Newham Side Events Winter 2023

Ireland standout Ciarán Beahan delivered an emphatic statement across the big cubes at Forest Gate Community School, sweeping top honors in the 5x5x5 Cube, 6x6x6 Cube, and 7x7x7 Cube. His dominance against a deep field of domestic and visiting talent provided the sharpest edge to a competitive weekend in Greater London. Across two days of high-paced action, 57 competitors took to the tables over 19 rounds across eight events, turning the venue into a vibrant battleground where regional rivalries and international matchups dictated the pace of every final round.

Held across February 11 and February 12, Newham Side Events Winter 2023 offered a dedicated platform for disciplines that sit beyond the traditional 3x3 results, drawing solvers together in Newham, Greater London, United Kingdom. While the classic Rubik's Cube was absent from the schedule, the intensity across the alternate puzzles was palpable from the opening scramble. Domestic competitors from the United Kingdom aimed to defend home turf against contenders hailing from Ireland, Germany, Malaysia, Belgium, and Turkey, sparking fierce battles on every podium.

Beahan set the tone by locking down the 5x5x5 Cube with a winning average of 44.45 seconds, outpacing Malaysia's Ainesh Sevellaraja at 59.31 and the United Kingdom's Daniel Partridge at 1:02.73. Moving up to the 6x6x6 Cube, Beahan maintained his commanding pace to secure first place with an average of 1:21.17, while Cham J. Chambers of the United Kingdom posted 1:48.13 for second, narrowly holding off Kerem Eroğlu of Turkey at 1:48.78. In the 7x7x7 Cube final, Beahan completed his treble with a 2:05.40 average, comfortably ahead of Mark Ostrom and Chambers.

The host nation answered back with strong performances in the sprint events. Cham J. Chambers led a British podium sweep in Clock, posting a winning average of 4.34 seconds with a best single of 3.78 to hold off Sam Shaw and Daniel Partridge. Partridge found his own gold in Skewb, edging out compatriot Ariel Benchetrit in a dramatic final where Partridge averaged 4.00 to Benchetrit's 4.02, while Belgium's Pierre Ming L. Debroe secured third place with 4.48.

Square-1 action provided another clash between home contenders and international challengers. Charlie Stark clinched the title for the United Kingdom with an 8.50 average and a rapid 5.83 single, fending off Malaysia's Ainesh Sevellaraja, who took second with 9.51, and Eleanor Sinnott, who finished third with 9.98. In Megaminx, Chris Mills maintained British supremacy, taking the title with a 39.54 average and a 37.68 single over Chambers and Partridge. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Jaye Sloan delivered a winning 22.95 average to top Germany's Konstantin Jaehne and Stark.

Beyond the fight for titles, the competition saw remarkable breakthroughs from solvers charting their own path forward. Ayyan Hussain shaved significant time off previous marks, recording a Skewb personal best of 8.57, which was 41.5 percent faster than before, alongside a 5x5x5 Cube best of 2:37.92, an improvement of 19.5 percent, and a first attempt at Square-1 with 43.44. Lachlan F. Cattanach also showed major strides, dropping his Square-1 time by 29.4 percent to 37.97 and improving his Skewb mark by 28.9 percent to 6.07. Boris Kolev made rapid progress across his six events, reducing his Megaminx best by 29.3 percent to 1:38.70 and his 5x5x5 Cube time by 22.3 percent to 2:31.26.

Stepping onto the floor for first-time challenges, Dominic Seaton lowered his Clock personal best by 22.9 percent to 10.88 while registering his first ever Skewb attempt of 6.12. Mateusz Nowak of Poland contested four events, earning a 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best of 4:08.66, which was 4.9 percent faster, and making his first Skewb attempt with 16.84. Ahyan Ali Ahad recorded a Skewb mark of 5.13 and a 5x5x5 Cube time of 1:58.49 in his first attempts at both events. Benjamin Oates entered six events at his first WCA competition, logging debut marks of 6:22.82 in 7x7x7 Cube and 1:12.04 in Square-1, while Francis Bartula took on two events in his debut, posting a 10.24 in Skewb.

The variety of formats highlighted the expansive landscape of modern speed cubing, demanding diverse technical skills ranging from the complex parity management of big cubes to the memory work required in blindfolded solving. Competitors from six different nations earned podium spots across the eight events, with the host nation collecting 16 top-three positions, Ireland capturing three, and Malaysia taking two. Every round added another chapter to the ongoing rivalries that travel from hall to hall across the circuit.

As the final timers clicked off at Newham Side Events Winter 2023, the gathering reaffirmed the competitive health of the UK cubing competition scene in 2023. Whether locking in new personal milestones or contesting regional dominance in the big cubes, every participant left a distinct mark on the weekend. The focus now shifts toward upcoming fixtures as speedcubing athletes recalibrate their hardware and preparation for the next stage of tournament action.