Luzon Championship 2023

Keith Liam H. Rasco delivered one of the weekend's sharpest performances in Dasmariñas, Philippines, capturing the Square-1 title with a decisive 12.65-second average. Held at SM City Dasmariñas on March 25 and 26, the Luzon Championship 2023 gave top billing to puzzle variety alongside standard speedcubing disciplines. Rasco held off Yuji Yoshida, who took second place in 13.27 seconds, and Brenton Angelo Lo Wong, who placed third with a 13.83-second average. The tightly contested bracket set an energetic tone for an action-packed weekend of side events and big cubes.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded final delivered another technical masterclass as competitors tackled the discipline requiring complete memorisation before executing moves without sight. John Edison Ubaldo secured the gold medal with a best single time of 1:21.90. Yoshida earned his second runner-up placement of the weekend by posting a 1:36.22 mark, while Rigil Carolino secured third place on the podium with a single of 1:38.58. The event drew 17 entrants across two rounds, proving to be one of the most demanding showcases on the schedule.

Non-twelve-edged and shape-shifting puzzles drew extensive focus across the tournament floor. Nicole Jnus Macalalad dominated the Megaminx division, securing victory with an impressive 46.04-second average and a field-best single solve of 38.31 seconds. In the Pyraminx bracket, Jansen Alvarez topped a field of 42 competitors by recording a winning average of 3.95 seconds. Meanwhile, Ivan Keith Cariaga claimed the Skewb crown, navigating the corner-turning puzzle to post an average of 4.43 seconds alongside a fast 3.14 single.

A total of 101 competitors participated in the Luzon Championship 2023, filling out 18 rounds across 12 official events. Speed cubing enthusiasts gathered in large numbers to follow the progress throughout both days of intense matching. The big cube divisions turned into a showcase for Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc, who secured three separate victories. Palisoc captured the 4x4x4 Cube with an average of 29.54 seconds, won the 5x5x5 Cube in 52.23 seconds, and completed the triple by posting a 1:38.54 average in the 6x6x6 Cube.

In the 4x4x4 Cube, Alvarez claimed the silver medal in 31.07 seconds, and Richmond Mico Rigor took third with a 31.95 average. Rigor added two more medals to his tally, finishing second in the 5x5x5 Cube behind Palisoc with a 56.41 average ahead of Cairon Sumadchat, and placing third in 6x6x6 Cube in 1:51.95 behind Dale Palmares, who posted a 1:39.38 average. Palmares subsequently earned the top podium spot in the 7x7x7 Cube division, averaging 2:22.29 to round out the large-cube roster.

Beyond the championship podiums, several dedicated solvers achieved major milestones across multiple disciplines throughout the gathering. John McArthur Magnaye took on 8 events, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best single by 62.9 percent down to 1.43 seconds from 3.85, while trimming his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 26.4 percent down to 10.41 seconds, and completing his first ever attempt at Square-1 with a mark of 17.84 seconds. Jem Poon tackled 12 events, achieving a sixth-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a personal best single of 2:20.19 that improved upon his prior best of 3:58.20 by 41.1 percent, while also recording his first ever attempt at Megaminx in 2:05.08 and Square-1 in 43.69.

Ethan Francis Jagonio contested 8 events at the Luzon Championship 2023, earning a thirteenth-place finish in Square-1, establishing a Skewb personal best single of 5.76 seconds that was 34.8 percent faster than his previous 8.83 mark, and logging his first ever attempt at Square-1 in 17.39 and Megaminx in 3:08.69. Elijah Francis Jagonio entered 11 events, finishing eleventh in Skewb while registering his first ever attempt at Megaminx in 1:55.83, Square-1 in 28.40, and 6x6x6 Cube in 5:05.36. Gabriel Inrico S. De Belen competed in 7 events, finishing sixteenth in Megaminx while making his first ever attempt at Skewb in 11.07, Megaminx in 1:43.25, and Pyraminx in 7.81. Andro Miguel M. Eraldo took on 6 events, securing tenth in Skewb while logging his first ever attempt at Skewb in 6.91, Pyraminx in 4.26, and 2x2x2 Cube in 4.24.

The traditional Rubik's Cube category concluded with Sean Patrick Villanueva taking top honors in the 3x3 results, registering an outstanding winning average of 6.25 seconds across 3 rounds of competition. Villanueva also claimed victory in the 3x3x3 One-Handed final with a 10.29 average. Wong secured second place in both 3x3x3 Cube with a 7.44 average and 3x3x3 One-Handed with 12.88, while Toby Litiatco took third in 3x3x3 Cube in 7.45 and Crimson Arradaza took third in One-Handed in 13.83. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Gabriel Gaza finished first with a 2.30 average, ahead of Psyron Eubert Catral and Wong.

The successful conclusion of the Luzon Championship 2023 marked an unforgettable cubing competition for the Philippine community. Solvers from across the country delivered strong results across diverse disciplines, closing out a high-caliber WCA competition in Dasmariñas and setting a high benchmark for the upcoming regional calendar in 2023.

