Johor Special 2024

Malaysia’s Ng Jia Quan produced a masterclass across the side events at Pangsapuri Seri 18 (Cube 8 Teens), securing a sensational double victory in Pyraminx and Clock. In the Pyraminx final, Ng set the standard with a winning average of 2.72 seconds, complemented by a best single of 2.28 seconds. His performance anchored a dense schedule of non-traditional formats in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia, showing how specialized disciplines have gained immense traction within regional speedcubing circuits.

Behind every smooth solve was an operational effort coordinated by the organizers, World Cube Association delegates, and local volunteers who managed the single-day gathering on March 31, 2024. Staging a dedicated specialty event presents distinct logistical hurdles, from managing scramble tables for diverse mechanisms to keeping ten rounds running without delay. The staff handled scrambles, judging, and data entry across five distinct disciplines, ensuring an efficient environment for all 25 competitors in attendance.

The 2024 fixture stood out by deliberately omitting traditional 3x3 results from the schedule, turning the spotlight entirely onto side events that often share space with the classic Rubik's Cube. By narrowing the focus to Pyraminx, Skewb, Clock, Megaminx, and Square-1, the organizing team gave each discipline the pacing and space of a headline event. The streamlined format attracted focused contenders from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and China to the southern tip of the peninsula.

Clock proved to be one of the most dynamic disciplines of the tournament, with Ng Jia Quan capturing his second championship of the day with a 4.25 winning average and a 3.80 single. Singapore’s Andrew Tan Jing Bang took second place with an average of 5.54, while China’s Mengqi He rounded out the podium in 6.14. The competition featured high-level execution, with podium positions decided by slim fractions of a second across the two-round tournament format.

Beyond the title contests, the gathering produced substantial milestones for competitors across the roster. Ng Jun Hao (吴均浩) delivered a breakthrough performance in Skewb, recording a personal best of 4.01 seconds that improved on his previous mark by 40.4 percent, alongside a 10.5 percent drop in Clock to 29.81 and a 1:29.08 in Megaminx. Aariz Sayfiyy Bin Saiful Azam made his first ever attempt at Clock with a mark of 12.34 seconds and lowered his Pyraminx personal best by 8.2 percent to 6.04 seconds, finishing 10th. Abner Philip Then Yi Hao (邓奕浩) tackled all five events, securing a 7th place finish in Megaminx while trimming 23.5 percent off his Clock best with a 15.05 single and dropping his Square-1 mark to 23.05.

Progress continued through the rest of the pack, showing the depth of training among regional participants. Zhan Zhihao (展志浩) took 13th in Megaminx while bettering his personal record by 11.8 percent to 1:38.37. James Chan (陈永恩) contested four events and finished 5th in Clock, setting a new personal standard of 6.42 seconds, a 9.6 percent improvement. Karenjit Singh Gill (卡仁基) took on the full slate of five puzzles, capturing 4th place in Skewb and setting a Pyraminx personal best of 2.99 seconds. Sandra Devi of Indonesia also entered all five events, finishing 6th in Megaminx with a personal best of 1:01.56 alongside a 7.41 Clock mark, while Ethan Wang of Singapore took 7th in Pyraminx and posted a 3.50 personal best in Clock.

Skewb delivered one of the closest podium finishes of the day, as Malaysia’s Mohamad Adrian Syahirin Bin Mohd Faizal won the final with an average of 3.73 seconds and a best single of 2.31. He narrowly edged out compatriot Ang Zhen Zhou, who posted a 3.75 average, while Eng Dickson (黄迪胜) claimed third in 3.87 seconds. The tight margins highlighted the precise preparation brought by speed cubing specialists targeting podium spots at the regional level.

Megaminx and Square-1 completed the competition schedule with dominant displays from visiting competitors. Singapore’s Tristan Chua Yong captured the Megaminx title with an impressive 28.93 winning average, finishing ahead of Isaac Lai Yin Chung at 34.68 and Ng Jia Quan at 44.26. In Square-1, Andrew Tan Jing Bang secured the championship with an 11.08 average, holding off Ng Jia Quan at 11.34 and Lim Hung (林弘) at 12.83 to cap a rewarding day of tournament play.

When the final tallies were logged, the host nation led the medal table with eight podium places, followed by Singapore with six and China with one. For the competitors who traveled to Johor Special 2024, the smooth execution across ten full rounds reflected the diligence of the local staffing team. As the speedcubing community looks ahead to the remainder of the season, Johor Bahru has reinforced its reputation for running organized, high-standard WCA competition weekends.

Ruang pertandingan di Pangsapuri Seri 18 Cube 8 Teens dipenuhi fokus dan ketenangan sebelum pusingan pembukaan bermula. Meja penyelesaian tersusun rapi dengan pemasa rasmi serta panel paparan yang siap merakam setiap pecahan saat bagi setiap cubaan. Para peserta dari pelbagai latar belakang hadir untuk menguji kecekapan tangan dan ketajaman minda mereka dalam suasana penuh tumpuan.

