Keep Portland Quiet 2023

Ethan Davis delivered a stunning performance in the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, successfully solving 29 out of 37 cubes in 1:00:02 to headline an extraordinary day of memory-intensive solving. The single-day specialist meet brought high-level focus and mental discipline to the University Place Hotel in Portland, Oregon, USA on May 13, 2023. Blindfolded speedcubing demands complete spatial recall and total concentration under the clock, and the small gathering proved to be a pure showcase of quiet precision across some of the most grueling disciplines in the sport.

A tight roster of 9 competitors assembled for Keep Portland Quiet 2023, tackling 5 events over 6 rounds of intense intellectual effort. Unlike typical tournament schedules loaded with high-speed sprints, this WCA competition prioritized events requiring absolute silence and deep analytical thought. The specialized format rewarded those who could manage the pressure of extended memorization phases alongside traditional Rubik's Cube manipulation.

Davis asserted command in the standard blind discipline as well, claiming victory in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a rapid winning single of 27.55 seconds across 2 rounds of play. While every finalist posted an official DNF average in the event, the single solves separated the field, leading the 3x3 results on the blind board. Benjamin Gottschalk secured the second step on the podium with a best single of 1:49.82, and Salil Desai earned third place with a time of 5:19.93.

In the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, competitors pushed their memory banks to the limit across a single taxing round. Behind Davis's winning 29/37 tally, Jason White took second place with 11 out of 14 cubes solved in 39:37. Timothy Castle rounded out the top three by registering 10 out of 14 cubes in 48:09. The discipline requires competitors to commit an entire row of scrambled puzzles to memory before donning the blindfold to execute solutions consecutively without seeing the tables.

The larger blindfolded puzzles tested endurance and tracking through complex piece movements at Keep Portland Quiet 2023. Jason White swept both big cube blind categories, capturing first place in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a winning single mark of 4:36.54. Ethan Davis followed in second place with an 8:15.64 single. In 5x5x5 Blindfolded, White again led the pack, recording a winning single of 12:49.00, while Davis claimed second with 17:32.00 and Salil Desai took third with 54:32.00.

The weekend also highlighted crucial milestones for dedicated speed cubing competitors away from the top steps. Xander Bailey entered a single event and took on their first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded, successfully posting a time of 5:31.80. Asher Kim-Magierek entered two events, scored a best finish of 5th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, and notched a personal best single of 33 moves, which was 8.3 percent faster than their previous best mark of 36. Meanwhile, Henry Maurer focused exclusively on 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, logging a solid 7th-place finish.

The 3x3x3 Fewest Moves event provided a different kind of mental test, challenging 8 solvers to find the most efficient route to solve a scrambled cube within an hour. Timothy Castle took top honors with an impressive winning average of 29.67 moves, supported by a best single of 29. Ethan Davis followed closely behind in second place with an average of 31.67 moves, while Jason White captured third place with a 35.33 average to cap off his versatile performance.

With all 17 podium places claimed by United States competitors, Keep Portland Quiet 2023 demonstrated the high standard of precision solving within the Pacific Northwest community. From the meticulous note-taking of Fewest Moves to the exhaustive mental maps of big cube blindfolded rounds, the cubing competition celebrated the quietest and most demanding corners of the sport, setting a benchmark for the competitors as they look forward to the upcoming season.