Empire State Winter 2025

Inside the halls of the Albany Capital Center, stacks of puzzle mats lined the competition tables as timers flickered to life. The weekend of February 8 to February 9 brought together 36 competitors in Albany, New York, USA for two full days of high-intensity solving. Spectators and participants watched closely as the official schedule unfolded across 10 events and 16 separate rounds. Every stage required strategic pacing, from early qualification rounds to the decisive multi-round finals that defined the tournament schedule.

The competitive architecture of Empire State Winter 2025 forced solvers to navigate different pressures, with three rounds in the flagship event testing stamina while single-round challenges left no room for error. In the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube, Evan Liu mastered the multi-stage format to capture first place, recording a winning average of 7.48 seconds alongside a best single solve of 6.39. Liam Chen secured the second podium position with an 8.03 average, while Livia Kleiner took third place with an 8.29 average in the final 3x3 results.

Shorter formats demanded immediate execution, particularly in the 2x2x2 Cube where 32 competitors tackled two intense rounds of competition. Eli Rogers took top honors on the podium with a winning average of 2.04 seconds, backed by a blistering best single mark of 0.92 seconds. Evan Liu maintained consistent speed to take second place with a 2.10 average, and Wang Ma earned third place with a 2.59 average. In Clock, a direct one-round final rewarded early accuracy as Rex Ozsvath claimed victory with a 3.76 average ahead of Angelo Terpening at 4.72 and Evan Liu at 4.80.

Single-round battles also decided the specialized categories, where precision without safety nets proved critical. Jihu Mun excelled in the lone round of 3x3x3 One-Handed, securing the title with a 12.73 average and a best single of 11.76 seconds, finishing ahead of Livia Kleiner at 13.31 and Evan Liu at 14.64. In the blindfolded events, Liam Chen displayed complete mastery of memory and execution. Chen won 3x3x3 Blindfolded with an 18.86 average and a 16.43 single, before capturing the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title with a winning single time of 2:04.92.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors logged remarkable milestones across their respective events during the weekend. Patrick Strawder delivered sharp progress by setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 4.83 seconds, which was 30 percent faster than his prior mark, alongside a Clock best of 11.59 seconds that improved by 13.7 percent. Ethan Nabatian dropped his 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 1:40.21, a 28.7 percent improvement, while making his first ever attempts at both 3x3x3 One-Handed and Clock. Arjun Ragalwar made substantial strides with a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 38.81 seconds, marking a 20 percent improvement over his prior record. Jack Krieg took on nine events, lowering his 6x6x6 Cube best to 3:03.76 for a 7.8 percent drop, his 5x5x5 Cube mark to 1:09.84 for a 4.9 percent improvement, and his 4x4x4 Cube best to 34.79 seconds.

First-time entries and bold ventures into unfamiliar events highlighted the broader depth of the gathering. Samin Yasar stepped up for a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube, posting a 59.60 solve, while also setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 4.27 seconds. Gordon R. Holey took on nine events, completing his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 9:07.73 and lowering his 6x6x6 Cube personal best to 5:58.31 for a 9.3 percent improvement. Daniel Goldstein took on seven events and completed his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:33.32, while also lowering his 3x3x3 Cube best to 11.89 seconds. Achyuth Badami tackled five events, recording first ever attempts in 4x4x4 Cube with 1:32.89, 2x2x2 Cube with 4.64, and Clock with 33.62.

The larger puzzles demanded physical endurance and meticulous concentration across the multi-layered elimination brackets. Evan Liu captured the 4x4x4 Cube crown with a 31.38 average, edging Livia Kleiner at 32.13 and Jihu Mun at 36.52. Liu also stood atop the 6x6x6 Cube field with a 1:40.36 winning average. Livia Kleiner took command of the remaining big cubes, winning the 5x5x5 Cube title with a 53.04 average and adding a 7x7x7 Cube triumph with a mark of 2:28.53, finishing clear of Liu at 2:33.57 and Will Russo at 3:10.35.

This speedcubing gathering in the state capital illustrated how modern tournament schedules challenge competitors across varied disciplines. From the lightning pace of short formats to the mental test of memory solves, every round carried high stakes for the field. As another major WCA competition wrapped up in 2025, the community celebrated a weekend defined by precision solving and sharp competition across every division of the sport.

The diverse array of events showcased the full spectrum of speed cubing, giving both experienced finalists and advancing competitors a platform to test their skills. Whether navigating a tense three-round progression or maximizing a single-round opportunity, the participants at Empire State Winter 2025 delivered memorable performances across the board. The collective efforts in Albany provided a compelling snapshot of high-level puzzle solving and tournament organization.