NUS Mini 2026

The competition hall at the National University of Singapore buzzed with the clicking of plastic mechanisms and the rhythmic slap of hands resetting timing mats. Solvers and judges crowded the tables, keeping a sharp eye on the tournament board as the schedule pressed forward. The single-day speedcubing event, held on June 21, 2026 in Singapore, Singapore, brought together 42 competitors eager to test their readiness against challenging round cuts.

Across a compact schedule of five events, competitors faced a grueling total of 13 rounds designed to separate steady execution from quick single-solve bursts. With multi-round structures in almost every discipline, advancing required consistent averages under pressure rather than relying on lucky scrambles. The demands of qualifying rounds tested depth across the field, rewarding those who maintained control from opening attempts to final tables.

Emmanuel Kao delivered the most commanding performances of the tournament, taking double gold in the heavy twisty puzzles. In 5x5x5 Cube, where 26 competitors navigated three full rounds of cuts, Kao captured top honours with a winning average of 41.86 and a best single solve of 38.87. Kagen Chiu secured second place with an average of 52.31, while Dylan Seah Tze Siang claimed third with 52.96 in a tightly contested final.

Kao was equally dominant in 7x7x7 Cube, which also featured three distinct rounds for its 17 entrants. Facing long solving times on the massive layer mechanism, Kao took the victory with a 1:43.76 average, complemented by the best single mark of 1:40.98. Carmen Teo Bin Jie earned the silver medal with an average of 2:21.02, while Wong Chong Wen rounded out the all-Singapore podium in third place at 2:24.08.

The shorter events also produced tight races through the qualification brackets. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Akash Sreedharan prevailed over a 30-person field across three rounds, recording a decisive 10.28 winning average and an event-best 8.41 single. Reuel Franz Ramirez Magracia of the Philippines pushed the champion closely, earning second place with a 10.94 average, while Calen Seah took third place with a 12.80 mark.

Beyond the fight for titles, the progression through each stage highlighted significant personal achievements across the floor. Pransukh Udit Behera took on Square-1 and delivered a major breakthrough, setting a personal best average of 25.16 to best their previous standard by 30.8 percent. Khant Zay tackled three separate events, recording a 25.8 percent improvement in 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:56.68 mark alongside debut appearances in Square-1 at 3:42.04 and 7x7x7 Cube at 9:08.03. Ralph Dominic entered five events during the weekend, establishing personal marks in 7x7x7 Cube at 6:07.11 and 5x5x5 Cube at 1:23.38, while improving their Square-1 personal best by 15.8 percent to 31.17. Luca Chen focused on two events and achieved a 6th place finish in Square-1 with a first-time mark of 16.12.

Other competitors took on fresh challenges across the multi-round schedule. Chow Zixuan advanced their 5x5x5 Cube mark by 15.5 percent to 2:57.92 while recording an initial 7x7x7 Cube time of 8:54.67. Koo Jia Kai trimmed 15.2 percent off their 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best with an 18.14 solve and added a first 5x5x5 Cube entry of 1:50.22. Making their tournament debut at an official WCA competition, Armando C. Ramirez III stepped up for two events, logging a 22.64 in 3x3x3 One-Handed and a 1:26.95 in 5x5x5 Cube. Fellow newcomer Evan Koh Yu En entered the same pair of disciplines, setting baseline marks of 31.02 in 3x3x3 One-Handed and 1:52.82 on the 5x5x5 board.

In Square-1, Dalton Yeo handled the shape-shifting puzzle across two rounds, securing the title with an 8.97 average and a best single of 8.16. Aidan Loh Kai Ye earned second place with 10.78, while Malaysia's Lim Chun Yik captured third with 13.83. The Clock event concluded with Jovan Lee claiming first place with a 3.79 average, finishing ahead of Yeo Jun Wei Christian at 4.14 and Nigel Phang with 2.25.

The single-day format provided an intense showcase for the local speed cubing community, demanding sharp focus through each successive cut. While classic 3x3 results often capture broad attention in the Rubik's Cube world, the specialized slate proved how demanding multi-round structures can be. NUS Mini 2026 proved to be an efficient test of nerve, ending with Singapore claiming 13 podium places alongside international honours for the Philippines and Malaysia as competitors look forward to the next season.