FMC Latin America 2023

Pencils scratched across paper and notation sheets filled up as competitors surveyed their scrambled puzzles in silence across venues spread throughout Latin America. The focused atmosphere of solving challenges requiring singular dexterity, much like the discipline of 3x3 one-handed where table ergonomics and efficient fingertricks dictate success, demands total mental clarity. Every single movement must be calculated and deliberate. On March 25, 2023, the simultaneous multi-venue tournament got underway with 116 competitors gathering to test their efficiency and patience.

The regional challenge, officially staged as FMC Latin America 2023 across Multiple Cities, XM, featured a single intensive round dedicated purely to efficiency. Solving with strict economy of movement requires a complete shift from high-tps speed cubing execution toward deep structural analysis. The entire field faced the classic Rubik's Cube with a single goal: finding the shortest path to a solved state. Each move counted heavily toward the overall standing across the unified continental scoreboard.

Guido Dipietro of Argentina delivered a masterclass in efficiency to take top honors at the cubing competition. Dipietro secured first place with a winning average of 25.33 moves across the round, bolstered by an exceptional best single solve of 24 moves. His disciplined approach and precise reconstructions kept him ahead of a strong international pack, anchoring Argentina at the very top of the multi-national podium in this specialized WCA competition.

Brazilian competitors mounted a fierce chase for the remaining podium steps, demonstrating remarkable consistency across their attempts. Anuar Miguel Abib Onofre secured second place overall for Brazil with a solid 27.33 average, showing great analytical composure throughout the attempts. Right behind him, compatriot Alexandre Henrique Afonso Campos captured the third spot on the podium with an average of 28.67 moves, bringing Brazil a total of two podium finishes on the weekend.

Beyond the top podium spots, the event produced notable single and average marks for several competitors representing multiple nations. Samuel Hernandez Castro of Mexico turned in a 35 single and a 46.67 average, while Angel Alexis Carrillo Ramirez of Mexico recorded a 30 single and a 36.00 average. Dennis Rosero of Colombia posted a 30 single and a 37.00 average, and Luis Flores of Bolivia registered a 43 single and a 49.33 average in the single-round contest.

The official 3x3 results also hide remarkable individual milestones achieved far away from the podium spotlight. Marius Rombout Ferreira van Riemsdijk delivered a standout improvement by recording a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best of 28 moves, which was 3.4% faster than his previous best of 29 moves, finishing in 48th place. Taking on the event for the first time in their careers, Felipe Ignacio Heckersdorf marked his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a 34 to take 56th place, while Gustavo Ignacio Pineda Gonzalez secured a 36 on his first attempt to finish 61st.

Other competitors also made their debut appearances in the discipline with strong foundational efforts across the board. Miguel Ángel Pech Poot attended his first WCA competition and posted a 37 on his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, finishing 65th. Giordano Limber Aguilar Allcca registered a 39 on his first attempt to claim 23rd place, while Vicente Astroza earned a 40 on his first try to place 72nd. Ignacio Naval logged a 42 on his first attempt for 78th place, and Nahuel Obando Boller delivered a 53 on his first attempt to place 87th.

The 2023 edition of FMC Latin America 2023 demonstrated the depth of talent throughout the regional speedcubing community. Bringing together 116 competitors across scattered venues into a single coordinated tournament, the event highlighted the analytical possibilities of the classic puzzle. As competitors prepare for future tests on the continental calendar, the precise solutions logged across this single day will stand as a benchmark for efficiency across the region.