Hefei Winter Open 2023

The competition hall at Hefei No.6 High School Linghu Campus buzzed with focused energy as 115 competitors assembled on November 25, 2023. Rows of timers and display mats lined the tables while judges prepared their stopwatches for a full schedule of speedcubing action. Across five distinct events and ten rounds of play, the gathering in Hefei, China, brought together some of the region's most accomplished hands alongside enthusiastic puzzle solvers aiming to test their practice under official tournament conditions.

Veteran competitors returned to peak form right from the start, demonstrating the precision and composure that define top-tier speed cubing. In the premier 3x3x3 Cube event, Ruihang Xu (许瑞航) delivered a commanding performance to secure the championship. Facing a massive field of 113 competitors over three hard-fought rounds, Xu took top honours with an exceptional winning average of 5.75 seconds and a tournament-best single of 4.60 seconds, proving once again why his tournament execution remains among the world standard.

The battle for the remaining podium spots in the classic Rubik's Cube division showcased incredible depth and consistency across every solve. Xuanyi Geng (耿暄一) matched the winner with an identical average of 5.75 seconds to take second place, while Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) finished right behind in third place with a 5.81 average. The official 3x3 results demonstrated how razor-thin the margins were at the top of the standings, with mere hundredths of a second separating the podium finishers.

Ruihang Xu (许瑞航) continued his winning ways in the 4x4x4 Cube competition, taking his second victory of the day with a winning average of 23.81 seconds and a best single solve of 22.02 seconds among 62 competitors. Yusheng Du (杜宇生) captured the runner-up spot with an average of 28.91 seconds, while Jiayu Wang (王佳宇) rounded out the top three with a 31.48 average. The single-round format left no room for hesitation, demanding immediate consistency from every finalist.

Beyond the championship battles at the top of the table, numerous participants achieved remarkable personal milestones that highlighted their dedication across multiple disciplines. Jiarui Xiong (熊家瑞) produced astonishing progress across three different categories, dropping their Pyraminx best single to 2.42 seconds for a 76.1 percent improvement, cutting their 2x2x2 Cube mark to 3.01 seconds for a 75.4 percent drop, and setting a Skewb personal best of 5.05 seconds for a 73.9 percent improvement while taking 12th place in Pyraminx. Haozhe Lü (吕浩哲) also delivered massive drops, recording an 11.53 in the 3x3x3 Cube for a 62.4 percent improvement, setting a Pyraminx personal best of 2.92 seconds for a 57.7 percent drop, and finishing 45th in 4x4x4 Cube with a first attempt of 49.86 seconds. Yi Huang (黄弋) took on three events, setting a 2x2x2 Cube best of 1.65 seconds for a 57.5 percent improvement, cutting their 3x3x3 Cube best to 7.35 seconds for a 24.8 percent drop, and lodging a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:18.59.

Expanding into fresh challenges proved equally rewarding for several versatile solvers throughout the busy schedule. Sijun Yang (杨思钧) tackled five separate events, logging first attempts in the 4x4x4 Cube at 59.83 seconds to finish 53rd, the Pyraminx at 12.52 seconds, and the 2x2x2 Cube at 4.30 seconds. Xiuyuan Wu (吴修远) also took on five disciplines, placing 17th in the 4x4x4 Cube with a first attempt of 37.08 seconds alongside inaugural attempts of 6.30 seconds in Pyraminx and 9.68 seconds in Skewb. Ziyu Shang (尚子煜) completed a five-event slate with a 20th-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube, posting initial marks of 6.88 seconds in Skewb and 8.03 seconds in Pyraminx while lowering their 3x3x3 Cube best to 8.20 seconds for a 22.6 percent improvement. Shiyou Gu (顾释友) entered four events, posting first attempts of 1.50 seconds in 2x2x2 Cube, 2.73 seconds in Skewb, and 1.74 seconds in Pyraminx on the way to a brilliant 4th-place finish.

The 2x2x2 Cube event delivered blistering times across two rounds featuring 77 competitors, where Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) captured the victory with a 1.34 average and a 1.16 single solve. Ruihang Xu (许瑞航) took second place with an average of 1.64 seconds, while Ziyu Ye (叶梓渝) claimed third with a 1.71 average. The rapid pace of the event kept judges and timekeepers fully engaged throughout the preliminary and final rounds.

In the side events, Coral Yuxin Cai (蔡羽欣) emerged victorious in Skewb, registering a winning average of 2.55 seconds and a best single of 1.70 seconds over 46 competitors. Qijun Miao (缪其隽) and Yunchu Wang (王云楚) matched each other with 2.72 averages to finish second and third respectively. In Pyraminx, Yifan Luo (骆奕帆) claimed the title among 51 entrants with a 2.09 winning average and a 1.64 single, edging Ruihang Xu (许瑞航) at 2.29 and Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) at 2.86.

