Quezon City Open 2023

The competition floor inside U.P. Town Center buzzed with rapid-fire turns and ticking timers as eighty-one solvers gathered in Quezon City, Philippines. Speedcubing enthusiasts from across the country converged on the bustling venue on August 6, 2023, ready to challenge rivals from different local training circles and competing regional communities. With fifteen separate rounds scheduled across eleven distinct disciplines, the single-day WCA competition promised intense head-to-head battles from the opening scrambles all the way to the final podium deciders.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew seventy-nine competitors, sparking fierce multi-round duels for local supremacy. In the championship round, Sean Patrick Villanueva captured first place with an outstanding 6.96-second average and a best single of 6.37 seconds. Brenton Angelo Lo Wong pushed the champion to the wire, taking second place with a 7.03 average, while Toby Litiatco secured third on a 7.52 mark. The razor-thin margins in the 3x3 results showcased the exceptional depth of talent emerging from the Philippine speed cubing scene.

Villanueva doubled his gold-medal haul by topping the fifty-three competitors in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, securing victory with a 10.22 average and a 9.55 single. Meanwhile, the larger puzzles became a personal showcase for Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc, who claimed two major regional bragging rights. Palisoc conquered the forty-six-player field in 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 28.87 seconds, then followed up by ruling 5x5x5 Cube against thirty-three competitors with a 53.01 average and a 48.98 single.

Short-format puzzles delivered explosive contests, led by the 2x2x2 Cube event where Isaiah Benedict S. Feria claimed victory with a blazing 1.80 average and a best single of 1.61 across two demanding rounds. In Skewb, Ivan Keith Cariaga and Karl Abarquez finished deadlocked with identical 3.75 winning averages, with Cariaga taking top honours. Elijah Francis Jagonio secured first place in Clock with a 7.30 average, while Psyron Eubert Catral won Pyraminx in 2.83 seconds, and Brenton Angelo Lo Wong won Square-1 with a 10.20 average.

Away from the main podium battles, several determined competitors turned in breakthrough performances across the schedule. Jai Kristof Concepcion tackled eight separate events, logging a personal best of 14.13 in Square-1 to finish 35.8 percent faster than before, a 3.62 personal best in Pyraminx, and a first ever Clock attempt of 12.48 on the way to tenth place in Skewb. Hans Arnold P. Bernardo entered six events, posting his first Clock result of 10.62 for a thirteenth-place finish alongside an improved 6.80 Pyraminx mark that was 35.5 percent faster. Enzo Zachary Yu contested five events, taking twenty-fifth in 5x5x5 Cube while debuting in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.20 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 25.05. JZ Lyle Dexter Wamar took on four events, setting a 15.34 Rubik's Cube personal best while recording first attempts in Megaminx at 4:23.64 and Square-1 at 51.61.

The personal milestones continued across all disciplines throughout the afternoon. Latimer Angelo Camba completed four events, achieving a twenty-fifth-place finish in Pyraminx with a 7.36 personal best that improved by 24.1 percent, while also debuting in Skewb at 19.70. Dwayne Kyle B. Evangelista recorded a 12.29 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube that was 25.9 percent faster, made a first official 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 5.85, and cut his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 20.9 percent to 36.45. Thomas Jacob Aldaba dropped his Pyraminx personal record by 40.8 percent down to 6.09 seconds, while Sebastian Silva completed eight events, cutting his Megaminx personal best by 51.1 percent down to 1:27.76 alongside a 10.27 personal record on the classic 3x3x3 Cube.

Complex disciplines tested pure calculation and concentration across the tournament hall. In Megaminx, Nicole Jnus Macalalad took first place with a 44.28 average and a 39.11 single, finishing ahead of Enika Aubrey Maninang and Brenton Angelo Lo Wong. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where competitors must memorise every piece before executing without sight, Poland's Kacper Paweł Dworak broke the home nation's sweep by winning the single-round event with a 52.62-second solve ahead of Jolo Endona.

As the final timers clicked off, the Quezon City Open 2023 concluded a memorable celebration of competitive puzzle solving. With thirty-two podium places secured by local solvers, this major 2023 cubing competition reinforced the high standard of play across every format. Competitors departed the U.P. Town Center having traded personal milestones, regional rivalry, and shared speedcubing passion as they look toward future events in the season ahead.

