Edinburgh Summer 2023

Eight distinct events and 22 total rounds defined the fast-paced weekend at the Meadowbank Sports Centre, where non-standard puzzles shared top billing with traditional events. Taking place from July 15 to July 16, 2023, the gathering brought together 148 competitors in Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. While the classic Rubik's Cube drew major attention, the weekend was equally shaped by intricate technical challenges including Megaminx, Clock, and Square-1, providing a broad platform for specialists across the speedcubing community.

The specialised disciplines opened the door to razor-thin margins and standout individual performances throughout the weekend. In the Clock event, Sam Shaw secured first place with an average of 5.42 seconds and a single of 4.72, narrowly edging past Conan Mo of Australia who finished second with a 5.43 average, while Daniel Partridge took third with 5.81. Partridge dominated the twelve-sided Megaminx final, capturing the title with an average of 45.32 and a best single of 40.93, leaving Stephen Waller in second at 49.40 and Adam Black in third at 55.18.

Square-1 action produced another remarkably tight finish among the 41 entrants in the event. Luke Burns claimed victory with a 10.16 winning average and a single of 8.60, holding off Ryan Eckersley by three hundredths of a second as Eckersley finished at 10.19. Daniel Partridge secured another podium position in the event, taking third with a 10.37 average. Partridge added yet another gold to his tally in Pyraminx, taking top honours with a 1.78 average over Joseph Archibald in second with 4.05 and Adam Black in third with 4.25.

Beyond the specialised rotations, Edinburgh Summer 2023 delivered intense speed cubing battles in the mainstream formats. Nicholas Archer put together an exceptional two days, winning the 3x3x3 One-Handed title with a 10.69 average and an 8.96 single over Daniel Partridge at 15.12 and Stephen Waller at 15.59. Archer also took silver in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 33.72 average, just behind champion Adam Black who averaged 33.54, while Partridge rounded out that podium in third at 34.18.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a large field of 145 competitors across four separate rounds of competition. When the final 3x3 results were settled, Nicholas Archer completed his double victory by taking the gold with a 7.34 average and a best single of 6.42. Tian Ying Xi of Hong Kong claimed the second-place spot with an 8.46 average, while Stephen Waller finished in third with an 8.54. Luke Burns also picked up another title in the 2x2x2 Cube, logging a 1.45 average to win over Nicky Sim at 1.63 and Archer at 1.97.

Away from the championship podiums, the cubing competition saw remarkable personal breakthroughs from competitors tackling ambitious schedules. George Howarth took on seven events and dropped his Pyraminx personal best to 2.66 seconds, an improvement of 68.7 percent, alongside his first ever attempt at Megaminx in 2:43.24. Charlotte Marsland cut her Pyraminx personal record by 63.4 percent down to 6.38 seconds while entering three events. Shengchao Hu improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 38.6 percent to 4.06 seconds and logged a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 2:07.82. Alex McKinnon entered four events, posting a 38.3 percent improvement on 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.40 single and logging a first Clock attempt of 14.87.

The progress continued across various disciplines as competitors broadened their competitive ranges. Ethan Rankin shaved 31 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 26.82 single and completed a first attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 15.12. Max Farrow took on eight events, logging a first Clock solve of 18.09, reaching an 8th place finish in Square-1, and improving his Square-1 best by 31.1 percent to 11.52. John Wilkie improved his Square-1 personal record by 30.7 percent down to 32.62 while recording a first 4x4x4 Cube mark of 1:15.98. Magnus Miłosz Birecki completed six events, achieving a 19th place finish in Pyraminx and lowering his 2x2x2 Cube best by 27.2 percent to 2.30.

The gathering served as a lively WCA competition that tested versatility and technique across all eight events on the schedule. With 22 podium places claimed by host nation competitors from the United Kingdom alongside international podium finishes for Australia and Hong Kong, Edinburgh Summer 2023 demonstrated the depth of talent present across both niche and mainstream puzzles. The event highlighted how alternate puzzle formats continue to thrive alongside the traditional speed disciplines as the competitive circuit looks forward to its next stops on the calendar.