Karawang Speedcubing 2024

Inside Ciplaz Karawang (Ramayana), the steady clatter of turning plastic echoed across the hall as 53 competitors settled in for a packed single day of action on February 24, 2024. The layout of the tournament floor placed solving stations right in the center of the commercial space in Karawang, West Java, Indonesia. With seven official events squeezed into nine fast-moving rounds, competitors faced strict formats and quick turnarounds that demanded total focus from the very first inspection period to the final release of the timer.

The round structure dictated the entire pace of Karawang Speedcubing 2024, granting second rounds only to the two shortest puzzles while leaving five events to be decided in straight single-round shootouts. In those one-and-done brackets, there was no safety net for slip-ups, misreads, or lockups. Solvers had five solves to build an average, and any early mistake permanently altered the standings. Only the 3x3x3 Cube and 2x2x2 Cube offered the luxury of a qualifying phase, setting up an intense atmosphere throughout the speedcubing schedule.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube event, 48 competitors battled through the opening round to earn a spot in the finals, where the 3x3 results produced an exceptionally tight finish. Raka Rajendra Wijaksana captured the championship with a steady 8.67 winning average, backed by a best single of 6.83. He held off Muhammad Deffa Akhtar, who took second place with an 8.90 average, and Azaeel Benaya Putra, who finished closely behind in third with an 8.91 average. The narrow margin between the top three reflected the intense pressure of the final round.

The 2x2x2 Cube was the only other event with multiple rounds, filtering 40 starters down to a decisive final. Azaeel Benaya Putra dominated the contest, securing the victory with a 2.57 winning average after laying down a blistering single of 1.00. Kentaro Sasaki claimed the runner-up spot with a 3.00 average, while Hiroshi Yumeda (陆天龙) took third place with a 3.12 average. Across both rounds, competitors traded rapid times, making full use of the extended format to settle the podium places.

Outside the podium race, several competitors capitalized on the format to deliver standout personal milestones. Nik Rayyan Iskandar Bin Nik Muhammad Izzat entered 5 events and posted substantial improvements across the board, dropping his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 50.6 percent to 31.57, taking 40.1 percent off his Pyraminx best at 6.78, and trimming his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 36 percent to 58.95. Zein Yahya tackled 7 events and achieved a 7th place finish in Pyraminx, while logging his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 45.93, along with a 38.2 percent improvement in Clock to 10.46 and a 25.9 percent drop in Skewb to 8.15. Olivier Andrew Sunaidi took on 4 events, recording a 36.2 percent improvement in the classic Rubik's Cube with a 29.23 personal best, alongside his first ever attempt at Pyraminx at 7.79 and Clock at 14.23 to finish 13th in the latter. El Shaka Kasabian Aryasa contested 7 events, cutting 35.9 percent off his Clock mark down to 36.26, 16.1 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube best down to 2:21.35, and 8.8 percent off his Skewb mark to 12.32.

Other solvers expanded their event repertoires significantly on the day. Kenza Annafi Budy entered 5 events, recording a 26.5 percent personal best drop in the 3x3x3 Cube to 13.63, while logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed at 31.65 and a first ever attempt at Skewb at 10.21 on the way to a 19th place finish. Morzy Al Ghazi competed across 4 events, taking 26.9 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube best to hit 3.81, making his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 7.75, and reaching 21st place in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Azka Albara Gathfan took on 4 events and made a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.61, a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 48.60, and a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 7.46 to earn 18th place. Wira Surya Prakas completed 4 events, improving his Skewb best by 10.2 percent to 12.29 for 22nd place while making a first ever attempt at Pyraminx at 11.19 and a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube at 8.21.

The single-round events left no room for hesitation, beginning with the 4x4x4 Cube where 25 competitors took to the tables. Wilson Alvis (陈智胜) took first place with a 33.78 average and a best single of 27.43, finishing ahead of Zaky Kurnia Falah at 38.46 and Azaeel Benaya Putra at 38.94. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Darren Johan navigated the 29-player field to claim victory with a 13.83 average, followed by Azaeel Benaya Putra in second with 14.80 and Wilson Alvis (陈智胜) in third with 15.05. Both events rewarded steady execution across all five solves.

In the side events, precision under the one-round constraint remained paramount. Zaky Kurnia Falah took top honors in Pyraminx among 32 competitors with a 3.96 average, beating Hiroshi Yumeda (陆天龙) at 4.69 and Sama Al-Qonuni at 4.95. Muhammad Fahri Rahman led the 26-competitor Skewb bracket with a 3.83 average to edge out Zaky Kurnia Falah at 4.20 and Gerson Natanael at 4.68. Clock rounded out the program with 23 entrants, where Gerson Natanael captured the title with a 7.17 average ahead of Mohammad Iqbal at 7.85 and Hiroshi Yumeda (陆天龙) at 8.31.

By the end of the day, all 21 podium positions across the seven events had been earned by domestic competitors, wrapping up a memorable cubing competition. The fast-paced format at Karawang Speedcubing 2024 delivered exciting finishes across every puzzle, highlighting the technical skill and competitive depth present in Indonesian speed cubing. With the trophies handed out and personal bests logged in the WCA competition database, the community packed up ready to carry the momentum forward into the rest of the 2024 season.

Raka Rajendra Wijaksana merebut gelar juara utama pada kategori 3x3x3 Cube dengan catatan rata-rata 8.67 detik di babak final, menuntaskan pertarungan sengit di posisi puncak. Kemenangan tersebut diraih setelah ia mengungguli Muhammad Deffa Akhtar yang finis di posisi kedua dengan rata-rata 8.90 detik serta Azaeel Benaya Putra di tempat ketiga dengan 8.91 detik. Ketatnya selisih waktu di meja perlombaan menjadi penanda dimulainya hari penuh aksi dan kebersamaan para pecinta speedcubing.

