Hong Kong Big Cube Day 2023

Inside Block B at the Chung Mei Centre, tables were lined with precision mats and timers as 50 competitors gathered on July 30, 2023. The focus across the hall was unmistakable, with players inspecting intricate mechanisms and warming up their fingers before stepping up to the official stations. Organised as a specialised WCA competition dedicated to large mechanisms, the one-day gathering in Hong Kong, Hong Kong brought together top talent and dedicated enthusiasts across nine intense rounds.

While fans often look for traditional speedcubing benchmarks like standard 3x3 results, big-puzzle contests demand an entirely different layer of mastery. Handling high-order layers requires delicate finger precision, exceptional spatial tracking, and mechanical control. A single minor lockup on a massive cube can derail an entire attempt, making consistency and patience just as essential as rapid turning speed on the official tables.

The 5x5x5 Cube drew the largest field of the day with 46 competitors across three rounds, serving as a headline contest for the cubing competition. Ivan Li Ka Leong (李嘉亮) delivered a commanding performance to secure the title, recording a winning average of 45.66 seconds alongside a best single of 42.74 seconds. In an earlier stage of the event, Li Ka Leong set a Hong Kong national record single of 37.78 seconds. Junliang Huang (黄骏亮) took second place with a 47.92 average, while Andy Mok Man Cheuk (莫文卓) earned third with 53.41.

Ivan Li Ka Leong continued his dominant run in the 6x6x6 Cube, navigating two rounds against 36 competitors to capture his second title of the meet. Li Ka Leong posted a winning average of 1:25.99 and a best single of 1:20.59. Andy Mok Man Cheuk followed in second place with an average of 1:37.48, while Junliang Huang claimed third place on the podium with a 1:38.63 result in the final.

The 7x7x7 Cube presented the ultimate endurance test of the day, featuring 33 competitors over two rounds. Wong Kin Lok (黃健樂) rose to the top of the standings, capturing victory with a 2:14.11 winning average and a best single of 2:06.00. Ivan Li Ka Leong added another podium finish to his haul by taking second place with an average of 2:17.68, while Andy Mok Man Cheuk rounded out the top three with an average of 2:32.41.

In the Megaminx event, 32 competitors tackled the twelve-sided dodecahedron puzzle across two rounds. Yunliang Zhang (张赟量) produced a stellar display of lookahead and turning, winning the event with an average of 32.77 seconds and a best single of 30.46 seconds. Andy Mok Man Cheuk secured another podium placement by finishing second with a 43.09 average, while Ivan Li Ka Leong completed his comprehensive medal set by placing third with a 44.08 average.

Behind the top podium spots, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the schedule. Kam Chun Hei (金駿熙) delivered a massive leap forward in the 5x5x5 Cube, setting a personal best of 1:04.76 to cut 60 percent off a previous mark of 2:41.90. Quinson Hon Kwan Shun (韓君信) entered four events, logging a Megaminx personal best of 1:28.75 that was 51.8 percent faster than before, while also recording debut attempts of 3:58.76 in the 6x6x6 Cube and 6:57.30 in the 7x7x7 Cube. Ryan Tang Chi Hang (鄧智恒) took on four events, setting a 6x6x6 Cube personal best of 1:58.43 for a 43.1 percent improvement, trimming his Megaminx mark to 1:09.89, and logging a first 7x7x7 Cube attempt of 3:52.67.

The momentum continued as Zhibo Xuan (禤志博) completed three events, setting a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 55.11 seconds for a 42.8 percent improvement alongside first-ever attempts of 1:59.92 on the 6x6x6 Cube and 3:10.39 on the 7x7x7 Cube. Ho Lok Man (何絡民) placed seventh in the 6x6x6 Cube with a personal best of 1:45.71, improved on the 7x7x7 Cube to 2:40.65, and recorded a first Megaminx result of 1:15.41. Chan Chun Hei (陳俊熙) improved his 5x5x5 Cube best by 22.7 percent to 1:05.08 while completing first official attempts in the 6x6x6 Cube at 2:05.24 and 7x7x7 Cube at 3:24.75. Chan Yun Yung (陳潤蓉) took seventh in Megaminx, improved to 1:10.27 in the 5x5x5 Cube, and registered inaugural marks in both the 6x6x6 Cube at 2:20.89 and 7x7x7 Cube at 3:37.54.

Across all four disciplines, the action highlighted the broad appeal and technical evolution of Rubik's Cube solving at higher complexities. By the close of Hong Kong Big Cube Day 2023, local Hong Kong competitors had claimed nine podium places alongside three for China. The speed cubing community demonstrated tremendous depth across both classic and non-cubic hardware, establishing strong form as athletes look forward to their next season.