Sa mga mean-of-3 na labanan sa speedcubing, walang puwang ang kahit anong pagkakamali dahil bawat solve ay direktang binibilang nang walang tapon. Ipinamalas ito nang husto sa 6x6x6 Cube nang maitala ni Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc ang pambihirang panalo na may winning average na 1:38.54 at best single na 1:34.48. Mahigpit niyang naungusan si Dale Palmares na nagtapos sa 1:39.38 habang pumangatlo naman si Richmond Mico Rigor sa 1:51.95. Bawat galaw at pag-ikot sa malalaking puzzle ay nagtakda ng kapalaran sa entablado.

Ang naganap na Luzon Championship 2023 sa SM City Dasmariñas sa Dasmariñas, Philippines noong Marso 25 hanggang 26 ay dinaluhan ng 101 mga kalahok. Sa kabuuan ng torneo ngayong 2023, labindalawang magkakaibang larangan ang pinaglabanan sa labinwalong rounds ng matinding kompetisyon. Sa 7x7x7 Cube na isa ring mean-of-3 event, pinatunayan ni Dale Palmares ang kanyang tikas nang masungkit ang unang puwesto gamit ang winning average na 2:22.29 at single na 2:16.76.

Bukod sa tagumpay sa malalaking cube, humakot pa ng mga panalo si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa iba pang dibisyon ng torneo. Nagwagi siya sa 4x4x4 Cube na may average na 29.54 matapos talunin sina Jansen Alvarez na may 31.07 at Richmond Mico Rigor na nagtala ng 31.95. Idinagdag din ni Palisoc ang titulo sa 5x5x5 Cube nang magrehistro ng 52.23 average laban sa 56.41 ni Richmond Mico Rigor at 58.91 ni Cairon Sumadchat, patunay ng kanyang dominasyon sa big cubes.

Sa prestihiyosong 3x3x3 Cube na nilahukan ng 92 competitors sa tatlong rounds, ipinakita ni Sean Patrick Villanueva ang bilis sa pagtala ng winning average na 6.25 at best single na 5.05. Pumangalawa si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong sa 7.44 habang pumangatlo si Toby Litiatco sa 7.45. Nasungkit din ni Sean Patrick Villanueva ang kampeonato sa 3x3x3 One-Handed sa bilis na 10.29 average, muling dinaig si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na may 12.88 at si Crimson Arradaza na pumangatlo sa 13.83.

Marami ring mga kalahok ang nagtala ng kanilang mga natatanging marka sa iba't ibang kaganapan sa buong paligsahan. Si Damien Barquilla na sumabak sa anim na dibisyon ay nagtala ng 22.92 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 52.3 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa dati niyang 48.08, gayundin ng personal best na 35.57 sa 4x4x4 Cube at ikasiyam na puwesto sa 6x6x6 Cube sa bilis na 2:08.16. Si Drake Reinhard Pilarta naman ay nagrehistro ng unang subok sa 2x2x2 Cube sa bilis na 3.91, personal best na 45.15 sa 4x4x4 Cube na 34.1 porsyentong pagbuti, at 10.26 sa 3x3x3 Cube.

Nagpakitang-gilas din si Julian Antonio W. Geronimo sa kanyang unang pagtangka sa Megaminx sa oras na 3:28.87 habang binawasan nang 41.1 porsyento ang kanyang marka sa 2x2x2 Cube sa 7.07. Sa panig naman ni Bran Misashi Ornido, unang beses siyang sumabak sa 4x4x4 Cube na may 1:13.42 kasabay ng personal best na 6.03 sa Pyraminx at 13.12 sa 3x3x3 Cube. Samantala, nairehistro ni Iñigo Zachary Enrile ang kanyang unang solve sa Square-1 sa 1:51.46 at nagtala ng 8.80 sa Skewb na 40.3 porsyentong mas mabilis, habang si Leone Kisle N. Balatbat ay nagkaroon ng mga unang subok sa Pyraminx na 15.97 at 2x2x2 Cube na 7.64 kasabay ng 16.65 personal best sa Rubik's Cube.

Naging kapana-panabik din ang iba pang resulta sa cubing competition kung saan nagwagi si Gabriel Gaza sa 2x2x2 Cube sa average na 2.30 kontra kina Psyron Eubert Catral na may 2.53 at Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na may 2.62. Sa Square-1, naghari si Keith Liam H. Rasco sa 12.65 laban kay Yuji Yoshida na nagtala ng 13.27 at Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na pumangatlo sa 13.83. Sa Skewb, nanguna si Ivan Keith Cariaga sa 4.43 samantalang si Jansen Alvarez ang nagkampeon sa Pyraminx sa 3.95, at si Nicole Jnus Macalalad ang nagwagi sa Megaminx sa 46.04.

Sa larangan naman ng 3x3x3 Blindfolded na nangangailangan ng buong konsentrasyon at memorya, nakuha ni John Edison Ubaldo ang unang puwesto gamit ang pinakamabilis na single time na 1:21.90 matapos ang dalawang rounds. Pumangalawa si Yuji Yoshida sa 1:36.22 at pumangatlo si Rigil Carolino sa 1:38.58. Ang tagumpay ng buong katapusan ng linggo sa Luzon Championship 2023 ay patunay ng patuloy na pag-angat ng antas ng bawat kalahok sa bawat WCA competition sa bansa.