Pinoy Big Cubes Open 2023

Seventy-three competitors gathered on February 11, 2023, turning a single action-packed day into a showcase of rapid growth and high-level execution. The Pinoy Big Cubes Open 2023 brought together puzzle enthusiasts from across the region to Robinsons Place General Trias for nine rounds across seven distinct events. With personal bests tumbling across multiple disciplines, the event captured the energetic momentum driving modern speedcubing, offering experienced hands and fresh challengers alike a prime platform to test their progress on the official stage.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest set an electric baseline for the day as 71 solvers took to the tables to deliver decisive results. Sean Patrick Villanueva captured first place with an impressive 6.18 winning average, powered by a blistering single solve of 5.51. Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc secured second place with a 7.96 average and a 6.56 single, while Karl Matthew Angeles took third on an 8.25 average after recording a 7.19 single. These top marks highlighted an exceptionally competitive field where tiny fractions of a second separated the leaders.

Strong individual breakthroughs defined the broader 3x3 results throughout the afternoon. Christian Naguio clocked a 9.78 average alongside a 7.81 single, while Richard Espinosa posted a 14.17 average and a 10.11 single solve. Angelo Lenard Herrera followed closely with a 14.18 average, Drake Reinhard Pilarta logged a 14.68 mark, and Niño Francis S. Reyes secured a 15.06 average. International speed cubing talent was also represented as Nicolas Jefferson R. Sagun of Singapore completed the event with a 36.17 average, highlighting the wide range of experience sharing the floor at this WCA competition.

Across the schedule, competitors demonstrated remarkable technical range beyond the classic Rubik's Cube. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Sean Patrick Villanueva earned another top finish with a winning average of 10.07, anchored by an 8.53 single solve. Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc earned the runner-up spot with a 14.36 average, while Christian Naguio took third with 14.91. Blindfolded solving, an event requiring rigorous memorisation and absolute spatial accuracy, saw John Edison Ubaldo claim the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title with a 1:13.76 average, while Mc Kenley Lindong and Cairon Sumadchat completed the podium in 2:08.39 and 2:39.94 respectively.

Big cube specialists found plenty of runway to demonstrate their discipline as Anyu Zhang delivered a sweeping performance in the upper puzzle categories. Zhang won the 5x5x5 Cube event with an average of 50.54, the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:24.08 average, and topped the two-round 7x7x7 Cube contest with a winning mark of 2:00.74. In 4x4x4 Cube, Richmond Mico Rigor produced a sharp 30.14 winning average to edge out Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc at 30.76 and Zhang at 32.32, adding to a podium tally that saw solvers from the Philippines earn 17 podium places alongside 4 for China.

Beyond the title fights, the Pinoy Big Cubes Open 2023 offered a stage for massive personal progress that defined the deeper spirit of the gathering. Ian Padua delivered an extraordinary leap in 3x3x3 One-Handed, dropping their personal best to 26.07, which was 58.9 percent faster than their previous best of 1:03.38, while also taking on a first official 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 1:07.00 and improving their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 21 percent to 11.00. Sebastian Silva tackled four events, making a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 6:29.40 solve to finish 6th, while lowering their 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 27.8 percent to 21.74 and logging a 14.40 average in the standard cube.

That drive toward self-improvement continued across the roster with several solvers pushing into new territory. Julian Antonio W. Geronimo took on three events, posting a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 2:24.38 to finish 34th, while cutting their 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 25.1 percent down to 1:18.69 and improving their 3x3x3 Cube best by 24 percent to 24.22. Diego Basilio Benedetto Ortega entered four events, logging a first 3x3x3 One-Handed try in 34.41, a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:13.27 that was 21.6 percent faster, and a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 2:47.54, an improvement of 16.9 percent.

First attempts at demanding categories were a recurring theme throughout the weekend. Cyrill Andrei Espinosa took on three events, registering a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 2:39.82 for 38th place, a first 3x3x3 One-Handed solve of 2:12.70, and a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 28.87, which was 20.8 percent faster than their previous mark. GoonWoo Park tackled three events, making first official attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:06.99 and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:27.47, alongside a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 2:48.23 that was 10.2 percent faster for a 16th place finish. Elijah Francis Jagonio entered four events and logged first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 44.64, 5x5x5 Cube at 2:10.66, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 38.68, while Iñigo Zachary Enrile finished 36th in 4x4x4 Cube with a debut 2:31.24 solve and notched a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 28.22.

By the time the final timers were cleared at Robinsons Place General Trias, the gathering stood as a celebration of personal growth and competitive spirit. The Pinoy Big Cubes Open 2023 highlighted how each round offers competitors a chance to redefine their limits, whether chasing championship averages or testing new hardware in competition for the first time. Solvers left General Trias, Philippines with fresh milestones in hand, setting an ambitious benchmark for the rest of the 2023 calendar.

Umapaw ang sigla sa Robinsons Place General Trias habang nagtitipon ang mga manlalaro mula sa iba't ibang panig upang sumabak sa mabilisang pag-ikot ng mga puzzle. Sa bawat mesa, maririnig ang tuluy-tuloy na lagitik ng mga plastic cube, ang pagtama ng mga kamay sa timers, at ang matamang pagtutok ng mga opisyal na tagahatol. Sa gitna ng bukas na bulwagan ng mall, naging saksi ang mga manonood sa isang araw na puno ng matinding konsentrasyon at husay sa speedcubing.

