Glasgow Autumn 2023

Nicholas Archer delivered a stunning display of skill by securing five individual event victories across a single weekend, setting the benchmark for a tournament rich in format and discipline. Held at the University Centre Building on the Strathclyde University campus, the gathering brought together 161 competitors across 16 official events and 24 distinct rounds. Taking place from September 22 to September 24, the meeting celebrated the complete spectrum of mechanical puzzles, from lightning-quick standard twists to intricate multi-layered challenges and blindfold feats.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest, traditionally the centerpiece of any WCA competition, drew a deep field of 153 entrants across three separate rounds of play. Archer claimed top honors on the main stage, logging a winning average of 7.23 seconds to go along with a best single solve of 7.00 seconds. Fellow United Kingdom competitors rounded out the podium, as Johnny Morello Kerlaff earned second place with an average of 9.04 seconds, followed closely by Billie Hammill in third at 9.08 seconds, solidifying high-tier 3x3 results on home soil.

Beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube, Archer demonstrated his versatility by sweeping through both short and longer formats with relentless consistency. In the 2x2x2 Cube final, he captured first place with an average of 2.10 seconds, ahead of Kris Lim with 2.31 seconds and Kai Roff with 2.68 seconds. Archer then took on the larger face-turners, winning the 4x4x4 Cube with a 34.09 average and the 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:03.81 mark, edging Tan Jun (陈俊) of Malaysia and Daniel Evans. Archer concluded his individual haul by topping the 3x3x3 One-Handed event with an average of 9.99 seconds.

The sheer variety of speedcubing disciplines provided distinct technical tests throughout the schedule. Malaysia's Tan Jun (陈俊) produced a sharp 4.04-second winning average in the Pyraminx, prevailing over Marcus Siu and Adam Black in a tightly contested final. In the Skewb, Finley Norris navigated the corner-turning layout to seize the victory with a 4.42 average, while Cameron Littlejohn handled the mechanical pushpins of the Clock to win in 6.45 seconds. Stephen Waller navigated the 12-sided Megaminx to top the standings with a 49.00 average, and Billie Hammill secured the Square-1 title with a 10.85 average ahead of Siu and Eleanor Sinnott.

Daniel Evans took full command of the largest puzzles on the roster, capturing double gold in the big cubes. Evans won the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:51.79 average, finishing ahead of Ukraine's Glib Vedmid and Adam Black, before repeating the feat on the 7x7x7 Cube with a commanding 2:42.80 average. Blindfolded solving pushed cognitive stamina further, where Oliver Wheat won the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final with a single of 1:01.19. Ryan Eckersley conquered the 4x4x4 Blindfolded discipline in 1:33.80, while Alistair Miller triumphed in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by resolving 18 out of 20 cubes in 59:14, with George Austin and James Ballantine also securing podium spots.

Away from the top steps of the podium, numerous competitors delivered massive personal breakthroughs across diverse formats. Havish K. Prashant took on the 2x2x2 Cube and registered a personal best of 2.93 seconds, an improvement of 83.8 percent over a previous 18.10 mark, while also recording a first official 3x3x3 single of 44.31 seconds. Jamie Gallagher dropped their 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 56 percent down to 8.76 seconds, in addition to making official debuts in Clock at 23.09 seconds and Pyraminx at 16.13 seconds. Struan Lind trimmed their 3x3x3 standard mark by 52.4 percent to 21.68 seconds, alongside a 23.12 debut in Clock and a 16.26 debut in Skewb.

Other solvers expanded their repertoires into new puzzle families with impressive results. Mathew Carter reduced their Pyraminx best by 43.6 percent to 9.87 seconds and recorded debuts in Skewb with 14.58 seconds and 3x3x3 One-Handed with 1:19.02. John Fletcher improved their Clock personal best by 43.4 percent to 22.45 seconds while taking on Megaminx for the first time with 3:08.97 and One-Handed with 35.95 seconds. Shahzain Ibrahim took a 41.9 percent step forward on Skewb down to 10.13 seconds while debuting on Clock with 16.68 seconds and 4x4x4 Cube with 2:20.41. Daniel Schmitt tackled 10 events, notching debuts in 5x5x5 Cube with 1:56.13, 6x6x6 Cube with 4:31.34, and 7x7x7 Cube with 9:02.69, while Charlotte Marsland recorded first attempts on Megaminx at 2:09.37, Skewb at 5.69 seconds, and 6x6x6 Cube at 6:12.32.

The vast range of events and widespread personal milestones made Glasgow Autumn 2023 a standout cubing competition in Glasgow, City of Glasgow, United Kingdom. From multi-layer cubes to side events, speed cubing talent in the region displayed depth across every table in 2023. With 49 podium finishes claimed by domestic solvers and international competitors adding sharp contests across the board, the weekend showcased the enduring appeal and broad variety that define the modern competitive circuit as athletes look ahead to the next season.