New York Quiet Championship 2024

Andrew Tao delivered a masterclass in sightless solving by locking down 36 out of 41 cubes in 57:50 during a commanding victory in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. That standout performance set the tone for an extraordinary single-day campaign across multiple disciplines. Across the entire program, Tao proved nearly unstoppable in memory-intensive events, seizing three distinct titles and shaping the narrative of a memorable gathering for the speedcubing community.

Held on September 7, 2024, at the Hyatt House Fishkill/Poughkeepsie in Fishkill, New York, USA, the New York Quiet Championship 2024 brought together a dedicated field of 19 competitors. The specialized schedule featured five quiet events structured across six total rounds, demanding profound concentration from everyone involved. With silence reigning inside the venue, the tournament delivered high-stakes drama and exceptional precision throughout the day.

Tao continued his dominance by topping the podium in the classic 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline. After clocking a rapid 23.41 single in the opening round, he secured first place in the finals with a winning single of 24.82. Kevin Liu took second place with a time of 33.56, while Brandon Lin earned third place with a 48.42 single. Fans tracking 3x3 results witnessed how Tao balanced rapid execution with flawless memorisation to stay ahead of a competitive roster.

The 4x4x4 Blindfolded contest provided another stage for Tao to demonstrate his control. He claimed his third gold medal of the New York Quiet Championship 2024 by putting up a winning single of 2:28.06. Kevin Liu claimed the runner-up spot with a mark of 2:52.03, and Evan Liu secured third place on the podium in 3:01.41. The large-cube blindfolded formats pushed cognitive limits, but Tao remained unshakeable at every turn.

Kevin Liu found his own golden moment in the grueling 5x5x5 Blindfolded event, denying Tao a complete sweep of the blindfolded categories. Liu navigated the complex puzzle to win with a time of 8:01.68, while Tao took second place in 9:04.41 and Brandon Villadolid rounded out the top three with a mark of 16:23.00. In 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, Liu also finished second behind Tao with 30 out of 33 cubes in 56:28, followed by Brandon Lin in third with a perfect 27 out of 27 in 58:42.

Away from the top of the podium, several participants marked major career breakthroughs. Alex J. Barbecho achieved a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best of 34 moves, an improvement of 17.1 percent over his previous best of 41, while also tackling his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a score of 2/4 in 21:32. Angelo Terpening also logged his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, scoring 2/3 in 26:40, alongside a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best of 41 moves that was 12.8 percent faster than his prior mark of 47. Zachary Miller lowered his Fewest Moves personal best by 11.8 percent to 30 moves, and Parker Trager recorded his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a time of 10:19.00 while earning a personal best of 7/7 in 44:40 in Multi-Blind.

The depth of the field was evident as competitors took on heavy workloads across the schedule. Eli Rogers completed his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by registering 2/4 in 22:24 across his three events. Michael Miloslavskiy entered all five events and earned a weekend-best finish of fourth place in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, matching the fourth-place finish achieved by Chris Chi in the same event. Alex Maass concentrated on a single discipline to earn sixth place in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. These determined efforts reflected the broad spirit of improvement that defined this cubing competition.

The tactical 3x3x3 Fewest Moves competition offered an analytical conclusion to the slate, challenging participants to solve the standard Rubik's Cube in as few rotations as possible. Daniel Karnaukh took top honors with a remarkable winning average of 21.33 moves, highlighted by a best single solve of 18 moves. Levi Gibson secured second place with an average of 25.33 moves, edging Joseph Guzman who finished third with a 25.67 average across the three attempts.

Every podium spot throughout the competition went to competitors representing the USA, capturing all 15 available positions across five disciplines. The New York Quiet Championship 2024 proved to be an outstanding showcase of mental endurance and speed cubing skill, proving that intense concentration can produce remarkable athletic feats. As the WCA competition calendar advances, the memorable solves from this weekend will stand among the sharpest displays of sightless mastery in 2024.