MYHM Puzzling in Plano 2023

Inside the halls of Clark High School, the rhythmic click of turning plastic filled the air across May 20 and May 21. Tables lined with timers and mats hosted a weekend of relentless focus, rapid hand movements, and steady concentration as 133 competitors gathered in Plano, Texas, USA. The bustling venue served as an ideal proving ground for both seasoned contenders and emerging talents eager to test their practice against the clock. Across 11 different events and 24 total rounds, this dynamic WCA competition showcased rapid growth across every age group and experience level.

The 2023 edition highlighted just how quickly young solvers are shaving seconds off their personal records. Across every discipline, participants arrived armed with fresh algorithms and sharper fingertricks, eager to translate months of home training into tournament success. Speedcubing continues to reward dedication, and the energy in Plano proved that the learning curve in the modern era is steeper and faster than ever before. With multiple rounds in several categories, the schedule allowed rising speed cubing athletes ample opportunity to push their limits and demonstrate their progress.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a massive field of 129 entrants through four intense rounds of solving. Ryan Pilat captured the top spot with a commanding winning average of 7.36 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single solve of 6.21 seconds. The 3x3 results demonstrated remarkable consistency under pressure, anchoring an already exceptional tournament showing. Pilat emerged as the most prolific performer across the weekend, converting high-speed solving into victories across multiple distinct puzzle disciplines.

Beyond the traditional three-by-three Rubik's Cube, Pilat delivered an extraordinary sweep across the blindfolded events. In the standard 3x3x3 Blindfolded category, Pilat secured victory with a winning average of 25.07 seconds, while Jeremy Sheng took second at 23.49 and Fletcher Berry took third at 25.09. Moving to larger cubes, Pilat won 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a single of 3:46.68, outpacing Sheng at 5:06.34 and Michael Conard at 18:04.00. Pilat capped the memory events by winning 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, successfully resolving 12 out of 13 cubes in 50 minutes and 28 seconds.

The progress of the sport was equally visible away from the podium ceremonies, where numerous competitors delivered massive breakthroughs at MYHM Puzzling in Plano 2023. Andrew Eggen lowered their 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 4.00 seconds, an improvement of 67.1 percent over their previous mark of 12.14, while also dropping their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 38 percent to 24.00 seconds and logging a first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:08.87. Miles Randall Talbert took on four events, taking a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:13.21, a debut Megaminx result of 2:54.29, and cutting their 2x2x2 Cube best by 41.8 percent to 5.47 seconds. Brayden Lee Jones tackled four events, recording a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 54, improving their 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 63.3 percent to 33.11 seconds, and dropping their 3x3x3 Cube best to 14.34 seconds. Satvik Kolathaya took on seven events, recording first career attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 7.18 seconds, Megaminx at 3:03.26, and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:29.35.

That same drive was evident across other multi-event schedules at MYHM Puzzling in Plano 2023. Andrew Lee registered a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:09.64 and a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 54.46 seconds, alongside cutting their 2x2x2 Cube best by 44.1 percent down to 2.62 seconds. Hakan Yilmaz posted a first attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 4.75 seconds while trimming 51 percent off their 3x3x3 One-Handed mark to reach 37.17 seconds. Lucas Baker entered three events, logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 22.45 seconds and improving their 2x2x2 Cube best by 57 percent to 2.29 seconds. Ayush Verma logged a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 2:09.16, a first 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 5.85 seconds, and reduced their 3x3x3 Cube best by 24.2 percent to 14.75 seconds.

Short-format puzzles brought frantic turning speed to the venue. Tucker Chamberlain claimed the 2x2x2 Cube title, securing a winning average of 2.19 seconds and a best single of 1.63 seconds across three rounds, finishing ahead of Pilat at 2.54 and Jake Maddox at 2.89. In the Square-1 competition, Dylan Baumbach topped a field of 29 competitors with a winning average of 7.10 seconds and a sharp single of 6.26. Tyler Gee took the crown in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 13.86 seconds and a fast single of 9.75, leading Baumbach at 14.72 and Jose Ortiz Jr. at 15.02.

Big cubes and variant puzzles provided equally compelling races down to the final turns. Azhar Virani triumphed in 4x4x4 Cube with a 30.45 average, edging Jason Lee at 30.99 and Pilat at 31.60. Lee captured first place in 5x5x5 Cube with a 58.60 average, holding off Ortiz Jr. at 1:04.02 and Om Joshi at 1:04.87. In Megaminx, Ortiz Jr. stood atop the podium with a 40.87 average, ahead of Sheng at 43.82 and Pilat at 48.77. In 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, Jeremy Sheng earned the win with an average of 27.00 moves and a best attempt of 22.

With 33 podium finishes claimed by competitors from the United States, this cubing competition highlighted the remarkable technical depth present across the region. From the sheer volume of personal bests recorded by newer solvers to the multi-discipline titles earned by tournament veterans, MYHM Puzzling in Plano 2023 offered a complete view of a flourishing sport. Solvers packed up their cubes and timers ready to apply the lessons learned at Clark High School as they prepare for the upcoming competitive calendar.