Puzzles in Pittsford 2026

The tables were set and the stopwatches were armed inside Pittsford Community Church as competitors gathered for a demanding day of speedcubing on May 9, 2026. Across the venue, 50 solvers took their stations under the competition lights, preparing to navigate a tight schedule of six distinct events. With 11 total rounds contested over the single-day gathering, reaching the late stages in any puzzle required unwavering precision. The competitive atmosphere highlighted how challenging it has become to survive the qualification rounds in Pittsford, New York, USA, where every cut and advancement was decided by mere fractions of a second.

The premier 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube drew 46 competitors through three grueling stages, turning the battle for a finals spot into a fierce test of consistency. Evan Waters ultimately topped the division, recording a winning average of 7.88 seconds alongside a best single solve of 6.87 seconds. The runner-up spot went to Abdel Issa of Jordan, who logged an 8.87 average, narrowly edging Ethan Qiu of the United States, who claimed third with an 8.88 mark. The tight spread in the final 3x3 results underscored the depth of the field, where single-turn pauses made the difference between the podium and the rest of the pack.

Waters enjoyed a remarkably prolific outing at Puzzles in Pittsford 2026, capturing first place in three separate puzzles and adding two further podium placements across the schedule. In the Skewb event, which featured two rounds among 30 participants, Waters secured the victory with a 3.86 average and a 2.71 single solve. Qiu earned second place with an average of 4.68 seconds, while Canadian Andrew Mao rounded out the top three at 4.93. Waters also delivered in the Square-1 discipline, leading 22 contenders with an average of 10.47 and a 7.35 best single, besting Evan Liu and Jonathan Wang.

The big cubes provided a test of endurance, led by the 6x6x6 Cube which gathered 21 competitors for a single comprehensive round. Evan Liu of the United States navigated the layers cleanly to win the event, posting a 1:39.06 average with a leading single solve of 1:35.95. Ethan Qiu secured his third podium finish of the day by taking second place with an average of 1:56.57, while Jordan's Abdel Issa took the third spot on the podium at 2:03.71. The technical demands of the six-layered puzzle tested the concentration of every entrant in the field.

Fast-paced specialty puzzles kept the pressure high, starting with Clock, which ran for three rounds across 34 competitors. Jonathan Wang of Canada secured first place with an impressive 3.61 winning average and a 2.17 best single. Canadian Jake Stevenson finished second with a 3.82 average, followed closely by Waters in third place at 3.88. Meanwhile, Pyraminx featured a swift single round for 37 solvers, where Andrew Mao of Canada dominated with a 1.75 average and a 1.30 best single. Waters followed in second with 3.71, narrowly holding off Adelynn Neal in third at 3.77.

Away from the top podium steps, the gathering produced remarkable breakthroughs from dedicated competitors pushing their personal marks to new levels. Nolan Mruk delivered one of the weekend's largest gains in Clock, finishing in 21.24 seconds for a 50.2 percent improvement over their previous 42.68 mark, while also recording a first ever attempt at Skewb in 10.12. Alton Ruff tackled all six events, slashing their Square-1 personal best by 41.9 percent to 42.19 seconds, dropping their Pyraminx mark by 25.2 percent to 5.55, and recording a 4:51.22 in the 6x6x6 Cube. Quinn Butterfield achieved a 29.5 percent drop in the 3x3x3 Cube to 9.01 seconds alongside a first 6x6x6 Cube attempt of 3:08.53.

The progress continued with Logan J. Miller, who entered four events and lowered their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 25.5 percent to 18.63 seconds while posting debut attempts of 11.14 in Skewb and 8.61 in Pyraminx. Owen Colavito completed a busy slate across six events, posting debut attempts in Square-1 at 52.63 and 6x6x6 Cube at 5:07.41, while trimming their Clock best by 16.4 percent to 17.81. Caleb Shearer took on six disciplines, setting a Clock personal best of 11.53, a Square-1 mark of 45.71, and an initial 6x6x6 Cube time of 3:35.91. Nick Serafin marked an initial 6x6x6 Cube attempt at 3:38.76 alongside a 14.18 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube, while Zoe Wilkinson completed their first WCA competition with initial marks of 57.65 in 3x3x3 and 14.96 in Pyraminx.

The international spread saw the United States capture 11 podium spots, Canada claim five, and Jordan earn two, reflecting high-caliber representation across the board. Speed cubing at this level demands immense mental stamina, and this cubing competition served as a proving ground for both seasoned contenders and emerging talents alike. As the timers were packed away, Puzzles in Pittsford 2026 closed its doors having showcased deep brackets, diverse puzzles, and relentless personal progression, setting a solid standard for the region as solvers look ahead to the next season.