Perth Puzzle Party 2026

A single hundredth of a second was all that divided the top of the podium in the 3x3x3 One-Handed final at the Mount Hawthorn Community Centre. In an extraordinarily tight finish, Antoine Quemerais of France and Joshua Hounslow of Australia both recorded matching final averages of 14.14 seconds across their solves. Quemerais secured the top step of the podium in the 30-competitor field thanks to the tiebreak, while Ethan Caalim finished only fractions behind in third place with a 14.36 average. It stood out as the most razor-thin margin of the entire weekend.

The drama in the one-handed event set the tone for Perth Puzzle Party 2026, held on May 16, 2026, in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Across seven official disciplines and 13 rounds of action, 54 competitors gathered for the high-stakes speedcubing meeting. The single-day tournament delivered elite showdowns across classical twists, shape modifications, and specialty formats, testing every facet of mechanical execution and mental composure under World Cube Association regulations.

The main event delivered another thrilling battle at the tables, where Aaron Espiritu captured the marquee title in the classic Rubik's Cube. Across three rounds featuring 51 entrants, Espiritu produced the standout 3x3 results of the day, securing victory with a 7.95-second average and logging the day's best single solve of 6.34 seconds. Jonathan Charlesworth mounted a fierce challenge, finishing runner-up with an 8.00-second average, while Joshua Hounslow took third with an 8.27 average in a contest where top-three finishers were separated by mere tenths.

Espiritu doubled his gold tally for the tournament in Square-1, dominating the single-round event of 20 competitors with an impressive 9.90 average and a single of 7.90 seconds. Charlesworth again showed great versatility by taking second place with an 11.70 average, ahead of Amy Smith who took third in 12.37. Smith enjoyed a remarkably prolific outing at this cubing competition, securing podium finishes across three different puzzles including a third-place 4.65 average in Skewb and a 4.22 average for third in Pyraminx.

Smith claimed her own tournament victory in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where competitors must memorise the scrambled puzzle before donning a blindfold to execute the solve purely from memory. In a 15-person field, Smith swept the event with a winning average of 26.20 seconds and a best single time of 24.34 seconds, finishing well clear of runner-up Joshua Hounslow at 1:13.80 and third-placed Alex Baker at 1:18.57. Her blindfolded triumph added to an exceptional all-round day across multiple disciplines at Perth Puzzle Party 2026.

Beyond the championship battles, several under-the-radar performers made massive strides across the schedule. Joy Dipakkumar Patel cut their 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 55.3 percent down to 5.73 seconds, while also trimming their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 24.7 percent to 16.62 seconds. Liam Reid tackled six events, achieving a career-best 12th-place finish in Pyraminx while slicing 45 percent off their Square-1 best to reach 19.51 seconds, alongside personal bests of 6.94 in Skewb and 9.37 in the main cube. Davis Chien improved their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 47.2 percent to 6.18 seconds and logged first ever official attempts in Pyraminx with 10.87 and Skewb with 14.66. Isaac Fenlon knocked 33.8 percent off their 2x2x2 Cube time down to 5.11 seconds and improved by 31.6 percent in the main event to 20.89 seconds, in addition to an 11.50 debut in Pyraminx.

The progress continued with Saichairi Mangan taking on five events, establishing a first ever mark of 1:06.95 in 3x3x3 One-Handed while improving their 2x2x2 Cube time by 33.3 percent to 6.39 and Pyraminx by 28.6 percent to 10.92. Klaus Cheng contested six events, earning a 12th-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube, an initial 33.50 mark in Square-1, and personal bests of 22.91 in 3x3x3 One-Handed and 12.14 in 3x3x3 Cube. Alexander Rogers took on all seven disciplines, securing a best finish of 9th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, a maiden 21.89 in Square-1, and personal records of 7.28 in Skewb and 26.45 in One-Handed. Thomas Bland recorded an 8th-place result in Square-1 alongside a 27.7 percent personal best of 13.67 seconds.

The side events rounded out the day with brisk times and energetic turnouts. Lachlan Stephens clinched top honours in the 2x2x2 Cube, putting together a blistering 1.97 average and a 1.70 single across two rounds of 48 competitors to best Charlesworth at 2.40 and Marco Campitelli at 2.42. In Skewb, Jonathan Charlesworth stepped onto the top step with a winning average of 3.56 seconds, edging Tyler Williams at 4.62. Meanwhile, Joel Harrop captured the Pyraminx crown with a 2.89 average, holding off Joshua Hounslow at 3.07 in a fast-paced 40-competitor bracket.

With 20 podium places earned by Australian competitors and a standout international victory for France, Perth Puzzle Party 2026 proved to be an outstanding showcase of speed cubing excellence in Western Australia. From the dead heat in one-handed solving to breakthrough milestones across every round, this WCA competition highlighted the depth and sharp reflexes of the regional scene as the 2026 season marches forward.