Kejohanan Johor Special 2024 yang berlangsung pada 31 Mac 2024 di Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia ini menghimpunkan 25 peserta yang bertanding merentasi lima acara berbeza. Pertandingan ini merangkumi 10 pusingan keseluruhan dengan format intensif bagi kategori kiub alternatif. Peminat sukan speedcubing disajikan dengan saingan sengit dari pusingan awal hingga ke penentuan podium yang penuh debaran sepanjang hari.

Sesi pagi dimulakan dengan acara Skewb yang menyaksikan saingan cukup rapat di antara jaguh tempatan. Mohamad Adrian Syahirin Bin Mohd Faizal berjaya merangkul gelaran juara dengan purata kemenangan 3.73 dan catatan masa terbaik 2.31 daripada 22 peserta yang bertanding. Beliau mengatasi Ang Zhen Zhou yang menduduki tempat kedua dengan purata 3.75, manakala Eng Dickson 黃迪胜 meraih tempat ketiga dengan purata 3.87.

Beralih ke acara Pyraminx, Ng Jia Quan 黃佳铨 mempamerkan penguasaan cemerlang dengan mencatatkan purata kemenangan 2.72 serta masa terbaik 2.28 untuk dinobatkan sebagai juara dalam kalangan 24 peserta. Tempat kedua menjadi milik Tristan Chua Yong dengan purata 4.29, disusuli oleh Andrew Tan Jing Bang di tangga ketiga dengan purata 4.39 pada pusingan akhir.

Ng Jia Quan 黃佳铨 meneruskan rentak cemerlang beliau dalam acara Clock apabila memenangi perlawanan akhir dengan purata 4.25 serta catatan terbaik 3.80 menewaskan 20 peserta lain. Beliau turut mencipta rekod single 3.37 dan purata 4.01. Andrew Tan Jing Bang menduduki tempat kedua dengan purata 5.54, manakala Mengqi He 何梦旗 dari China melengkapkan podium di tempat ketiga dengan catatan purata 6.14.

Di sebalik persaingan utama, pentas ini menjadi saksi kepada pencapaian bermakna bagi ramai peserta yang terus meningkatkan keupayaan diri. Hongyuan Fu 傅泓源 menyertai lima acara dan mencatatkan rekod peribadi Square-1 20.43 berbanding 24.33 sebelumnya iaitu peningkatan sebanyak 16 peratus, selain menamatkan Clock di tempat ke-7. Sri Ganesh Krishna pula menyertai empat acara dan mencatatkan rekod peribadi Megaminx 2:28.02 berbanding 2:49.19 iaitu 12.5 peratus lebih pantas, di samping meraih tempat ke-9 dalam Skewb. Wang Junwen 王俊文 memperbaiki rekod Skewb beliau sebanyak 8.9 peratus dengan masa 5.03 berbanding 5.52, manakala Ivan Lew Yi Wen 刘义文 bertanding dalam lima acara, meraih tempat ke-4 Megaminx dan mencatat rekod peribadi Clock 12.38.

Bagi sebilangan peserta lain, kejohanan ini menandakan penyertaan sulung mereka dalam pertandingan WCA rasmi. Aisy Aqil Anaqi Bin Hairilhairino menyertai tiga acara pada penampilan pertamanya dengan mencatatkan cubaan pertama Skewb 6.60, Pyraminx 5.35 dan Megaminx 1:33.02, serta menduduki tempat ke-13 Pyraminx. Marcus Ling Hwa Xun 林华迅 bertanding dalam tiga acara dengan cubaan pertama Megaminx 3:31.84, Clock 17.80 dan Skewb 5.55, serta menduduki tempat ke-13 Clock. Hayden Pang Zhi Yi melengkapkan penampilan sulung dengan dua acara menerusi cubaan pertama Megaminx 3:26.69 dan Pyraminx 6.57, manakala Tan Rou Qi Angeline melakar cubaan pertama Pyraminx pada masa 10.18.

Saingan bagi kategori Megaminx yang menyerupai teka-teki dodekahedron serta variasi Square-1 menutup tirai pertandingan sebelah petang. Tristan Chua Yong mengungguli acara Megaminx dengan purata 28.93 dan single 27.00 di hadapan Isaac Lai Yin Chung dengan 34.68 dan Ng Jia Quan 黃佳铨 dengan 44.26. Dalam acara Square-1, Andrew Tan Jing Bang merangkul kejuaraan menerusi purata 11.08 dan single 9.64, mendahului Ng Jia Quan 黃佳铨 yang mencatat 11.34 dan Lim Hung 林弘 dengan 12.83.

Secara keseluruhan, pemenang podium menyaksikan Malaysia mengumpul lapan kedudukan, Singapura dengan enam kedudukan dan China dengan satu kedudukan. Kejohanan Johor Special 2024 ini membuktikan kematangan teknikal para penyelesai kiub Rubik dan variasi lain dalam suasana kejohanan cubing competition yang kompetitif sepanjang tahun 2024.