Pão de Queijo Open 2023

Inside the halls of Colégio Logosófico, the steady rhythm of timer clicks and plastic mechanism snaps signaled the arrival of the late-season speedcubing calendar. The autumn air in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil framed a packed two-day program as competitors settled into their stations on November 25 and 26. Tables filled with puzzles spanning all shapes and dimensions greeted the 29 entrants who gathered to measure their training against the clock. Before a single final time was posted, the venue hummed with the focused energy of a regional community eager to close out the year on a high competitive note.

As the 2023 season approached its closing stretch, the Pão de Queijo Open 2023 served as a crucial proving ground across 14 events and 18 rounds. The meeting brought together seasoned veterans and ambitious challengers for a full-scale cubing competition that tested dexterity, memorization, and mental endurance. With the year winding down, every solve carried the added weight of late-year ranking battles, making the gathering in Minas Gerais an intense showcase of Brazilian puzzle talent.

The headline 3x3x3 Cube contest delivered exceptional drama across three stages of action. Caio Hideaki Sato set the benchmark for the weekend, capturing the title with a tournament-winning average of 6.23 seconds after logging the weekend single mark of 5.41. Sato outpaced Lucas Ichiro Yunomae, who secured the runner-up spot with an average of 10.35, while Vitória Santana Rezende locked down third place with a 10.50 mark. These decisive 3x3 results solidified Sato at the top of the podium in the classic Rubik's Cube category.

Sato turned the entire weekend into a masterclass of multi-discipline speed cubing versatility. Beyond the main event, he collected victories in eight other disciplines. He swept the shorter formats with a 2.28 average in 2x2x2 Cube, a 3.59 average in Pyraminx, and a 3.39 average in Skewb. In the mid-range cubes, Sato captured the 4x4x4 Cube with a 29.28 average and claimed the 5x5x5 Cube in 59.72 seconds, while also winning 3x3x3 One-Handed in 10.94, Megaminx in 44.18, and 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with an average of 36.00.

Away from the top of the podium, the deeper layers of the tournament roster revealed immense progress and personal milestones. João Luiz Melo Novaes tackled 10 events, cutting his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 27 percent down to 1:45.22 and dropping his Clock mark by 25.2 percent to 18.55 on the way to a 4th-place finish in Skewb. Jean Carlo Gonçalves Satiro da Silva took on 9 events, finishing 7th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging his first official attempts at Megaminx in 3:00.81 and Skewb in 14.59, and shaving 25.5 percent off his Square-1 best with a 42.72 solve. Francisco José Rezende focused entirely on the 3x3x3 Cube, posting a new personal best of 1:00.89 to improve by 24.8 percent. Paulo Henrique Matos de Moraes entered 6 events, reaching 7th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a best single of 51, while slashing 19.4 percent off his 5x5x5 Cube mark to hit 3:11.60 and cutting his 4x4x4 Cube time by 7.9 percent to 1:50.04.

That same drive fueled several other dedicated competitors across the weekend schedule. Alexandre Henrique Afonso Campos registered a 19 percent improvement in the 4x4x4 Cube with a new personal best of 1:10.56 and notched a 2:54.32 in the 5x5x5 Cube, finishing 5th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves across 7 events. Gabriel Rodrigues Costa entered 10 disciplines, earning 6th place in Pyraminx and making his first career attempts at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:31.83, Megaminx in 2:13.12, and Clock in 13.34. Matheus Casassa competed across 11 disciplines, finishing 4th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded while improving his Megaminx mark by 7.4 percent to 3:15.49, his 3x3x3 Cube time by 6.5 percent to 13.37, and his 4x4x4 Cube best by 4.2 percent to 1:15.83. Carlos Lumumba Soares dos Santos rounded out 7 events with a 4th-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube, setting a personal best single of 2.76.

The remaining events at the Pão de Queijo Open 2023 highlighted the depth of Brazil's specialized solvers. Pedro Paulo Lima Sasaki commanded the big cubes and specialty formats, winning the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:43.65 average ahead of Rafael Carreiro Campos at 1:53.05 and Lucas Ichiro Yunomae at 1:54.22. Sasaki added the 7x7x7 Cube title in 2:39.17 and captured Square-1 with an 18.76 average, while also taking second in 4x4x4 Cube and third in both Megaminx and 5x5x5 Cube. In Clock, João Pedro Guedes Mafort took the gold with an average of 7.41, besting Sato at 7.87 and Rezende at 9.87. Blindfolded solving, requiring total memorization under strict focus, saw Marlon de V. Marques triumph in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:50.08 average, followed by Pedro Henrique Maciel Ceccopieri Belo at 2:19.74 and Yunomae at 2:34.05.

As the final timers were cleared at Colégio Logosófico, the WCA competition concluded with 42 total podium positions secured across all 14 disciplines. The Pão de Queijo Open 2023 captured the competitive spirit of late-season racing, delivering outstanding individual marks and a comprehensive display of solving across every bracket.

