Guildford Autumn 2023

Inside the halls of the University of Surrey, the steady click of turning plastic filled the room as ninety-four competitors gathered for two full days of high-stakes puzzle action. Judges kept sharp eyes on timers and scorecards while contenders warmed their hands between rounds. As the competition unfolded over November 11 and November 12, the venue carried an atmosphere of quiet concentration mixed with sudden bursts of relief after smooth completions, setting the stage for a memorable weekend of competition in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube final delivered unmatched drama that came down to the absolute wire. Ukraine representative Klyment Diachun and United Kingdom contender Luan Philippe Da Silva pushed each other through the five-solve concluding round across eighty-eight total entrants. Diachun secured the title with a tournament-winning average of 8.28 seconds, backed by a best single of 7.35 seconds, holding off Da Silva whose 8.61 average took second place. Dean David completed the podium in third with an 8.71 average, capping off an intense showcase of classic Rubik's Cube solving.

Guildford Autumn 2023 featured seventeen rounds across nine official events, welcoming both seasoned veterans and eager newcomers. For fans following the broader speedcubing landscape, the official 3x3 results proved remarkably dense, featuring several sub-ten averages in earlier rounds. Dean David enjoyed a busy, highly successful schedule, taking the 4x4x4 Cube championship with a 29.16 average ahead of Robert Yau at 32.66 and Ryan Chan at 32.77. David also added a bronze medal in the 5x5x5 Cube, finishing behind runner-up Yau and champion Jake Brown, who sealed the five-layer crown with a 58.34 mark.

Robert Yau claimed top honours in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, navigating two rounds of single-handed turns to win with a 14.99 average. Dean David stayed right in contention to take second with a 15.18 average, while Macau contender Max Kwok U Sam secured third place with 15.34. The event tests dexterity and spatial awareness under distinct mechanical constraints, making Yau's sub-fifteen winning sequence a highlight of the weekend's specialty puzzle categories.

In the larger big-cube divisions, Singapore competitor Carmen Teo Bin Jie swept both the 6x6x6 Cube and 7x7x7 Cube events. Teo Bin Jie recorded a winning average of 1:54.60 on the six-layer puzzle, narrowly edging Ben Stokes at 1:54.90 and Kerem Eroglu at 1:55.91. She followed that up with a decisive 2:31.17 average in the 7x7x7 Cube final. Stokes found redemption in other disciplines, capturing the Megaminx title with a 49.17 average and winning 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where memorisation and execution combined for a winning 20.31 single. Fengyuan Kelvin Lou topped the Square-1 field with a 10.81 average over Billie Hammill's 10.99.

Beyond the podium battles, Guildford Autumn 2023 showcased remarkable individual milestones and steep learning curves across the board. Zoravar Singh Udassi slashed their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 15.79 seconds, an improvement of 50.6 percent compared to their previous 31.94 mark, while also recording a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 50.60. Ashley Hatch took on nine events across the weekend, shaving 28.1 percent off their 6x6x6 Cube best down to 3:16.67, alongside first ever attempts in Megaminx with 2:53.96 and Square-1 with 41.28. Thomas Lalley knocked 29.7 percent off their 3x3x3 personal record to reach 14.58 seconds and tackled a first one-handed solve at 28.73.

Other competitors took on brand new challenges in the Surrey arena with equal determination. Ramsay Elson logged a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 1:08.73 and improved their 3x3x3 best by 20.6 percent to 14.72. Reuben Ingram dropped their 3x3x3 best by 18 percent to 41.34 and recorded a debut one-handed attempt at 1:26.44. Jack Adams competed across nine events, setting a 4x4x4 best of 52.49 seconds, a Megaminx best of 1:43.75, and a first 7x7x7 attempt of 6:00.12. Jamal Saddeque completed initial attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 1:32.55, Megaminx at 2:14.69, and 7x7x7 Cube at 6:21.45, while Kai Hatano tackled eight events, setting a 4x4x4 best of 37.81 seconds alongside debut attempts in Megaminx and 6x6x6 Cube.

This speed cubing gathering proved to be a diverse cubing competition, drawing nineteen podium finishes for host nation United Kingdom alongside medals for Singapore, Malaysia, Ukraine, Macau, and Hong Kong. As the final awards concluded the schedule for Guildford Autumn 2023, the event stood as a shining example of a well-run WCA competition in 2023, leaving competitors with fresh personal records and renewed focus as the calendar turns toward the next season.