NCR Please Be Quiet 2023

Nineteen point two three seconds was the decisive single that capped a commanding performance in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final at Algonquin College. As 25 competitors gathered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada for NCR Please Be Quiet 2023 on September 16, 2023, the silence in the venue gave way to high drama on the final turns. Across six rounds of intense focus, Elliott Kobelansky turned memory and precise finger movements into a masterclass, securing victory with that sharp sub-20 effort after navigating two rounds of top-tier blindfolded pressure.

The one-day WCA competition showcased the specialized side of speedcubing, where solving without sight and finding the shortest path to solve the classic Rubik's Cube take priority over sheer turn rate. Across five distinct events, the field battled through complex memorization routines and intricate move counts. The 3x3 results in the blindfolded final saw Ben Bergen claim the runner-up spot with a time of 1:15.99, while Breton MacDonald locked up third place with a single of 1:25.69.

The 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest proved to be one of the tightest battles of the entire cubing competition. Ben Bergen captured first place across the 23-competitor field by delivering a 30.00 average, backed by a competition-best single solve of 27 moves. Jack Lee pushed the contest right to the end, securing second place with a 31.00 average. Maxence Leboeuf took third place with a 35.67 average, rounding out a podium that demanded absolute efficiency on every single turn of the cube.

Beyond his standard blindfolded triumph, Kobelansky delivered an overwhelming sweep of the remaining memory disciplines. In the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event, he recorded the winning single of 2:03.22 to finish ahead of Serena Meng, who took second in 7:11.59, and Maxence Leboeuf, who earned third in 8:39.19. The larger puzzle amplified the memorization demands, yet Kobelansky maintained total control through every execution phase.

The dominance continued in the 5x5x5 Blindfolded event, where Kobelansky stood as the sole competitor to log a successful solve, taking first place with a time of 2:56.27. In the massive 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, Kobelansky sealed his fourth gold medal of the weekend by successfully solving 33 out of 35 cubes in a time of 56:12. Kai Wen Yang took second place by solving 12 of 14 cubes in 54:26, while Breton MacDonald placed third with 10 of 12 cubes solved in 55:15.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several speed cubing competitors achieved standout personal milestones on the Ottawa stage. Fergus Chow took on three events and dropped his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best down to 2:30.95, an improvement of 44.1 percent over his previous mark of 4:30.10, while also finishing 6th in the event, logging his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a 2/4 in 28:26, and recording his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a 55. Prosper Huang improved his 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best to 34, a 20.9 percent drop from 43, while earning 8th place and recording a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 3/4 in 35:38. Nicholas McKee lowered his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 18.2 percent to 2:49.23 and finished 4th in 4x4x4 Blindfolded. Alexandre Ondet improved his Fewest Moves personal best by 5.9 percent to 32, placing 12th in the event.

The day also provided the perfect setting for competitors stepping into specialized events for the first time. Jonathan Proulx attended their first WCA competition, taking on two events and finishing 13th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a first attempt of 36. Peter Osudar contested four events, earning 4th in 4x4x4 Blindfolded and improving his Fewest Moves best by 5.3 percent to 36. Daniel Ghaby tackled two events and recorded a first attempt of 57 in Fewest Moves to finish 19th, while Eris McElroy matched the 57 in their first attempt at Fewest Moves to share 19th place.

The gathering at Algonquin College brought together Canadian competitors and international entrants, with Canada taking 16 podium positions and the United Kingdom claiming one. The focus required for blindfolded and efficiency solving created a uniquely intense atmosphere throughout the venue. NCR Please Be Quiet 2023 concluded as a showcase of memory, logic, and decisive final solves that will resonate across the community heading into the next season.