Gros Jouets à Montréal 2023

Burno Li Chak Kwan swept every standard twisty puzzle on offer in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, taking five separate titles across a grueling weekend of big-puzzle speedcubing. His dominant run was anchored by a 25.64 winning average in the 4x4x4 Cube and a 50.29 mark in the 5x5x5 Cube, setting the standard for a competitive gathering at the École de Technologie Supérieure on January 21 and 22, 2023. Beyond his individual brilliance, the weekend showcased the sheer depth of a 52-competitor roster battling through 16 rounds of play, where qualifying for a final required sustained precision across multiple elimination stages.

The competitive pressure was particularly evident in the marquee events. In the 4x4x4 Cube, 48 competitors started round one, requiring three distinct stages to whittle the field down to the finalists. Behind Li Chak Kwan, Diego Rodriguez-Ramirez took second place with a 34.54 average, while Louis Meunier claimed third in 34.84. In a cubing competition centered on large-format puzzles rather than standard 3x3 results, navigating the layered parity traps and complex edge pairing demanded absolute composure from every competitor hoping to secure a podium finish.

That attrition continued in the 5x5x5 Cube, where 41 entrants battled across three rounds. Li Chak Kwan secured first place, flanked by Evan Liu of the United States in second with 58.75 and Diego Rodriguez-Ramirez of Canada in third with 1:00.95. As the size of the puzzles grew, the margins remained fiercely contested. The 6x6x6 Cube saw 28 solvers push through three rounds, ending with Li Chak Kwan winning in 1:33.87, ahead of Rodriguez-Ramirez with 1:40.39 and Liu with 1:43.16.

In the 7x7x7 Cube, 27 competitors entered the fray, navigating three demanding rounds of large-cube mechanics. Li Chak Kwan claimed his fourth title with an average of 2:25.21, besting Evan Liu at 2:47.23 and Roy Lee at 3:29.43. Li Chak Kwan completed his five-event haul in the Megaminx, taking victory in the twelve-sided discipline with an average of 36.74 over two rounds. Roy Lee placed second with 51.05, while Jasmin Bouchard finished third with 54.42, demonstrating the diverse technical range demanded at Gros Jouets à Montréal 2023.

While the sighted events demanded physical speed and pattern recognition, the blindfolded schedule delivered intense mental battles. Elliott Kobelansky delivered a masterclass in spatial memory and execution, claiming double gold for Canada. In the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event, Kobelansky won with an average of 2:44.88, leading Evan Liu at 5:59.15 and Igor Pertoso Lazdan at 8:58.20. Kobelansky followed that performance by topping the 5x5x5 Blindfolded podium with a 6:35.26 average, finishing ahead of Ben Bergen at 18:33.00 and Lazdan at 20:12.00 in a contest featuring only five brave starters.

Behind the top steps of the podium, numerous solvers made dramatic leaps across the schedule. Emeric Albert tackled four events, setting a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 32.18 that was 37.5 percent faster than before, alongside a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 1:13.98 that improved by 37.3 percent. Jimmy Ou Yang recorded a Megaminx personal best of 1:42.68, cutting 36.9 percent off his previous benchmark, while Mathieu Camiré shaved 28.9 percent from his 4x4x4 Cube mark with a 48.36. Anthony Chayer made his first ever attempts at 6x6x6 Cube in 7:14.78 and 7x7x7 Cube in 12:21.00, while also dropping his 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 25.6 percent to 2:32.63.

The weekend also welcomed fresh faces taking their first strides in official speed cubing. Marcelin Laguerre-Tremblay entered their first WCA competition, logging five events including a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 47.76, a Megaminx attempt of 2:17.47, and a 6x6x6 Cube result of 3:05.77. Victor Piochon also made their official debut across four events, posting a 1:33.65 on the 4x4x4 Cube and a 7:26.84 on the 7x7x7 Cube. Emma Cadet contested six disciplines, claiming fourth place in 5x5x5 Blindfolded alongside a first 5x5x5 Cube time of 1:48.81. Denys Trachuk took on four events, logging a first 4x4x4 Cube time of 44.95 and a first 6x6x6 Cube attempt of 2:56.56.

From classic Rubik's Cube variants to the heaviest mechanical puzzles in the sport, the two-day gathering highlighted the depth of the regional and international speedcubing community in 2023. Canada led the overall medal haul with nine podium placements, followed by the United States with seven and Hong Kong with five. With 52 competitors pushing each other through multiple demanding elimination tiers, Gros Jouets à Montréal 2023 offered a complete test of endurance, memory, and puzzle dexterity.