Ajang Karawang Speedcubing 2024 berlangsung pada 24 Februari 2024 di Ciplaz Karawang (Ramayana), Karawang, West Java, Indonesia. Sebanyak 53 peserta berkumpul untuk meramaikan kompetisi rubik resmi yang menghadirkan 7 cabang lomba dalam 9 putaran pertandingan. Suasana hangat antarkomunitas sangat terasa di sepanjang area kompetisi, tempat para peserta saling bertukar wawasan, berbagi trik, dan menikmati berbagai nomor perlombaan dari pagi hingga sore hari.

Kategori 2x2x2 Cube mencatat salah satu persaingan paling dinamis sepanjang kompetisi dengan total 40 peserta dalam dua babak. Azaeel Benaya Putra keluar sebagai pemenang dengan rata-rata 2.57 detik, setelah sebelumnya mencatatkan single terbaik 1.00 detik. Di podium kategori ini, Kentaro Sasaki menyusul di peringkat kedua dengan rata-rata 3.00 detik, sementara Hiroshi Yumeda (陆天龙) melengkapi tiga besar lewat catatan waktu rata-rata 3.12 detik.

Kategori khusus dan side events menghadirkan warna tersendiri dalam kompetisi ini. Pada cabang 3x3x3 One-Handed yang diikuti 29 peserta, Darren Johan tampil sebagai pemenang dengan rata-rata 13.83 detik, unggul atas Azaeel Benaya Putra dengan 14.80 detik dan Wilson Alvis (陈智胜) dengan 15.05 detik. Sementara itu, Wilson Alvis (陈智胜) mendominasi kategori 4x4x4 Cube lewat rata-rata kemenangan 33.78 detik, mengungguli Zaky Kurnia Falah dengan 38.46 detik dan Azaeel Benaya Putra dengan 38.94 detik.

Kategori puzzle lainnya juga menyuguhkan hasil impresif bagi para penikmat Rubik's Cube. Zaky Kurnia Falah memenangi Pyraminx lewat rata-rata 3.96 detik di depan Hiroshi Yumeda (陆天龙) dengan 4.69 detik dan Sama Al-Qonuni dengan 4.95 detik. Pada nomor Skewb, Muhammad Fahri Rahman menjadi yang tercepat dengan rata-rata 3.83 detik, diikuti Zaky Kurnia Falah dengan 4.20 detik dan Gerson Natanael dengan 4.68 detik. Adapun di nomor Clock, Gerson Natanael merebut posisi teratas lewat rata-rata 7.17 detik di atas Mohammad Iqbal dan Hiroshi Yumeda (陆天龙).

Di balik perburuan podium teratas, kemajuan pesat ditunjukkan oleh sejumlah peserta yang mencatatkan lompatan performa luar biasa. Lionel Emmanuel Sadrach turun di tiga kategori dan memangkas waktu terbaik pribadinya secara drastis, mencatatkan 3.69 detik di 2x2x2 Cube yang 41.3 persen lebih cepat dari rekor lamanya, 12.59 detik di Pyraminx yang meningkat 36.7 persen, serta 15.37 detik di 3x3x3 Cube yang 34.2 persen lebih cepat. Daniel Charis Lumban Tobing yang bertanding di tujuh kategori meraih finis terbaik ke-15 di Clock dan menajamkan rekor personal Skewb menjadi 9.87 detik yang 33.4 persen lebih cepat. Arkananta Pradipto Poedji juga mempertajam rekor pribadinya di 2x2x2 Cube menjadi 5.54 detik yang 30.8 persen lebih cepat dan 28.66 detik di 3x3x3 Cube. Sementara itu, Abner Hilfriz Tatang melakoni debut pertamanya di 2x2x2 Cube dengan 6.78 detik serta mempertajam rekor 3x3x3 Cube menjadi 26.10 detik.

Hari perlombaan ini juga menjadi panggung perdana yang sangat berkesan bagi para debutan di ajang resmi WCA. Krisna Arya Satria menjalani kompetisi pertamanya dengan langsung terjun di tujuh kategori, meraih finis terbaik ke-6 di Pyraminx dengan 5.09 detik, serta mencatatkan debut 15.28 detik di 3x3x3 One-Handed dan 6.43 detik di Skewb. Asilka Nasharu menjalani debut di empat kategori dengan finis terbaik ke-15 di Skewb lewat 8.24 detik, 4.84 detik di 2x2x2 Cube, dan 1:40.96 di 4x4x4 Cube. Reagan Alfatih Adhyastha Fauzi mengawali langkahnya dengan hasil 13.74 detik di 2x2x2 Cube dan 44.51 detik di 3x3x3 Cube, sementara Ayaka Sasaki menyelesaikan percobaan perdananya di nomor Clock dengan waktu 9.08 detik untuk finis di peringkat ke-7.

Rangkaian Karawang Speedcubing 2024 menyajikan perpaduan aksi kecepatan tinggi dan interaksi komunitas yang sangat akrab sepanjang hari. Seluruh 21 podium dari tujuh cabang resmi yang dipertandingkan berhasil diamankan oleh para peserta tuan rumah Indonesia. Suksesnya gelaran di Ciplaz Karawang ini meninggalkan banyak catatan waktu terbaik baru serta memperkuat ikatan antarkomunitas cuber menjelang rangkaian kompetisi berikutnya.