National Capital Region B 2023

Inside Algonquin College, the competition floor buzzed with activity across six distinct puzzle disciplines as speedcubing returned to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Tables were set for everything from triangular Pyraminx frames and corner-turning Skewbs to the shape-shifting Square-1 alongside classic layered cubes. A roster of 97 competitors gathered on May 7, 2023, turning National Capital Region B 2023 into a dynamic showcase of mechanical variety across eleven fast-moving rounds.

The sheer spread of hardware demanded extraordinary adaptability from anyone hoping to contend across multiple disciplines. Solving a 4x4x4 Cube requires rigorous edge pairing and center construction, whereas the Square-1 forces solvers to navigate bandaging and irregular geometric states before returning the puzzle to a cube. Skewb and Pyraminx each bring distinct geometric mechanics that reward entirely different finger tricks and corner-turning instincts than the standard Rubik's Cube.

Rising above the entire field across every single event format, Shaun Mack produced an absolute sweep of all six finals. Mack opened the day showing sharp execution on the smaller twisty puzzles, locking down first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with an average of 2.34 seconds after securing a single solve of 1.53. In the Pyraminx final, Mack claimed the top step with a 3.10 average and a best single of 2.61, outpacing Benjamin Lê who averaged 3.90 for second and Anthony Zhao who took third at 4.14.

Mack kept the momentum running seamlessly as the mechanical formats shifted to the Skewb and Square-1. On the Skewb, Mack posted a winning average of 4.17 with a 3.58 single, leading runner-up Tarandeep Mittal at 5.96 and third-place finisher Jack Chicoine at 7.29. Moving to the complex alignments of Square-1, Mack registered a 9.97 average and a 7.52 single to win the single-round contest comfortably ahead of Chicoine at 21.30 and Ben Davies at 27.08.

The larger layers presented no obstacle to the sweep either, as Mack topped the 43-competitor field in the 4x4x4 Cube with an average of 31.42 and a 29.95 single. Diego Rodriguez-Ramirez claimed second place on the 4x4x4 Cube with a 32.31 average, while Benjamin Lê earned another podium spot in third with 40.22. Across the entire competition, Canadian competitors earned 12 podium places while United States solvers claimed six, anchored entirely by Mack's flawless run across the board.

Away from the top of the podium, several solvers seized the variety of the schedule to make massive strides and test new events. Liam Wong entered five events and trimmed their Skewb personal best down to 3.59 seconds, a massive 63.8 percent drop from their prior mark of 9.92, while also taking on their first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:35.06 single. Avery Babineau also stepped into the larger cube, setting a new 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:40.42 that was 43.5 percent faster than their previous best of 2:57.82, in addition to making their first ever attempt at Skewb at 21.44. Payton Freitag dropped their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 53.6 percent to 2.91 seconds and took on their first ever attempt at Skewb with a 9.06.

The spirit of testing new disciplines continued across the scorecards as Thiago Carvalho Sitton cut 43.8 percent off their 2x2x2 Cube personal best to hit 6.15 seconds and recorded a first ever attempt at Skewb at 16.13. Raphaël Poinlane made a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 3.75 seconds and improved their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 22 percent to 14.80. Meanwhile, newcomers embraced the multi-puzzle challenge at their first WCA competition; Joshua Emmett Arcaro tackled six events, logging a first ever attempt at Square-1 of 1:11.09, while YiFei Chen also took on all six events to finish 10th in Square-1 with a first attempt of 50.02. Zachary Smith launched their cubing competition career across five events, completing a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube in 32.59 seconds.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event served as the closing spectacle of the day, drawing 96 competitors across three hard-fought rounds. In the final round, Mack cemented the complete title sweep by posting a winning average of 8.18 seconds alongside a round-best single of 6.79. Bogdan Andrei Feher delivered strong 3x3 results to secure second place with a 9.21 average, while Ben Davies finished third on the podium with a 10.16 average.

The action at National Capital Region B 2023 wrapped up having demonstrated the wide depth of speed cubing talent in the Ottawa region. Across six distinct events, solvers adapted to every mechanical test Algonquin College had to offer, closing out an energetic 2023 competition.