Love is Blind UMBC 2026

Twenty-five competitors assembled on February 15, 2026, to put memory and nerve to the test in Catonsville, Maryland, USA. The Apartment Community Center served as the proving ground for Love is Blind UMBC 2026, a specialized WCA competition featuring four distinct blindfolded solving disciplines across six rounds. While seasoned competitors targeted podium positions, the day proved especially notable for the sheer wave of athletes tackling unseen solves and personal milestones for the very first time.

Liam Chen stood at the forefront of the field, capturing three separate titles in a commanding showing across multiple Rubik's Cube formats. In the primary 3x3x3 Blindfolded category, which drew all 25 entrants through three full rounds, Chen secured first place on the strength of an 18.52 single. That effort put him atop the standings ahead of Rui Yang (杨睿), who registered a 1:01.67 in the final, and Caleb Andersen, who took third with a best single of 47.39.

Chen continued his remarkable form in the big-cube blindfolded events, demonstrating absolute precision without sight. In the 4x4x4 Blindfolded discipline, which brought 10 solvers to the tables, Chen locked down victory with a winning time of 1:49.63. Rui Yang followed in second place with a mark of 3:49.37, while Daniel Goodman rounded out the podium positions by taking third with a time of 6:11.30.

The 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event presented one of the day's steepest endurance challenges, requiring solvers to memorize and solve a massive collection of puzzles entirely from memory within a strict time cap. Chen led the 19 competitors by successfully completing 24 out of 29 cubes in exactly 1:00:00. Rui Yang delivered a flawless routine to claim second with a perfect 8 out of 8 solved in 30:19, while Currin Wilson secured the third-place spot with 10 out of 13 cubes completed in 57:00.

Rui Yang broke through to the top step in the demanding 5x5x5 Blindfolded contest, which featured seven competitors attempting the largest puzzle of the schedule. Rui Yang claimed the victory with a single of 10:20.00, leading Daniel Goodman, who finished in second place with 15:35.00, and Ethan Zorger, who locked down third place with a time of 14:57.00. Across all events, the medal tally closed with the USA capturing eight podium spots and China taking four.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, Love is Blind UMBC 2026 offered a showcase of breakthroughs for athletes stepping into unfamiliar blindfolded territory. Dean Angert took on four events, securing a best finish of fifth place in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, delivering a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a flawless 6/6 in 26:39, and dropping their 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best down to 53.79, an improvement of 69.8 percent over their previous 2:57.92. Tim Waterhouse completed a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 4/4 in 32:51 and achieved a 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best of 3:06.30, which was 54.8 percent faster than their prior mark of 6:51.92. Brian Yu logged a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 35.51 to finish fourth, along with a first attempt at multi-blind of 10/16 in 57:10.

The courage to tackle new events defined the afternoon across the board. Brad Hoffman entered three events, recording a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 22:11.00, a personal best in multi-blind of 3/4 in 36:02, and a 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best of 2:16.48 that was 12.6 percent faster than their old mark. May Piatt logged a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 6:41.39 across two events entered, while Adam Martinson took on three events and lowered their 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best to 1:23.20. Rich Tayag achieved a personal best of 1:29.64 in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, and Alex Hamburg competed across two events, claiming a best finish of 12th in multi-blind.

The intense day of blindfolded speedcubing highlighted both elite execution and widespread personal growth in Catonsville. Every round tested memory capacity and spatial awareness, yielding notable 3x3 results alongside ambitious multi-cube routines. As the curtain fell on this speed cubing showcase, the field proved that the blindfolded discipline continues to attract committed solvers ready to test their limits against the clock.