Please Be Solved UBC 2025

Kevin Matthews delivered an emphatic masterclass in blindfolded solving on November 1, 2025, sweeping all three memory-based disciplines at the University of British Columbia. His golden triple run served as the centerpiece of Please Be Solved UBC 2025, an intense single-day cubing competition held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Matthews posted a rapid 39.62 single in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final, while also logging a 30.62 single and a 37.38 average across the preliminary phase, demonstrating veteran sharpness in a demanding format.

The 2025 gathering brought together 15 dedicated competitors across 4 events and 5 rounds of high-focus problem solving. Speciality tournaments like this place maximum pressure on concentration, trading raw turning speed for deep spatial visualization and analytical calculation. Across both blindfolded disciplines and fewest moves solving, experienced figures found themselves in top form, reminding the community of the technical depth required to master the Rubik's Cube under strict WCA competition guidelines.

In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded competition, Matthews claimed the top step of the podium ahead of a determined chasing pack. Allan Wang secured second place with a final single time of 2:21.96, having earlier turned in a personal benchmark single of 1:46.39 in the first round. Darren Lum rounded out the podium in third position, posting a steady 2:53.69 single. Across the two rounds, 11 solvers stepped up to test their memorisation and execution under the blindfold.

Beyond the standard puzzle, Matthews extended his dominance into big cubes solved without sight. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, he stood alone as the sole finisher on the leaderboard, locking up first place with a winning single time of 4:18.31 while Catherine Connolly and River Alvarran Belz ended their attempts with DNFs. The test became even more gruelling in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, where Matthews completed the solve in 12:18.00 to take another gold, as Connolly recorded another DNF across the demanding endurance event.

The 3x3x3 Fewest Moves discipline provided a sharp battle of efficiency and algorithmic planning over 60-minute attempts. Ethan Rusnak emerged triumphant among 11 competitors, securing the victory with an impressive mean of 28.67 moves alongside the best single solution of the entire contest at 22 moves. Matthews capped his productive day by taking second place with a 32.33 average, while Tonnam Tantikamnerdkul claimed third place for Thailand with a mark of 39.00.

Beyond the title fights, several under-the-radar competitors delivered landmark personal milestones that defined the character of Please Be Solved UBC 2025. Isaac Davies took on 2 events, securing 4th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded and setting a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best of 29, which was 6.5% faster than his previous mark of 31. Jacob Loukko also entered 2 events, logging his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a mark of 30 for 7th place, alongside his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded at 5:02.77.

The personal achievements continued down the order as Timothy Yeung took on 1 event to earn 7th place in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 2:32.18 single. Krishnam Raju Gadiraju placed 5th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, while Heewon Hwang entered 1 event to secure 8th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. Veteran DaYeong Kim tackled 2 events to capture 10th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, and Winston Chow completed 1 event to take 11th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, showing the enduring value of persistent tournament play.

The final medal tally reflected a banner day for Canadian speed cubing, with domestic competitors capturing 9 of the 11 podium spots, alongside podium honors for the United States and Thailand. The event highlighted how speedcubing veterans and emerging specialists can push the limits of memory and logic. As the 3x3 results and specialist rankings from Please Be Solved UBC 2025 enter the record books, Vancouver once again proved to be an ideal proving ground for elite mental athletics.