Newham Autumn - British Blind Off 2023

Forest Gate Community School served as the focal point for precision and memory as competitors gathered for a specialised weekend of solving. The atmosphere across the hall differed markedly from standard open meets, defined instead by prolonged silence, focused memorisation phases, and the soft clatter of turning plastic. Across September 23 to September 24, the venue accommodated a dedicated group of 25 solvers tackling five demanding events over 10 distinct rounds of play in Newham, Greater London, United Kingdom.

This gathering at Newham Autumn - British Blind Off 2023 tested disciplines that reward deep analysis rather than sheer turning velocity alone. With classic Rubik's Cube variants pushed to their intellectual limits, the cubing competition drew enthusiasts who thrive on fewer moves and sightless execution. Over the two days of action in 2023, the sports hall offered an ideal environment for competitors navigating the quiet intensity of memory recall and methodical efficiency under World Cube Association regulations.

The blindfolded categories produced gripping battles across several cube sizes. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Jaye Sloan captured the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 22.18 seconds, having also logged a best single time of 18.67 seconds across three rounds of competition. Ben Stokes followed closely behind to claim second place with a single solve of 19.46 seconds, while Hari Anirudh secured third place with a time of 21.86 seconds in an exceptionally tight set of 3x3 results.

Jaye Sloan added a second gold medal of the weekend in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, demonstrating vast endurance and memory retention. Sloan secured the victory by successfully resolving 26 out of 33 cubes within a time limit of 59:31. Thomas Patterson took the silver position with an accurate run of 18 out of 19 cubes in 53:31, while Ben Stokes collected another podium placing with 19 out of 21 cubes in 54:31, rounding out an impressive demonstration of high-volume sightless solving.

In the larger blindfolded disciplines, Thomas Patterson topped the field in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a winning single time of 4:50.52. CJ Brooke earned the second step on the podium with a single mark of 7:23.57, just edging ahead of Adrien Neveu who completed the top three with 7:24.92. The 5x5x5 Blindfolded event saw Ryan Eckersley secure the championship thanks to a swift 3:15.53 solve, ahead of Patterson in second with 10:18.00, while Ashwyn Wadhawan and Anqi Yu tied for third place with matching times of 12:06.00.

Beyond the blindfolded events, Newham Autumn - British Blind Off 2023 showcased elite calculation in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. Fabio Schwandt claimed the title with a tournament-leading average of 24.67 moves, alongside an event-best single score of 23. Sloan added a silver medal to a busy weekend with an average of 25.33 moves, while Stokes earned third position with 28.33 moves, proving that deliberate, step-by-step optimisation remains one of the most demanding formats in modern speedcubing.

Beyond the medal table, several solvers achieved significant milestones away from the podium spotlight. James McCambridge achieved a major breakthrough in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, delivering a personal best of 36 moves that was 21.7 percent faster than his previous mark of 46, while also taking on five events to finish eighth in Multi-Blind. Adam Swaine similarly improved his Fewest Moves personal best to 29 moves, an improvement of 12.1 percent from his previous best of 33, which earned him a sixth-place finish. Fengyuan Kelvin Lou dropped his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best by 12.5 percent down to 1:41.15, logged a 33 in Fewest Moves, and made his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a score of 6/9 in 46:51.

Other competitors expanded their repertoires through daring first-time entries. Oscar Coleman Green entered all five disciplines, lowering his Fewest Moves best to 34 moves for a 5.6 percent improvement and completing a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 2/4 in 31:10. Brandon Poulton also took on five events, registering a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 9:09.96 alongside a debut Multi-Blind result of 4/5 in 31:46. Steve Clarke recorded a 5/5 in 40:02 personal best in Multi-Blind and logged a 62 in his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. Dorian Chan lowered his blindfolded best to 2:01.21, improved his Fewest Moves best by 5.3 percent to 36, and posted a first Multi-Blind score of 3/4 in 24:24. Meanwhile, Jake Brown contested five events, achieving a Multi-Blind personal best of 11/13 in 56:08.

The action at Newham Autumn - British Blind Off 2023 concluded after two days of relentless mental focus, underlining the unique appeal of memory and efficiency challenges within the wider WCA competition landscape. Competitors representing multiple nations demonstrated the deep concentration required for high-level speed cubing without visual feedback. As the equipment was packed away at Forest Gate Community School, solvers departed with new personal milestones and shared memories of an exceptional weekend of specialist cubing.