IUT Esonance 2023

Inside the halls of the Islamic University of Technology, the late-autumn calendar brought an intense atmosphere of focus and sharp puzzle turns. Timers flashed across stations as competitors gathered for a pivotal late-year stop in the regional speedcubing schedule. With the 2023 competitive season winding through its concluding stretch, every single turn and average carried extra weight for contenders seeking to establish their standing before the calendar turned. The focused gathering provided a prime testing ground for both seasoned veterans and eager newcomers.

The one-day WCA competition, officially hosted as IUT Esonance 2023, took place on November 3, 2023 in Gazipur, Bangladesh. A vibrant field of 80 competitors assembled to contest two classic disciplines across 5 total rounds of action. With a compact schedule that kept every table active throughout the day, the cubing competition delivered rapid turnarounds and high stakes across all five rounds of head-to-head resolving.

The marquee event of the weekend, the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube, featured a massive field of 79 competitors battling through three full stages of play. Taosif Amin Sahil rose to the occasion in the final round, capturing first place with an impressive winning average of 7.98 seconds. Sahil also turned in the best single of the entire event with a swift 7.04-second solve. In earlier rounds of the event, Sahil logged an average of 8.02 seconds alongside a single of 7.54 seconds to cement his dominance.

The remaining podium spots in the 3x3 results witnessed a tight battle between top contenders from Bangladesh. Md Tafsirul Islam claimed second place with an average of 8.30 seconds, having posted an earlier average of 8.97 and a single of 7.83 seconds. Mosfikul Islam took third place on the podium with a 9.08-second average in the final round, supported by a preliminary average of 9.34 and a 7.56 single. Arnab Banik also showed immense speed during the preliminary rounds by turning in a 7.25 single.

Beyond the traditional cube, the Pyraminx event brought fast-paced drama across two rounds featuring 55 competitors. Mohammad Didar Ali Afridi took the championship title with a stellar 3.85-second average in the final round, bolstered by the competition best single of 2.64 seconds. Afif Zahin Biswas secured second place with an average of 4.85 seconds, while Ahnaf Uddin Rafid took the third podium spot with a 5.48-second mark, completing a clean sweep of all six podium positions at the meet for Bangladesh.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the deeper rounds of IUT Esonance 2023 highlighted remarkable breakthroughs from dedicated solvers. Taosif Mahir delivered one of the weekend's biggest leaps in Pyraminx, cutting their personal best by 56.5 percent down to 11.42 seconds. Mahi Rahman Sarker achieved massive progress across both events, slashing their Pyraminx mark by 55.2 percent to 9.11 seconds and lowering their 3x3x3 Cube best by 36.7 percent to 15.95 seconds. Kazi Nehan similarly dropped their 3x3x3 Cube best by 51.6 percent to 20.54 seconds while improving their Pyraminx best by 36.7 percent to 8.05 seconds.

The drive for progress continued as Raif Zohair secured a 5th-place finish in Pyraminx with a personal best of 3.96 seconds, marking a 45.6 percent improvement. Intekhab Haider Khan lowered their Pyraminx personal best by 41.5 percent to 14.10 seconds. Tanvirul huque Saad achieved an 11th-place finish in the 3x3x3 Cube with a personal best of 8.40 seconds while logging an 11.60 in their first ever attempt at Pyraminx. For debutants entering their first speed cubing meet, Ashiqul Hoque recorded initial marks of 19.28 in Pyraminx and 51.98 in the 3x3x3 Cube, while Sameen Alam completed their first official attempts with 21.06 in the 3x3x3 Cube and 9.62 in Pyraminx.

As the final timers were cleared at the Islamic University of Technology, the day concluded with deep satisfaction across the roster. From the sub-eight averages at the top to the dozens of personal milestones achieved lower down the standings, IUT Esonance 2023 demonstrated the continuing growth of competitive solving in Gazipur, setting a solid foundation as competitors prepare for the next season ahead.