Empire State ALL11-Stars 2026

The competition hall at the Albany Capital Center filled with the familiar, rhythmic clatter of plastic layers shifting at lightning speed as March 7 to March 8 brought a dense schedule of solving to the floor. Across two full days in Albany, New York, USA, 54 competitors gathered to test their skills over 11 separate disciplines and 19 competitive rounds. The atmosphere throughout the venue reflected the sharp focus required across every category, from lightning sprints to extended memory challenges, as the 2026 calendar gained another intense chapter.

The central drama of the weekend belonged to the speed events, where rapid hand speed and instantaneous lookahead decided the podiums. In the 3x3x3 Cube, the premier discipline of any Rubik's Cube gathering, 46 competitors took part across three rounds of intense action. Curtis Chai emerged atop the pack, taking the victory with a standout 6.70 winning average alongside a tournament-best single solve of 5.78. The 3x3 results highlighted the exacting margins at the top, where consistent execution under the timer separated the contenders from the champions.

The sprint puzzles also saw remarkable displays in the Pyraminx, where Parker Trager dominated a field of 43 entrants across two rounds. Trager locked down first place with a winning average of 1.79 and a best single of 1.43, keeping ahead of Evan Waters who finished second with an average of 2.33, while Clem Tucker secured third place with an average of 2.40. Trager continued that fast pace in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming first place among 31 competitors with an average of 12.10 and a single solve of 9.85, outpacing Elliott Perkins at 13.69 and Chai at 14.89.

The 4x4x4 Cube delivered another showcase of blistering turning speed as 41 entrants battled through two rounds of competition. Curtis Chai collected another first-place finish, putting together a winning average of 27.12 to go with a best single of 26.26. Alexei Sinyavin pressed hard right to the final solve, securing second place with an average of 27.39, while Parker Trager reached the podium once again in third place with a mark of 28.28. In Clock, Evan Waters led a 35-person field across three rounds, securing the title with a 3.55 average and a 2.23 single.

Beyond the speed sprints, the large cubes tested stamina and reduction efficiency. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Alexei Sinyavin captured the title among 35 competitors with a 48.86 winning average and a 45.75 single, finishing ahead of Chai who took second with 51.80 and Marcus S. Bilik in third at 56.83. Livia Kleiner took command of the biggest hardware, winning the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:35.99 ahead of Sinyavin and Evan Liu, and adding a 7x7x7 Cube victory with a mark of 2:14.66. The blindfolded roster saw Chris Chi win 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 31.67 and 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 4:18.82, while Evan Liu won 5x5x5 Blindfolded in 10:49.00.

Away from the championship hardware, Empire State ALL11-Stars 2026 provided an ideal stage for personal milestones and breakthroughs that standard standings rarely show. Gabriel Gnilo dropped his Clock personal best to 21.57, shaving 59.2 percent off his prior benchmark, while also improving his 3x3x3 One-Handed best to 31.68 across five events. Jaxon Blanchette recorded a 9.90 in Pyraminx, cutting 52.1 percent off his prior best, and tackled Clock for the first time with a 28.03 single. Faizan Mamun delivered a major leap in the 3x3x3 Cube with a personal best of 12.86, an improvement of 42.7 percent, while taking his first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 26.27. Ming Chai cut 21.1 percent from his 5x5x5 Cube mark with a new personal best of 2:32.56.

First attempts at demanding events defined the journey for several other competitors this weekend. Andrew Sherman logged a personal best of 15.14 in the 3x3x3 Cube, improving by 14.8 percent, while also taking his first ever attempt at the 5x5x5 Cube in 3:26.55 across six events entered. Javi Rumi earned a 22nd-place finish in the 7x7x7 Cube with a first-time mark of 6:47.38 and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube best to 13.73. Natalie Vander Wilt attended her first WCA competition, taking on four events with opening marks including 12.66 in Pyraminx and 37.46 in Clock. Dheeksha Hemanth also made a tournament debut, recording first marks of 15.52 in Pyraminx and 2:29.96 in the 4x4x4 Cube.

The total body of results from this speed cubing weekend reflected deep quality across all 19 rounds, with United States competitors capturing all 33 available podium positions. From standard 3x3 solutions to the complex calculations of multi-layered puzzles, the cubing competition demonstrated the depth of the regional scene in 2026. Every entrant who stepped to the tables contributed to an intense, well-rounded event that balanced sprint speed against strategic endurance.

As the timers were packed away and the Albany Capital Center cleared, Empire State ALL11-Stars 2026 concluded as a comprehensive test of precision and agility. The performances produced by Chai, Trager, and their fellow finalists set a high bar for the region as the speedcubing community looks ahead to the remainder of the season.