Guildford Winter 2023

Across Rooms 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Austin Pearce Building at the University of Surrey, the steady click of turning plastic filled the air as 93 competitors gathered for a packed weekend of speedcubing. Running across February 4 and February 5, Guildford Winter 2023 brought together a bustling roster featuring both hardened veterans and a notable influx of newcomers stepping up to the tournament tables for the very first time. With 10 events spread over 18 rounds, the venue served as an ideal proving ground for debutants taking their first steps in the sport.

The arrival of fresh solvers added distinct energy to the weekend, highlighting the continued expansion of the speed cubing scene across the country. Across the scheduled events, numerous participants registered their first official solves in brand new categories or made their formal entrance to tournament play. The sheer volume of newcomers taking their seats alongside established champions demonstrated the depth of the field, setting an ambitious tone across both days of action in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.

Leading the way in the traditional Rubik's Cube category, Chris Mills captured first place in the 3x3x3 Cube final with a commanding winning average of 7.06 seconds. The event attracted 89 competitors across three rounds, delivering sharp competition throughout the bracket. Mills sealed the title ahead of Juliette Sébastien of France, who finished second on a 7.67 average, while Cham J. Chambers rounded out the podium in third with an 8.09 average. Mills also produced the fastest single solve of the entire event, stopping the clock at 5.15 seconds.

Cham J. Chambers mounted an exceptionally broad campaign across the schedule, collecting multiple top honors throughout Guildford Winter 2023. Chambers secured victory in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 28.56 winning average, finishing ahead of Poland's Bart Sekulski on 30.45 and Chris Mills on 30.60. Chambers also claimed first place in the Clock event with a 4.60 winning average and a 3.18 best single, alongside a gold-medal performance in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by successfully resolving 11 of 13 cubes in 38:56.

Away from the top steps, the weekend offered plenty of breakthrough moments for dedicated competitors expanding their repertoires. Jack Nolan took on six events and delivered an extraordinary 67.5 percent reduction on his Square-1 personal best with a time of 13.21 seconds, while also logging his first Megaminx attempt at 2:00.98. Jacob Payne achieved a 53.3 percent cut on his 3x3x3 Cube best to reach 12.22 seconds, alongside his debut Megaminx solve of 1:33.40. Kamran Abdul recorded a 41.7 percent improvement in the 5x5x5 Cube with a mark of 1:24.55 and attempted Clock for the first time with an 11.03 single, while Simon Hagon knocked 46.7 percent off his Square-1 best down to 27.62 seconds and tackled eight separate events.

That same spirit of ambition carried through the efforts of several other solvers throughout the weekend. Oliver Chinery slashed 50.4 percent from his previous Clock mark to record a swift 9.01 single across his eight events. Joel Davies logged a 20.3 percent improvement in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 43.73 single while also making a first career Megaminx attempt of 1:54.98. Making their actual tournament debuts at this WCA competition, Daniel Thorn tackled three events including a 6:41.68 mark in 7x7x7 Cube, while Seth Dagul opened his career account with an 11.32 single in 3x3x3 Cube and a 53.33 attempt in 4x4x4 Cube.

The big cube events showcased high-level precision and stamina over long solving sessions. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Robert Yau took the gold medal with a winning average of 58.31 seconds, holding off Bart Sekulski on 59.10. Sekulski found victory in the 6x6x6 Cube, recording a winning average of 1:48.40 and a single of 1:39.10 to lead Chambers and Yau. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Mark Ostrom took top honors with a 2:28.23 average, followed by Chambers with 2:47.18 and Yau with 2:57.20.

Specialist categories brought additional drama across the Surrey tables. Ben Stokes captured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title by posting a single of 22.24 seconds, finishing ahead of Joey Gouly and Chambers. In Square-1, Charlie Stark earned the win with an 8.46 average and a best single of 6.55, leading Eleanor Sinnott and Stokes. Juliette Sébastien secured the Megaminx crown with a 36.42 average and a 34.91 single, demonstrating international quality in a tournament where host nation competitors earned 25 of the 30 total podium spots.

With 18 rounds concluded, Guildford Winter 2023 illustrated the vibrant state of the sport in 2023, where standard 3x3 results shared the spotlight with complex blindfolded and multi-layered challenges. From first-time entrants completing their opening solves to seasoned leaders delivering sub-eight averages, the Austin Pearce Building provided a memorable stage. Solvers departed Surrey with new personal milestones achieved, setting the benchmark for the remaining cubing competition calendar.