Please Be Quiet Luzon 2024

The tension at the Area 3 Phase 7 Covered Court and Function Hall peaked in the decisive moments of the blindfolded finals, where Ian Guevarra Santos delivered a brilliant 21.61 single on his last counting attempt to capture the 3x3x3 Blindfolded crown. Facing stiff international pressure, Santos held his nerve to claim the top spot ahead of Ping-Yueh Huang from Taiwan, who finished second with a best mark of 23.43, while John Axel B. Gordo took third place with a 27.74 effort. The dramatic conclusion highlighted a packed schedule of specialty disciplines in Cainta, Rizal, Philippines, where twenty-two competitors gathered on November 24, 2024.

The one-day WCA competition brought together an array of specialized disciplines rarely seen in a single program. Across seven rounds and six events, competitors tackled tests of memory, efficiency, and turning speed. Santos extended his dominance beyond the standard puzzle by securing victory in 4x4x4 Blindfolded as well, logging a winning single of 4:20.54. Huang again pushed hard to take second place with a time of 5:06.05, while Singapore speedcubing standout Wong Chong Wen rounded out the podium with a 7:23.86 in third place.

The memory events delivered several more impressive scorecards, none larger than the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind showcase. Gordo emerged on top after successfully solving 30 out of 51 cubes within the strict one-hour limit, earning a decisive victory. Huang collected another podium finish by logging 18 out of 28 cubes in 59:34, while Jacob Miko Tan finished in third place by registering 7 out of 8 cubes in 28:23. Tan then turned his attention to 5x5x5 Blindfolded, where he earned the gold medal with a time of 15:27.00, leading Luis Gabriel Magadia at 19:08.00 and Earl Bien D. Celestino at 31:16.00.

Beyond the blindfolded challenges, the standard three-dimensional Rubik's Cube was scrutinized for pure efficiency in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. Wong claimed the title with a tournament-best 20.33 average, anchored by a single of 19 moves. Takumi Tamura of Japan followed in second place with an average of 25.67 moves, and Huang secured third place with a 29.33 average. Enthusiasts closely tracking 3x3 results noted the analytical precision required for such low move counts, contrasting with the sheer reflex demanded by other formats.

The mechanical precision of Clock offered a shift in pace, where Zoei Principe earned the victory with a 4.61 average and a best single of 4.01. Zian Principe followed closely behind in second place with an average of 5.04, while Karl Abarquez secured third place with a 5.25 average. The domestic contingent performed exceptionally well across the board, with host nation solvers picking up eleven total podium places, compared to four for Taiwan, two for Singapore, and one for Japan.

Away from the top of the podiums, several competitors delivered memorable breakthrough performances across the board. Juan Miguel C. Manalo took on four events, highlighted by a seventh-place finish in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a debut time of 20:37.00. Manalo also made his first career attempt in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 34 moves, and slashed his Clock personal best down to 7.88, which was 22.1 percent faster than his previous mark of 10.11. Gibran Kwan contested three events, finishing eighth in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a successful first-time result of 2 out of 3 cubes in 19:44, alongside a 6.3 percent improvement in Fewest Moves to a personal best of 45.

The progression continued through the rest of the field as well. Karl Martin Montealto tackled two events, earning tenth in Clock with a personal best of 9.14 that improved on his previous 9.61 by 4.9 percent, while also completing his first career attempt at Fewest Moves with 53 moves. Nicole Santos achieved a massive 23.9 percent improvement in Fewest Moves by cutting her previous mark of 67 down to a personal best of 51, and she finished sixth in Clock with a personal best single of 4.30. Fredrich Ryan Crisostomo rounded out his weekend by taking eighteenth place in Fewest Moves during his two-event campaign.

The intense day of speed cubing wrapped up having showcased immense technical variety, from silent concentration to rapid mechanics. Overall, Please Be Quiet Luzon 2024 provided a stage where elite specialists and steady improvers alike pushed the boundaries of their respective crafts, setting a high standard of focus as the community looks forward to the next competitive cycle.

Dalawampu't dalawang kalahok ang nagtipon para sa anim na natatanging event at pitong rounds ng matinding tagisan ng isip at bilis. Sa Area 3 Phase 7 Covered Court and Function Hall sa Cainta, Rizal, Philippines, idinaos ang Please Be Quiet Luzon 2024 noong Nobyembre 24, 2024. Naging sentro ng atensyon ang mga kategoryang sumusubok sa konsentrasyon, memorya, at estratehiya. Ang buong torneo ay nagbigay-diin sa disiplina ng blindfolded solving at fewest moves kung saan ang bawat galaw ay may malaking halaga sa huling resulta ng bawat manlalaro.