As mesas organizadas no Colégio Logosófico receberam os competidores com cronômetros prontos e uma atmosfera vibrante de concentração. Em Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, o encontro reuniu entusiastas dos quebra-cabeças entre os dias 25 e 26 de novembro para a disputa do Pão de Queijo Open 2023. O fim de semana consagrou o talento local, resultando em um domínio absoluto: todas as 42 colocações de pódio distribuídas nas modalidades oficiais ficaram exclusivamente com competidores que representavam a bandeira do Brasil.

O grande destaque individual do torneio foi Caio Hideaki Sato, que demonstrou uma versatilidade impressionante ao vencer a categoria principal do cubo mágico tradicional. Na final do 3x3x3 Cube, Sato garantiu o topo da classificação com média de 6.23 e a melhor marca individual em 5.41. O segundo lugar ficou com Lucas Ichiro Yunomae, registrando média de 10.35, enquanto Vitória Santana Rezende completou o pódio inteiramente brasileiro na terceira colocação com a média de 10.50.

Além da prova clássica, Caio Hideaki Sato acumulou uma sequência notável de títulos em diversas outras categorias ao longo do torneio. O competidor conquistou vitórias expressivas no 2x2x2 Cube com média de 2.28, no 4x4x4 Cube com 29.28, no 5x5x5 Cube marcando 59.72 e no Megaminx com 44.18. Mostrando velocidade em diferentes formatos, ele também triunfou no Pyraminx com 3.59, no Skewb com 3.39, no 3x3x3 One-Handed com 10.94 e no 3x3x3 Fewest Moves ao registrar média de 36.00.

Nas modalidades de cubos maiores, Pedro Paulo Lima Sasaki comandou as disputas com desempenhos impecáveis nas mesas. Sasaki assegurou o título no 6x6x6 Cube com média de 1:43.65 e melhor tempo de 1:38.60, superando Rafael Carreiro Campos em segundo com 1:53.05 e Lucas Ichiro Yunomae em terceiro com 1:54.22. No 7x7x7 Cube, Sasaki voltou ao topo com a média de 2:39.17, acompanhado novamente por Campos com 2:58.26 e Yunomae com 3:00.61. Sasaki também foi o campeão no Square-1 com média de 18.76.

Outros desafios especializados definiram seus vencedores em disputas acirradas. No Clock, João Pedro Guedes Mafort alcançou a primeira posição ao registrar média de 7.41, à frente de Caio Hideaki Sato com 7.87 e Vitória Santana Rezende com 9.87. A memorização técnica do 3x3x3 Blindfolded teve Marlon de V. Marques como campeão com a marca de 1:50.08, seguido por Pedro Henrique Maciel Ceccopieri Belo com 2:19.74 e Lucas Ichiro Yunomae com 2:34.05. Ao todo, a competição reuniu 29 competidores em 14 eventos e 18 rodadas.

Para além dos troféus, o torneio proporcionou momentos fundamentais de estreia para novos talentos no universo do speedcubing. Rafael Duarte Manzan participou de sua primeira competição oficial da WCA, competindo em 5 modalidades e alcançando a 13ª posição no Skewb, com primeiras tentativas de 2:17.63 no 4x4x4 Cube, 23.97 no Pyraminx e 23.15 no 3x3x3 Cube. Da mesma forma, João Victor Machado Rocha encarou sua estreia em 5 eventos, ficando em 12º no Megaminx e registrando tempos pioneiros de 8.47 no 2x2x2 Cube, 34.55 no 3x3x3 Cube e 20.36 no Skewb.

Outros estreantes também construíram marcos pessoais importantes no Pão de Queijo Open 2023. Matheus Duarte Oliveira disputou 4 modalidades, alcançando o 10º lugar no Clock e registrando marcas inéditas de 12.31 no Pyraminx, 6.10 no 2x2x2 Cube e 17.52 no 3x3x3 Cube. Heitor Queiroz Golveia de Mendonça participou de 4 eventos, obtendo o 12º lugar no Skewb e primeiras tentativas de 26.57 no 3x3x3 Cube, 14.30 no Pyraminx e 8.21 no 2x2x2 Cube. Arthur Duarte Manzan estreou em 3 modalidades com marcas de 16.16 no Pyraminx, 14.08 no 2x2x2 Cube e 47.22 no 3x3x3 Cube, terminando em 19º no Pyraminx. Gabriel Okuda estreou em 2 eventos, registrando 42.12 no 3x3x3 Cube, 15.09 no Pyraminx e 13º lugar nesta prova. Em suas primeiras participações no 3x3x3 Cube, Paulo Victor Correia Goularte da Silva cravou 31.94 e Gustavo Espíndula Lima anotou 1:15.52.

Com uma estrutura técnica impecável e ampla variedade de desafios, a competição reafirmou o alto nível dos competidores brasileiros na temporada de 2023. As conquistas obtidas no Pão de Queijo Open 2023 consolidam marcas expressivas nos rankings oficiais e abrem caminhos promissores para que experientes e estreantes sigam elevando o padrão técnico nas próximas etapas esportivas.