Empire State Spring 2023

Nine different events pushed solvers to their limits across eighteen rounds of intense tournament action at the Albany Capital Center. The competition ran across April 8 and April 9, welcoming 64 competitors to Albany, New York, USA for two days of eclectic speedcubing tests. From the classic Rubik's Cube to towering big cubes, flat circular faces, and blindfolded challenges, the weekend celebrated the full spectrum of competitive twisty puzzle solving.

The 3x3x3 Cube field brought together 59 competitors across three full rounds, ultimately serving as one of the central draws of the cubing competition. In the decisive final round, Christopher Sun secured first place with a winning average of 7.01 seconds, also delivering the round's best single solve of 6.24 seconds. The 3x3 results capped a dominant performance across several disciplines for Sun, who proved unmatched across varied formats throughout the weekend.

Sun showcased remarkable versatility by sweeping every major big cube event on the schedule. He captured the 5x5x5 Cube title with a 49.96 winning average and a 49.10 single, outlasting Evan Liu, who took second with 1:00.05, and Will Russo in third with 1:11.45. Moving up to the 6x6x6 Cube, Sun won with an average of 1:36.98, while Liu took second in 1:49.68 and Jasmine Hazel Mackin placed third in 1:59.47. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Sun finished on top with an average of 2:29.17 ahead of Liu with 2:36.43 and Mackin with 3:01.52.

Beyond sighted speed solving, Sun took on the immense mental rigor of 5x5x5 Blindfolded, an event requiring thorough memorisation before execution. Sun captured the victory in the event with a single time of 8:34.99. He shared the podium with Liu, who completed a successful blindfolded solve in 12:26.00 to claim second place, and Russo, who finished in third place with a time of 18:25.00. The demanding event tested seven brave competitors across a single scheduled round.

Alternative puzzle disciplines provided fast-paced variety on the main stage. Dylan Chan claimed victory in Pyraminx with a sharp winning average of 3.52 seconds, having produced the weekend's best single of 1.34 seconds. Heath Flick secured second with 4.31, while Edward Habeck IV took third with 5.02. Chan also earned the title in Square-1, recording a winning average of 11.43 seconds, leading Sun in second at 12.79 and Russo in third at 13.52.

The remaining specialty disciplines brought their own unique mechanics into play at Empire State Spring 2023. Edward Habeck IV earned the Clock victory with a winning average of 5.75 seconds, followed closely by Sula Mareska at 6.08 and Liu in third at 6.15. In 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, a methodical event where competitors carefully craft efficient solutions on paper, Erik Johnson earned first place with a 30.00 average, followed by Russo in second at 32.33 and Liu in third at 36.67.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the weekend was defined by immense breakthroughs and daring new ventures. Lex Edwards achieved a massive 52.9 percent improvement in the 6x6x6 Cube with a personal best of 2:04.59, trimmed their 5x5x5 Cube mark by 38.4 percent to 1:00.47, and made their first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube with a time of 3:23.35, securing a 4th-place finish in 6x6x6 Cube. Samson Schaefer cut 45.2 percent off their previous best in the 3x3x3 Cube to finish in 18.84 seconds. Benjamin Graber improved their Pyraminx mark by 30.7 percent down to 5.07 seconds, entered 3x3x3 Fewest Moves for the first time to score a 30 and place 5th, and recorded a 9.17 3x3x3 Cube single. Adrian Costello took on eight separate events, making their first ever attempts in 6x6x6 Cube with 5:44.88, Clock with 21.53, and 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 46, which earned them a 6th-place finish.

Other competitors similarly expanded their horizons across the packed schedule. Ty Pacchione logged their first ever attempts at three events: 5x5x5 Cube in 2:19.44, 6x6x6 Cube in 4:28.85, and 7x7x7 Cube in 6:32.33. Jonathan Kim entered seven events, making first attempts in Clock at 28.00 and Square-1 at 36.39, while dropping their 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 22.1 percent to 1:46.65. Benjamin Martin lowered their 3x3x3 Cube best by 22.1 percent to 14.92 seconds while posting debut marks of 13.06 in Clock and 2:33.19 in 5x5x5 Cube. Michael Miloslavskiy took part in their first WCA competition, recording debut times of 17.84 in 3x3x3 Cube, 7.36 in Pyraminx, and 1:33.02 in Square-1.

Every podium spot at the event was claimed by competitors representing the United States, wrapping up 27 total podium awards across all nine events. The gathering demonstrated the full breadth of modern speed cubing, uniting veteran competitors and tournament newcomers over challenging formats. With eighteen rounds completed in Albany, Empire State Spring 2023 delivered a memorable showcase of skill and variety that sets the stage for the rest of the 2023 competitive calendar.