All 15 podium places at this WCA competition were claimed by competitors representing China, showcasing the incredible talent concentrated in the national circuit. With multiple titles, tight finishes, and widespread personal breakthroughs across five official disciplines, Hefei Winter Open 2023 concluded as a resounding success for the regional cubing community. The high level of execution sets an impressive benchmark as competitors turn their sights toward the next season.

115名魔方高手在2023年11月25日汇聚合肥市第六中学菱湖校区。作为高阶魔方项目中极其考验选手观察力与耐力的项目，四阶魔方往往需要面对复杂的中心块与棱块还原。在Hefei Winter Open 2023的单轮决胜中，高强度的还原考验不仅考验指尖转速，更考验选手持续的专注力与解题稳定性。

在Hefei, China举行的这场WCA competition中，四阶魔方赛场汇集了62位选手展开直接对话。Ruihang Xu (许瑞航)展现出惊人的统治力，不仅交出全场最佳单次22.02秒，更凭借23.81秒的平均成绩稳稳夺冠。紧随其后的是Yusheng Du (杜宇生)，以28.91秒收获亚军，Jiayu Wang (王佳宇)则以31.48秒锁定领奖台席位。

除高阶魔方的精彩表现外，传统的三阶魔方项目更是整场cubing competition的重头戏。经过三轮113名选手的激烈角逐，Ruihang Xu (许瑞航)以5.75秒的平均成绩摘得桂冠，并斩获全场最快单次4.60秒。Xuanyi Geng (耿暄一)同样交出5.75秒的平均成绩夺得亚军，Yiheng Wang (王艺衡)以5.81秒名列第三。

在极速对抗的二阶魔方项目中，Yiheng Wang (王艺衡)展现了非凡的爆发力。他在两轮激战中刷出1.34秒的夺冠平均成绩与1.16秒的最佳单次，成功带走金牌。Ruihang Xu (许瑞航)以1.64秒位列第二，Ziyu Ye (叶梓渝)则以1.71秒获得季军，这场对决展现了顶尖选手在极短时间内的极限手速。

除了领奖台上的激烈角逐，很多选手在赛场上默默完成了属于自己的惊艳蜕变。Xukai Mei (梅栩恺)在此次比赛中参加了3个项目，在二阶魔方中拿到第11名，金字塔魔方个人最好成绩提升至2.81秒（相比原纪录9.91秒大幅提升71.6%），二阶魔方个人最好成绩提升至2.31秒（提升68.6%），三阶魔方也跑出9.14秒（提升68.2%）。Wangtong Guan (管王彤)迎来了二阶魔方生涯首秀并拿下2.75秒，三阶魔方成绩同样刷新至8.52秒，较原先的12.59秒提升了32.3%。

新项目的挑战也见证了诸多突破。Jun Yao (姚俊)报满了5个项目，不仅完成了49.87秒的四阶魔方与11.69秒的斜转魔方首秀，三阶魔方更以11.76秒创下个人新纪录。Yiheng Zhao (赵一衡)上演了8.84秒的斜转首秀，三阶以8.87秒提升18.4%，金字塔也刷新到5.90秒。Jiaping Sun (孙嘉平)交出7.26秒的斜转首秀，二阶跑出4.89秒，三阶达到7.68秒。初登WCA赛场的Xiannong Lin (林闲农)与Qihang Yang (杨齐航)均挑战了5个项目，前者在四阶首秀跑出31.43秒并获得第11名，后者在四阶首秀跑出37.60秒且三阶首秀交出8.42秒。

异形魔方赛场同样看点十足。在51人参赛的金字塔魔方角逐中，Yifan Luo (骆奕帆)凭借2.09秒的平均成绩和1.64秒的最佳单次力拔头筹，Ruihang Xu (许瑞航)以2.29秒夺得银牌，Yiheng Wang (王艺衡)以2.86秒名列第三。选手们精准的指法和敏锐的观察力让赛场节奏格外明快。

斜转魔方项目共有46人参与较量，Coral Yuxin Cai (蔡羽欣)以2.55秒的平均成绩和1.70秒的最快单次脱颖而出夺得冠军。Qijun Miao (缪其隽)与Yunchu Wang (王云楚)展开微小差距的缠斗，最终两人均以2.72秒的平均成绩完成比赛，分获亚军和季军。

随着10轮比赛全部落幕，Hefei Winter Open 2023圆满画上句号。从四阶魔方的耐力比拼到二阶速拧的极致冲刺，5个项目的精彩发挥展现了speedcubing选手的全面素养与深厚功底，也为2023年的魔方赛事留下了浓墨重彩的一笔。