在五階魔方單次成績定格在37.78秒的那一刻，Hong Kong Big Cube Day 2023的賽場迎來了高光瞬間。Ivan Li Ka Leong (李嘉亮)憑藉這一驚人發揮刷新了該項目的香港紀錄，同時展現出在長時間高強度復原中的頂尖掌控力。這場聚焦大階魔方項目的速度極限之戰，全面檢驗了選手們的專注力與耐力。

本次WCA competition於2023年7月30日在Hong Kong, Hong Kong的Block B, Chung Mei Centre舉行。賽事共吸引了50名選手前來參賽，在9個輪次的激烈爭奪中，大家共同挑戰了4個極具體能與思維考驗的大階與異形魔術方塊項目。作為一場專門的大階魔方賽事，選手們需要面對複雜的中心塊與棱塊拼合，每一步轉動都是對手指速度與體能儲備的雙重考驗。

在多達46人報名的五階魔方決賽中，Ivan Li Ka Leong (李嘉亮)延續強勢狀態，以45.66秒的平均成績和42.74秒的單次最快成績奪得冠軍。來自中國的Junliang Huang (黄骏亮)以47.92秒位列第二，香港選手Andy Mok Man Cheuk (莫文卓)則以53.41秒取得第三名。多位選手在該項目中接連發揮出高水準，展現了強大的抗壓能力。

轉戰步數更多、結構更繁複的六階魔方賽場，Ivan Li Ka Leong (李嘉亮)再度展現絕對統治力。他在36名選手的競爭中以1:25.99的平均成績與1:20.59的最快單次收穫個人第二座冠軍。Andy Mok Man Cheuk (莫文卓)以1:37.48的平均成績摘得銀牌，Junliang Huang (黄骏亮)則以1:38.63的成績收穫銅牌，前三名選手的穩定復原令人印象深刻。

七階魔方則是整場比賽對耐力要求最高的項目，需要選手在數分鐘內保持極高的轉速與零失誤的觀察。在33名選手參與的角逐中，Wong Kin Lok (黃健樂)發揮出色，憑藉2:14.11的平均成績和2:06.00的最佳單次強勢奪得冠軍。Ivan Li Ka Leong (李嘉亮)以2:17.68緊隨其後獲得亞軍，Andy Mok Man Cheuk (莫文卓)以2:32.41位列季軍。

除了大階正方體項目外，十二軸面的Megaminx五魔方同樣考驗選手對多面觀察的掌控。在32名參賽者中，來自中國的Yunliang Zhang (张赟量)以32.77秒的平均成績和30.46秒的最佳單次斬獲冠軍。Andy Mok Man Cheuk (莫文卓)以43.09秒取得第二名，Ivan Li Ka Leong (李嘉亮)則以44.08秒收穫第三名，在所有參賽項目中均登上領獎台。

在榮譽榜單之外，許多選手在賽場上實現了突破。Lau Chung Shun (劉重信)在五階項目中大幅提速，以1:18.38刷新個人最佳，比原紀錄1:46.42提升了26.3%，同時在六階項目迎來首秀並取得3:18.19。Wong Pat Lun (黃柏綸)在此次魔方比賽中多點開花，五魔方以1:22.70刷新個人最佳並提升了26.6%，五階也以1:42.74提升了18.8%，並完成六階首秀取得3:57.40。Sungyi Lee則完成兩項賽事首秀，五階交出1:04.81，五魔方取得50.19。

更多初次涉足大階賽事的選手同樣帶來了驚喜。Rinji Chan Pak Hei (陳柏熹)一口氣完成了三個項目的賽事初體驗，七階取得3:47.18，五魔方取得1:18.30，六階取得2:05.49。Yau Wai Chun (丘瑋俊)迎來五階首秀2:05.37與五魔方首秀1:25.86。Chau Lai Yin (周禮言)在生涯首場比賽中完成五階首秀1:43.16與七階首秀6:42.88，Wong Ho Ming (黃晧銘)也在首場賽事中完成五魔方初次嘗試並錄得4:11.42。

縱觀Hong Kong Big Cube Day 2023全部賽程，香港本土選手共贏得9個領獎台席位，展現出在大階魔方領域的深厚實力。這場speedcubing盛宴見證了新紀錄的誕生，也記錄了無數選手挑戰自我的身影。隨著大階項目的技術不斷演進，選手們在長局復原中的專注與熱情將在未來的賽季中繼續綻放。