Don't DNF Davis 2026

Inside the modern halls of the Teaching & Learning Complex in Davis, California, USA, the tables were quiet and the focus was absolute. Long stretches of memorisation hung over the venue on February 21, 2026, where a field of 24 dedicated competitors assembled for a demanding single-day slate. Rather than the frantic pace of standard puzzle solving, the atmosphere favoured patience and endurance, especially across the most grueling blindfolded divisions on the schedule. The gathering delivered a pure showcase of speedcubing discipline.

Tackling the larger puzzles without sight requires a relentless memory palace and deep physical stamina, and Don't DNF Davis 2026 pushed those demands to the limit. The 5x5x5 Blindfolded event proved to be the ultimate test of attrition, demanding full cognitive engagement across hundreds of piece orientations. Cary Huang rose to the top of the seven-competitor field, navigating the complex solve to claim victory with a single of 9:02.55. Bowen Deng secured the second spot with a resilient 24:16.00, marking the only other successful finish in the event.

Huang proved equally unstoppable in the 4x4x4 Blindfolded discipline, capturing another gold medal. In a field of ten competitors where DNFs were frequent, Huang posted a winning single of 5:42.94 to lead the podium. Deng once again demonstrated remarkable resolve across the big cubes by taking second place with a time of 9:34.99. The precision required to close out consecutive large-cube blindfolded victories made Huang the standout performer among the long-form events at the WCA competition.

Naomi Solnick delivered an exceptional performance across the standard blindfolded disciplines, putting on a clinic in high-volume recall. In the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, Solnick captured first place by successfully resolving 21 out of 24 cubes in a time of 53:04. Abhimanyu Singhal followed in second place with 11 of 14 cubes solved in 55:21, while Jimmy Kingston rounded out the podium with 12 of 18 in 51:45. Solnick also dominated the traditional 3x3x3 Blindfolded round, securing victory with an average of 31.69 and setting the round's best single at 22.92 ahead of Kingston and Deng.

The efficiency challenges extended to the classic Rubik's Cube in the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest, where Hong Kong competitor Dewei Tan stood above the 15-person field. Tan earned first place with a stellar average of 23.67 turns, anchored by a best single of 23 moves. Deng added a third podium finish to a busy schedule by claiming second place with an average of 30.33, while Robert Alan Marks finished third with an average of 34.00, proving that calculated planning is just as vital as pure turning speed.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors achieved meaningful breakthroughs that the overall standings often conceal. Thomas Liu cut his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best down to 2:57.43, an improvement of 50.5 percent from his previous mark of 5:58.27, and also logged a first ever attempt at Clock with a time of 21.16. Nathan Scovis also made huge strides blindfolded, lowering his personal record by 23 percent to 1:45.87. Rashad Kadado tackled four separate events and earned a personal best of 38 in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, shaving 15.6 percent off his previous benchmark. Arvin Nguyen took on Clock and posted a personal best of 4.97 seconds, an improvement of 14.6 percent that secured fourth place overall.

The momentum continued through first-time milestones and disciplined efforts across the roster. Goodwin Liu logged a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, successfully registering 2 out of 4 cubes in 31:34 to place seventh. Jacob Vincent Vicente Mangosing entered three disciplines and dropped his 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal record to 32, which was 11.1 percent faster than his prior best. Brandon Lin reached ninth place in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a personal best single of 3:02.61, while Caspar Wong took on two events and achieved a 14th-place finish in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves.

The fast-paced Clock event brought the day to a lively tempo, spanning two full rounds of speed cubing action. Sebastian Stone emerged as the champion, taking the final with an average of 4.32 seconds after having recorded the weekend's best single of 2.30. Solnick showed broad versatility by taking second place with an average of 4.78, followed closely by Mason Wong in third at 5.41. With seven rounds completed across six events, the 3x3 results and specialist disciplines highlighted a memorable conclusion to Don't DNF Davis 2026.

When the stopwatches were finally packed away, competitors from the United States, China, and Hong Kong had shared the podium places throughout a compact and intense meeting. Isaac Modrow made an impact with a fifth-place finish in Clock, while Chris Martin wrapped up a strong campaign by taking eighth in the same event. As the 2026 cubing competition calendar pushes ahead, the endurance and precision on display in Northern California set a formidable standard for the specialized solving circuit.