Ang naturang pagtitipon, ang Pinoy Big Cubes Open 2023 na ginanap noong February 11, 2023 sa General Trias, Philippines, ay umakit ng 73 kalahok para sa 7 magkakaibang kategorya sa kabuuang 9 na rounds. Sa 3x3x3 Cube, ang pangunahing laro na pamilyar bilang klasikong Rubik's Cube, pinatunayan ni Sean Patrick Villanueva ang kanyang pambihirang galing matapos manguna laban sa 71 katunggali bitbit ang 6.18 average at best single na 5.51.

Hindi nagpahuli si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc na sumungkit ng pangalawang puwesto sa 3x3x3 Cube gamit ang 7.96 average at 6.56 single, habang si Karl Matthew Angeles naman ang pumuwesto sa ikatlo tangan ang 8.25 average at 7.19 single. Naipamalas din ni Sean Patrick Villanueva ang dominasyon sa 3x3x3 One-Handed matapos magtala ng winning average na 10.07 at 8.53 single, kung saan sumunod si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa 14.36 average at Christian Naguio sa 14.91 average.

Para sa mga bagong mukha na sumabak sa kanilang pinakaunang WCA competition, naging entablado ito ng pagpapakitang-gilas at sariling tagumpay. Si Mark David Borja ay nagtala ng impresibong pasinaya sa tatlong laro, kabilang ang 10th place sa 3x3x3 Cube na may 9.97 single, 44.94 sa 4x4x4 Cube, at 19.26 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed. Si Gabriel Inrico S. De Belen ay kumamada naman ng 20th place sa 4x4x4 Cube sa oras na 1:01.66 kasama ang 15.98 sa 3x3x3 Cube at 24.38 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed, samantalang si Andro Miguel M. Eraldo ay nakuha ang 18th place sa 4x4x4 Cube tangan ang 1:00.91, 13.53 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 25.17 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed. Si John Trinchera naman ay nagtala ng 27th place sa 3x3x3 One-Handed sa pamamagitan ng 40.23, 17.02 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 1:36.49 sa 4x4x4 Cube.

Bumida rin ang malalaking pag-unlad mula sa mga datihang kalahok sa cubing competition na ito. Naibaba ni Ethan Francis Jagonio ang kanyang personal best sa 3x3x3 One-Handed sa 23.49 mula 30.55 na may 23.1 porsyentong bilis kasabay ng 9.40 sa 3x3x3 Cube upang makuha ang ika-16 na puwesto. Pinabilis naman ni Marian Figueroa Infante ang sariling rekord sa 3x3x3 Cube patungong 20.71 mula 26.62 para sa 22.2 porsyentong pagbuti at 48th finish. Sa iba pang kategorya, sumubok si Milbert Ray Sasi sa 5 events kabilang ang kanyang unang salang sa 7x7x7 Cube sa oras na 7:45.53 at ika-7 puwesto sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded, habang si Dwayne Kyle B. Evangelista ay nagtala ng 46.08 sa kanyang unang subok sa 3x3x3 One-Handed tungo sa 29th finish.

Sa mas malalaking kategorya ng mga puzzle, ipinamalas ni Anyu Zhang mula sa China ang kanyang lakas sa pamamagitan ng panalo sa tatlong magkakahiwalay na larangan. Nagrehistro siya ng 1:24.08 average at 1:20.18 single sa 6x6x6 Cube laban kina Dale Palmares na may 1:39.25 at Richmond Mico Rigor na may 1:45.17. Nasungkit din ni Anyu Zhang ang unang puwesto sa 7x7x7 Cube sa pamamagitan ng 2:00.74 average kontra kina Christian Naguio na nagtala ng 2:39.33 at Dale Palmares sa 2:42.03.

Nanguna muli si Anyu Zhang sa 5x5x5 Cube nang magtala ng 50.54 winning average at 48.60 single, habang pumangalawa si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa 53.37 at pumangatlo si Richmond Mico Rigor sa 54.83. Sa 4x4x4 Cube, binaligtad ni Richmond Mico Rigor ang laban nang maangkin ang kampeonato sa winning average na 30.14 at 28.18 single laban sa 30.76 ni Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc at 32.32 ni Anyu Zhang.

Hindi rin nagpahuli ang espesyal na kategorya ng 3x3x3 Blindfolded kung saan kinakailangan ang matinding memorya bago buuin ang cube nang nakapiring. Nakamit ni John Edison Ubaldo ang panalo matapos magtala ng 1:13.76 winning average at 45.84 single, kasunod sina Mc Kenley Lindong na nagrehistro ng 2:08.39 at Cairon Sumadchat na nagtala ng 2:39.94.

Sa kabuuang bilang ng mga nakatungtong sa podium, nagtala ang Pilipinas ng 17 puwesto habang ang China ay may 4. Matagumpay na nagtapos ang Pinoy Big Cubes Open 2023 sa General Trias na nag-iwan ng matitinding aral, personal na tagumpay, at inspirasyon para sa mga manlalaro bago sumabak sa susunod na yugto ng mga paligsahan sa bansa.