Nhood Xperience Side Events 2023

Inside the bustling shopping corridors of Centro Comercial Sant Boi and Xperience, the atmosphere carried a sharp intensity as competitors gathered for a specialised day of solving. Across the tables, the distinctive click of turning plastic filled the air while participants inspected large cubes, mechanical dials, and blindfolds. Held on November 1, 2023, the Nhood Xperience Side Events 2023 brought together a dedicated field of 40 competitors in Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain, to tackle disciplines that demand absolute consistency and sharp focus.

The format of the day placed immense pressure on competitors through mean-of-three events, where no safety net exists. In standard speedcubing rounds, an average of five affords the luxury of dropping the fastest and slowest solves, but mean-of-three formats count every single effort. A single lockup, miscalculated slice, or brief lapse in concentration can dismantle an entire podium charge in an instant. For puzzles like the larger cubes and Fewest Moves, this razor-thin margin between success and elimination dictated the flow of the entire cubing competition.

Nowhere was this unforgiving dynamic clearer than in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, where Mauro Moisés Ortega López delivered a clinic under pressure. Solving the classic Rubik's Cube with minimal turns, Ortega López compiled a stunning mean of 22.00 moves, backed by a best single of 21, to capture first place over Nicolas Gertner Kilian from France at 25.00 and Pavlo Bondar from Ukraine at 26.33. Ortega López carried that precise control directly into the big cube categories, securing two more victories. In 6x6x6 Cube, he topped the field with a 1:55.35 mean, ahead of Portugal's Vasco Vasconcelos at 1:59.18 and Spain's Arnau Tous Mateu at 2:09.78. He then completed a commanding sweep in 7x7x7 Cube, posting a 2:57.87 winning mean to once again edge Vasconcelos at 3:16.39 and Bondar at 3:18.37.

The technical tests continued in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, an event requiring precise memorisation before executing moves without sight. France's Arthur Garcin claimed the top spot across three intense rounds with a rapid single of 19.74 seconds, overcoming a DNF average. Jonathan Dammann followed in second place with a 27.64 single, alongside an official average of 39.76, while Jordi Lleixà López of Spain secured third on the podium with 33.36 seconds. Over the ten rounds held at the Nhood Xperience Side Events 2023, the Spain delegation captured nine podium placements, while France took four, Ukraine three, and Portugal two.

Beyond the fight for titles, the competition saw tremendous breakthroughs from dedicated entrants across the timetable. Guillem Serrallonga Rosell took on six separate events and registered a massive improvement in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, logging a personal best of 31 moves that was 40.4 percent faster than his previous mark of 52, while also lowering his blindfolded single by 26.4 percent to 5:59.09 and dropping his Clock time to 27.98. Martí Esquerda Amézcua also tackled six disciplines, slicing 16.1 percent off his 3x3x3 One-Handed best down to 24.76 seconds, cutting his 7x7x7 Cube mark by 15.9 percent to 4:58.09, and improving his 6x6x6 Cube time to 3:10.64. Pau Carbonell achieved personal bests in three events, running 21 percent faster in One-Handed with 1:13.39, dropping to 16.80 in Clock, and improving by three percent to 4:23.80 in the 7x7x7 Cube, which earned him a 9th-place finish.

New milestones arrived swiftly as competitors pushed their boundaries in fresh categories. Erik Pujol Vázquez contested four events and made his official platform debuts on the big 7x7x7 Cube with a time of 9:50.75 and in Clock with 1:23.56, while simultaneously cutting his 3x3x3 One-Handed record by 15.5 percent to 21.56 seconds for a 16th-place finish. Arnau Prat Plana logged his first official attempts in both large puzzles, recording 3:14.27 on the 6x6x6 Cube for 19th place and 6:08.26 on the 7x7x7 Cube. Fran León Blanco entered two events, charting a successful first attempt in Clock at 10.41 seconds for 14th place alongside a first attempt in One-Handed at 44.93. Xènia Subirats competed across four events, lowering her Fewest Moves best by 12.1 percent to 51 turns and posting a personal best of 18.23 seconds in Clock.

The day also featured fast-paced action in 3x3x3 One-Handed, where Nicolas Gertner Kilian prevailed through two hard-fought rounds to win with an average of 13.33 seconds, complemented by a round-best single of 9.81. Pavlo Bondar finished closely behind in second place with a 13.94 average, and Arnau Tous Mateu rounded out the podium with 15.94. These 3x3 results demonstrated the exceptional finger dexterity required to control the puzzle with just five fingers against the timer.

In the Clock division, Jaime Calzado Gomez showcased swift coordination to claim the victory with a 5.20 average and a single of 4.32 seconds. Ivan Ros Godia took the runner-up position with 6.67 seconds, while Arnau Tous Mateu locked in his third medal of the gathering with an average of 7.46. The energetic speed cubing clashes highlighted the versatile skill sets present throughout the venue.

