Lincolnshire Summer 2023

Ryan Eckersley delivered the standout achievement of the weekend in Spalding by conquering 28 out of 33 cubes in 58 minutes and 26 seconds during the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event. Requiring extraordinary memory and endurance, the discipline pushes mental limits far beyond standard solves. The display anchored an action-packed weekend of speedcubing at the Springfields Events and Conference Centre on August 12 and 13. Across two full days, 69 competitors gathered in Spalding, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom to contest 11 different events spanning 20 rounds of high-pressure play.

The 2023 gathering put non-standard puzzles front and center alongside classic formats. Ryan Eckersley added to his success by claiming first place in Square-1, recording a winning average of 9.14 seconds and a best single of 7.50. The blindfolded solving roster also featured the standalone 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest, where Ben Stokes clinched first place on the podium with a winning single of 20.77 seconds. Ryan Eckersley finished second with 27.52 seconds, while Hong Kong competitor Chu Yiu On claimed third place in 40.63 seconds.

Niche mechanical formats brought intense competition to the tables throughout the cubing competition. In the Clock event, Cham J. Chambers captured the title with a swift 4.78-second winning average, ahead of Kris Lim in second at 5.86 seconds and Daniel Partridge in third with 6.18 seconds. Meanwhile, Skewb saw Ariel Benchetrit secure the victory with a 3.44-second average and a single solve of 2.89 seconds, leading Harvie Partridge and Daniel Partridge onto the podium steps.

The big cubes featured classic long-format battles, with Mark Ostrom completing a dominant sweep in the largest puzzles on the schedule. In 6x6x6 Cube, Ostrom took first place with a winning average of 1:44.05, edging Cham J. Chambers at 1:44.98 and Daniel Partridge at 1:46.89. Ostrom returned to the table in 7x7x7 Cube to earn another gold with an average of 2:34.80, besting Partridge at 2:36.24 and Chambers at 2:59.55.

Daniel Partridge put together an exceptionally versatile weekend across multiple formats. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Partridge secured first place with an average of 57.56 seconds, finishing ahead of Dean David at 59.85 seconds and Cham J. Chambers at 1:00.81. In Pyraminx, Partridge topped the field of 51 competitors with a 2.77-second average and a rapid 2.12-second single. Dean David earned top honors in 4x4x4 Cube, delivering a 28.35-second average to win the 41-person event.

Beyond the championship battles, several solvers achieved major milestones across the weekend schedule. Dylan French recorded a personal best of 10.66 seconds in Square-1, improving on a previous best of 24.65 seconds by 56.8 percent, alongside a sixth-place finish. Paige Lovell entered seven events and trimmed her Clock mark to 11.45 seconds, which was 38.9 percent faster than her prior standard of 18.75 seconds, while also making a first career attempt at Square-1 with a time of 36.56 seconds. Joseph Hilliard improved his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 30.2 percent down to 1:19.51 and placed 13th in Pyraminx.

Other competitors took on entirely new events at this WCA competition. Matas Pabreza made a first attempt at Square-1 in 45.45 seconds, set a Clock personal best of 7.06 seconds, and finished ninth in Clock. Vihaan Palsapure took on Clock for the first time with a 48.26-second result and logged a 3x3x3 Cube best of 21.16 seconds, an improvement of 21.7 percent. George Carpenter contested nine events, logged a first attempt at Skewb in 9.32 seconds, and finished 10th in 6x6x6 Cube. Preston Mee made his debut appearance across seven events, starting with 19.10 seconds on the Rubik's Cube, while Levi Josef Francis Bell took on six disciplines, logging a first 5x5x5 Cube mark of 2:39.60.

The traditional 3x3x3 Cube drew the largest crowd of the weekend with 63 entrants battling through three full rounds. In the final round of the speed cubing showcase, Daniel Partridge captured the title with a winning average of 8.14 seconds, bolstered by a best single of 7.44. Danny Morgan took second place with an 8.52-second average, and Ben Stokes rounded out the podium in third with a 9.01 average. The final 3x3 results concluded an action-packed program at Lincolnshire Summer 2023.

International representation was reflected on the podiums, with 31 placements earned by United Kingdom competitors, alongside one podium for Ireland and one for Hong Kong. Across every table, Lincolnshire Summer 2023 demonstrated the depth of the regional speedcubing community across blindfolded disciplines, mechanical puzzles, and classic rotational cubes alike as solvers turn their attention toward the next season.