Pickering Fall A 2023

Canadian standout Arhaan Sareen delivered a breathtaking display on home soil, securing two titles and blazing through the 2x2x2 Cube final with a winning average of 1.48 seconds. Taking place at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex, the one-day gathering brought 100 competitors to Pickering, Ontario, Canada on October 21, 2023. Sareen also conquered the big cubes, claiming the top spot in the 5x5x5 Cube with an average of 49.66 seconds, setting a fast tone across five distinct events and nine rounds of speedcubing action.

The 2023 Pickering Fall A 2023 tournament featured intense battles across both standard and specialty puzzles. While Sareen dominated the shortest and largest formats of the day, Burno Li Chak Kwan of Hong Kong proved equally formidable in the flagship events. Across 3x3 results that tested depth and consistency, Li emerged victorious in the 3x3x3 Cube with a winning average of 6.56 seconds. Li also mastered the twelve-sided Megaminx, capturing first place with a 36.82-second average to finish as a double champion.

The 3x3x3 Cube competition gathered 98 competitors over three rounds, making it the most heavily contested discipline of the meeting. In the final round, Li took the top step on the podium ahead of Max Xiong of China, who finished second with an average of 7.74 seconds. Canadian competitor Jeremy Anderson rounded out the top three with an average of 7.85 seconds. The classic Rubik's Cube event delivered exceptional speed at the top, punctuated by Li's tournament-best single solve of 5.60 seconds.

Specialist solving also highlighted the schedule with 3x3x3 One-Handed, where competitors tackle the puzzle using a single hand across two demanding rounds. Canadian solver Roan Paone secured victory in the event with a crisp winning average of 13.00 seconds and a best single of 11.11 seconds. Max Xiong claimed another second-place finish with an average of 13.58 seconds, while Alan Jia ensured two Canadian flags appeared on the podium by taking third place with a mark of 13.73 seconds.

In the 2x2x2 Cube final, Sareen was joined on the podium by fellow Canadian Andrew Mao, who averaged 1.64 seconds for second place, and Sihan Fu of China, who took third with an average of 2.33 seconds. Sareen also posted a best single of 1.07 seconds during the event. The 5x5x5 Cube podium saw Sareen hold off Li, who finished second with a 51.99 average, and Xiong, who placed third with a 52.68 average. In Megaminx, Li topped the 29-player field, followed by Sareen in second at 46.14 and Mao in third at 52.85.

Away from the podium battles, several solvers reached significant milestones at this WCA competition. Daniel Lee took on four events, achieving his best finish of tenth place in Megaminx while cutting his personal best down by 42.3 percent to 1:18.78, in addition to making his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 19.99 seconds. Jonathan Locke completed four events, posting his best finish of 28th place in 5x5x5 Cube, making his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 31.36 seconds and dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 35.8 percent to 6.26 seconds. Santiago Gaudon shaved 30.8 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to hit 4.69 seconds and reduced his 3x3x3 Cube best by 29.6 percent to 13.34 seconds.

Justin Bohart tackled five events, finishing 22nd in Megaminx while lowering his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 27.6 percent to 41.21 seconds and making his first ever attempt in 5x5x5 Cube in 3:15.12. Gabriel Daniels improved his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 28.6 percent to 37.93 seconds and logged his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 13.37 seconds. Timothy Duo Chen lowered his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 27.7 percent to 29.28 seconds. James McRae entered five events, recording a 12th-place finish in Megaminx with a first attempt of 1:40.71, alongside a first 2x2x2 Cube solve of 4.31 seconds. Weston Lalonde also took on five events, registering a first Megaminx solve of 5:12.22 and a first 5x5x5 Cube time of 4:22.32.

By the close of the schedule, Canadian competitors had amassed eight podium positions, while competitors from China took four and Hong Kong took three. The lively cubing competition in Pickering showed the depth of local speed cubing talent across diverse disciplines. The smooth running of Pickering Fall A 2023 gave competitors a memorable stage to test their practice and push personal benchmarks, setting a strong standard as participants look ahead to the next stops on the circuit.