their 3x3x3 Cube mark to 11.57. Brayan Emanuel Escobedo Mendóza cut their 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 1.16 from 2.78, a 58.3 percent drop, and secured a 6th-place finish. Efraim Herrera Rodas made their first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with an 11.82 single and cut their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 50.7 percent down to 23.11. Antony Jorge Ajquejay Angel achieved a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 1.96, which was 48.6 percent faster than their prior best of 3.81.

Other competitors marked important firsts during the action-packed weekend. Herber David Marroquin Garcia dropped their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 18.82, an improvement of 46.1 percent, and their 2x2x2 Cube mark to 8.14. Itai Abinoam Tzay Morales completed their first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.13 single and took 22.5 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube mark with a 23.46. José Andrés Martínez Cabrera took on their first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube, recording a 4.33, while Marco Antonio Penagos Mayorga improved their 2x2x2 Cube best by 30.3 percent to 3.26 and finished 16th.

With 57 participants battling across six rounds in Antigua Guatemala, the 2025 gathering underscored the depth of regional talent. Desafío Rubik's Guatemala 2025 proved to be an intense display of pure speed and technical sharpness from the first round to the finals, setting a strong benchmark for the competitive community as the season moves forward.