As the equipment was packed away and timers were switched off, the Nhood Xperience Side Events 2023 wrapped up an intense day on the calendar. This WCA competition demonstrated the discipline required when every move counts, offering a pure test of focus that competitors will build upon as they prepare for the next season of play.

Cuarenta competidores se dieron cita para medir su destreza en una intensa jornada de speedcubing que puso a prueba la resistencia de cada participante. El Nhood Xperience Side Events 2023 congregó a especialistas de distintas disciplinas alternativas en Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain, durante el 1 de noviembre de 2023. A lo largo de diez rondas oficiales, la profundidad de la tabla convirtió el acceso a las posiciones de privilegio en un verdadero desafío donde cada segundo contaba para avanzar.

El escenario del Centro Comercial Sant Boi & Xperience albergó seis modalidades técnicas donde la regularidad resultó determinante. Mauro Moisés Ortega López protagonizó una actuación sobresaliente al adjudicarse tres victorias individuales a lo largo del certamen. En la prueba de 6x6x6 Cube, Ortega López lideró la ronda única con una media de 1:55.35 y una mejor resolución de 1:50.80, superando a Vasco Vasconcelos de Portugal con 1:59.18 y al español Arnau Tous Mateu con 2:09.78.

La solidez de Ortega López continuó en el 7x7x7 Cube, categoría en la que selló el triunfo gracias a un promedio de 2:57.87 y una marca individual de 2:47.68. Vasco Vasconcelos aseguró la segunda posición con 3:16.39, mientras que el ucraniano Pavlo Bondar completó el podio con un registro de 3:18.37 entre veintiséis participantes. Ortega López rubricó su triplete dorado al dominar la modalidad de 3x3x3 Fewest Moves con una media de 22.00 movimientos y un mejor intento de 21 resoluciones.

En la categoría de 3x3x3 One-Handed, la más concurrida del evento con 37 aspirantes y dos fases eliminatorias, el francés Nicolas Gertner Kilian impuso su ritmo para llevarse el primer puesto con una media final de 13.33 y el mejor registro individual de 9.81 segundos. La segunda plaza correspondió a Pavlo Bondar con 13.94, mientras que Arnau Tous Mateu obtuvo la tercera posición con 15.94 en esta exigente variante con una sola mano del cubo de Rubik.

La agilidad sobre el mecanismo circular de Clock ofreció otra disputa vibrante a lo largo de dos rondas entre 32 participantes. El español Jaime Calzado Gomez se alzó con la victoria marcando un promedio de 5.20 segundos y un mejor intento de 4.32. En el podio le acompañaron Ivan Ros Godia con 6.67 y Arnau Tous Mateu con 7.46, asegurando un triplete local en una de las pruebas de mayor precisión técnica del campeonato.

Más allá de las primeras posiciones, el torneo dejó avances individuales de gran calibre que reflejan el trabajo constante en cada prueba. Leny De Pablo Hosty protagonizó una notable progresión al rebajar su mejor marca personal en 3x3x3 One-Handed hasta 1:05.01, un 43.9% más rápido que su anterior 1:55.98, además de completar su primera incursión en Clock con 13.40 para ser decimoquinto. Por su parte, Raúl Fernández de Cos mejoró un 19.4% su registro en 3x3x3 One-Handed con 30.07 y fue séptimo en Clock, mientras Judith Frank Arnaldo rebajó un 17.3% su tiempo en 6x6x6 Cube con 3:15.26 para terminar sexta en la prueba a una mano.

El espíritu competitivo continuó con Néstor Garrido, quien afrontó seis modalidades durante la fecha, logrando la décima posición en 3x3x3 Fewest Moves con 38 movimientos y rebajando un 8.9% su marca en 3x3x3 Blindfolded con 3:47.38. Sofía Deza Treyster recortó un 6.3% su registro personal en 3x3x3 One-Handed fijándolo en 34.71. Asimismo, esta competición WCA marcó el estreno oficial de Joan Ferret Sonet, quien completó sus primeros intentos en 7x7x7 Cube con 7:52.68 para ser vigésimo cuarto, 6x6x6 Cube con 5:39.99 y 3x3x3 One-Handed con 1:08.85, al tiempo que Marcos De Pablo Cantero debutó con un registro inicial de 58.61 en Clock.

La resolución a ciegas requirió un esfuerzo de concentración supremo a lo largo de tres exigentes rondas eliminatorias con 25 competidores. El francés Arthur Garcin se coronó vencedor en 3x3x3 Blindfolded con una marca ganadora de 19.74 segundos, seguido por Jonathan Dammann con 27.64 y el español Jordi Lleixà López con 33.36 en la ronda decisiva tras memorizar la estructura completa del rompecabezas.

El medallero general reflejó el dominio de la delegación de España con nueve presencias en los podios, respaldada por cuatro puestos de honor para Francia, tres para Ucrania y dos para Portugal. Con una alta exigencia en cada cruce y marcas destacadas en todas las mesas, el Nhood Xperience Side Events 2023 cerró una jornada memorable que consolidó el nivel de los especialistas en territorio catalán.