Sa pinakahuling yugto ng 3x3x3 Blindfolded, nasaksihan ang isang maigting na labanan para sa ginto na nagwakas sa pinakamabilis na solusyon. Naitala ni Ian Guevarra Santos ang pambihirang 21.61 single upang sungkitin ang unang pwesto laban sa mahigpit na katunggali mula sa Taiwan na si Ping-Yueh Huang na nagtala ng 23.43. Nakuha naman ni John Axel B. Gordo ang ikatlong pwesto sa bilis na 27.74. Ang pambihirang tagumpay na ito ni Santos sa naturang Rubik's Cube category ay nagpakita ng kanyang tibay sa ilalim ng presyon.

Hindi lamang sa iisang event naghari si Ian Guevarra Santos dahil dinomina rin niya ang masalimuot na 4x4x4 Blindfolded. Sa naturang dibisyon, nagtala si Santos ng panalong 4:20.54 upang muling talunin si Ping-Yueh Huang na nagrehistro ng 5:06.05 para sa ikalawang pwesto, habang si Wong Chong Wen mula Singapore ay pumuwesto sa ikatlo sa oras na 7:23.86. Ang dobleng tagumpay na ito ay nagpatunay sa kahusayan ng mga kinatawan ng Pilipinas sa larangan ng big cube blindfolded events sa buong komunidad ng speedcubing.

Sa larangan naman ng 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, ipinamalas ni John Axel B. Gordo ang kanyang pambihirang memorya nang makamit ang kampeonato matapos makapagtala ng 30 sa 51 cubes sa loob ng eksaktong 1:00:00. Pumangalawa si Ping-Yueh Huang na nakakuha ng 18 sa 28 sa loob ng 59:34, habang si Jacob Miko Tan ay sumelyo sa ikatlong pwesto na may 7 sa 8 sa bilis na 28:23. Ang kategoryang ito ay humingi ng pinakamataas na antas ng pag-iisip sa buong Please Be Quiet Luzon 2024.

Nasungkit naman ni Jacob Miko Tan ang tagumpay sa 5x5x5 Blindfolded matapos itala ang pinakamahusay na solusyon na 15:27.00 sa isang rounds ng matinding kompetisyon. Sumunod sa kanya si Luis Gabriel Magadia na may oras na 19:08.00 para sa pilak, at si Earl Bien D. Celestino na pumangatlo sa kanyang 31:16.00. Ipinakita ng podium na ito ang pambihirang dedikasyon ng mga manlalaro sa pinakamalaking blindfolded puzzle ng torneo.

Sa likod ng mga pangunahing kampeonato, nagkaroon din ng mahahalagang tagumpay ang iba pang mga kalahok sa buong araw. Si Glen Goh Wee Zhuan mula Singapore na sumabak sa limang magkakaibang laban ay nagtala ng bagong personal best sa Clock na 10.06 na mas mabilis nang 12.4 porsyento kaysa sa kanyang dating 11.49, bukod pa sa kanyang 5:22.04 sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded na 8.6 porsyento ang ibinilis at 2/2 sa 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. Si Gavriel Johann Arcilla naman ay sumabak sa anim na events at nakapagtala ng 8.78 sa Clock na 12.2 porsyento ang bilis mula 10.00, kasabay ng kanyang 17.11 personal best sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded na mas mabilis nang 7.1 porsyento.

Nagpakitang-gilas din ang iba pang manlalaro sa kanilang mga personal na rekord sa opisyal na WCA competition na ito. Si Kyle Capiral ay sumabak sa kanyang pinakaunang subok sa 3x3x3 Fewest Moves kung saan nakapagtala siya agad ng 42 moves at pumanglima rin sa Clock. Si Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes ay nagtala ng bagong personal best na 42 sa 3x3x3 Fewest Moves na mas maayos nang 8.7 porsyento sa kanyang dating 46, habang si Yuji Yoshida ay sumabak sa tatlong events at nakamit ang ikaapat na pwesto sa 3x3x3 Fewest Moves.

Sa iba pang kaganapan, pinatunayan ni Wong Chong Wen ang kanyang galing sa 3x3x3 Fewest Moves matapos magwagi tangan ang average na 20.33 at pinakamahusay na single na 19 moves. Pumangalawa sa kanya si Takumi Tamura ng Japan na may 25.67 average, habang si Ping-Yueh Huang ay pumangatlo sa 29.33. Sa Clock event naman, nagwagi si Zoei Principe na may 4.61 average laban kay Zian Principe na may 5.04 at Karl Abarquez na nagrehistro ng 5.25 para sa ikatlong pwesto.

Nagtapos ang Please Be Quiet Luzon 2024 na may kabuuang labing-isang podium finish para sa Pilipinas, apat para sa Taiwan, dalawa para sa Singapore, at isa para sa Japan. Ang matagumpay na cubing competition na ito sa Cainta ngayong 2024 ay nag-iwan ng magagandang alaala at mga personal na tagumpay para sa bawat kalahok bago sumapit ang susunod na yugto ng mga paligsahan.