Please Be Solved This Time Joburg 2023

Inside a quiet private residence in Bryanston, the atmosphere on November 26 narrowed down to pure concentration. Eight competitors gathered around the tables, surrounded by rows of scrambled puzzles and digital stopwatches, waiting for the signal to begin their memorisation phases. There was no noise to break their focus as blindfolds were lowered over eyes in Johannesburg, South Africa, setting the stage for an intense single-day showcase of mental stamina and precise execution.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded final delivered the ultimate clutch finish of the day, demanding flawless nerves on the decisive concluding attempts. Duncan Hobbs sealed an outstanding performance across the round, capturing first place with an African record average of 36.94 seconds alongside a best single of 26.63. Earlier in the first round, Hobbs had already set an African record single of 24.55 seconds. Ruben Grobler pushed the pace to take second place on the podium with an average of 1:39.49, while Marike Faught earned third with a 1:45.55 average.

Hobbs also dominated the field in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind at Please Be Solved This Time Joburg 2023. Taking on dozens of puzzles under strict time constraints, Hobbs managed to solve an impressive 21 out of 27 cubes in 57:42 to secure the top step of the podium. Marike Faught followed in second place by successfully completing 12 out of 17 cubes in exactly 1:00:00, while Brendan James Gray claimed the third-place spot with 6 out of 7 cubes solved in 52:35.

The spotlight at this cubing competition extended well beyond the top podium spots, celebrating significant personal achievements from dedicated solvers. Jaco Faught took on two events during the meet, making a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded and securing a time of 7:05.64 in the first round as well as taking a 5th-place finish in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. Isaac Scheepers also entered two disciplines on the schedule, achieving a solid 5th-place finish in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind to add to an extensive track record spanning 28 career competitions.

Big-cube blindfolded events demanded extraordinary patience, and Marike Faught proved to be the standout performer in both disciplines. In the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event, Faught was the sole competitor to secure a completed attempt, taking first place with a single time of 6:17.87. All other challengers, including Brendan James Gray, Taariq Hassim, Yusuf Talha Sayed Karim, and Ruben Grobler, recorded DNFs in their attempts at the larger puzzle.

Faught continued that winning form in the 5x5x5 Blindfolded competition, conquering the immense memory requirements to register a winning single of 13:06.00. The grueling event saw both Ruben Grobler and Yusuf Talha Sayed Karim record DNFs, leaving Faught as the only solver to successfully navigate the complex layer algorithms blindfolded. The victory gave Faught a sweep of the big-cube blindfolded titles for the tournament.

Across the four distinct events and five rounds of action, this WCA competition offered a showcase of elite Rubik's Cube memory disciplines in 2023. Speedcubing competitors from across the region demonstrated exceptional versatility, balancing the rapid speed required for standard 3x3 results against the tactical endurance demanded by multi-cube memorisation.

As the day wrapped up at Please Be Solved This Time Joburg 2023, the eight participants concluded a memorable day of competitive speed cubing. With two continental records set by Duncan Hobbs and clean sweeps by Marike Faught in the big blind categories, the gathering highlighted the dedication and focus driving the blindfolded solving community forward.