Niyanig ni Sean Patrick Villanueva ang kompetisyon matapos maitala ang pambihirang 6.96 winning average sa 3x3x3 Cube final upang sungkitin ang unang puwesto laban sa mga pinakamahuhusay na karibal. Hindi naging madali ang laban dahil mahigpit na humabol si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na nagtala ng 7.03 average, habang si Toby Litiatco naman ang pumangatlo tangan ang 7.52. Ang mainit na tapatang ito ang nagtakda ng mataas na antas ng husay sa U.P. Town Center, kung saan nagtipon ang 81 kalahok para sa Quezon City Open 2023.

Ginanap ang paligsahan sa Quezon City, Philippines noong August 6, 2023, kung saan sumabak ang mga kalahok sa 11 magkakaibang events na binubuo ng kabuuang 15 rounds. Ang naturang cubing competition ay naging entablado para sa iba-ibang mga manlalaro mula sa sari-saring grupo upang patunayan ang kanilang bilis sa bawat kategorya. Umabot sa 79 na manlalaro ang sumabak sa 3 rounds ng pangunahing Rubik's Cube event, patunay sa lumalaking bilang ng mga sumasali sa speedcubing sa buong bansa.

Hindi nagpahuli si Sean Patrick Villanueva sa isa pang dibisyon nang manguna rin siya sa 3x3x3 One-Handed matapos magtala ng 10.22 winning average at 9.55 pinakamahusay na single. Samantala, nagpakitang-gilas naman si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa mas malalaking puzzle sa pamamagitan ng pagwawagi sa 4x4x4 Cube tangan ang 28.87 average laban sa 29.28 ni Brenton Angelo Lo Wong at 29.82 ni Psyron Eubert Catral. Dinomina rin ni Palisoc ang 5x5x5 Cube sa kanyang 53.01 average, habang pumangalawa si Christian Naguio sa 54.63 at ikatlo si Jaden Lim sa 55.45.

Sa kategoryang 2x2x2 Cube na umakit ng 61 kalahok sa dalawang round, nakuha ni Isaiah Benedict S. Feria ang ginto tangan ang 1.80 average, habang pumangalawa si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong sa 2.16 at pumangatlo si Robbie Villarica sa 2.29. Bagamat hindi nakuha ang panalo sa bawat dibisyon, naging mabunga ang kampanya ni Lo Wong sa buong paligsahan matapos ding magwagi sa Square-1 na may 10.20 average at makapasok sa podium sa iba pang larangan, kabilang ang Clock kung saan nagwagi si Elijah Francis Jagonio na may 7.30 average.

Sa Megaminx, nangibabaw si Nicole Jnus Macalalad na may 44.28 average laban sa 47.43 ni Enika Aubrey Maninang at 50.98 ni Brenton Angelo Lo Wong. Nagtagumpay si Ivan Keith Cariaga sa Skewb sa pamamagitan ng 3.75 average upang ungusan si Karl Abarquez na nagtala rin ng 3.75 at Yuji Yoshida na may 4.90. Nasungkit naman ni Psyron Eubert Catral ang Pyraminx sa bilis na 2.83 average, habang ang manlalaro mula sa Poland na si Kacper Paweł Dworak ang nagwagi sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded matapos magrehistro ng 52.62 single laban sa 56.64 ni Jolo Endona at 1:19.16 ni Lo Wong.

Sa likod ng mga labanan para sa medalya sa Quezon City Open 2023, maraming kalahok ang nagtala ng mahahalagang tagumpay sa kanilang mga sariling rekord. Pinangunahan ito ni Bran Misashi Ornido na sumabak sa 6 na events at nagtala ng 52.38 sa 4x4x4 Cube na 26.4 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa dati niyang 1:11.18, bukod pa sa 7.45 sa Skewb at 26.69 sa One-Handed. Nagpakitang-gilas din si Iya Franzene L. Hufancia sa kanyang 7 kategorya kung saan bumawas siya ng 26.5 porsyento sa Skewb para sa bagong 4.15 personal best at sumubok sa unang pagkakataon sa Clock na may 14.88. Sa kanyang 3 events, pinabilis ni Jared Vincent Fernando ang kanyang oras sa 4x4x4 Cube nang 16.5 porsyento para sa 57.59, 13.49 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 3.99 sa 2x2x2 Cube. Samantala, buong giting na sumalang si Ethan Francis Jagonio sa 9 na events kung saan nagtala siya ng 1:03.21 sa 4x4x4 Cube, 12.26 sa Clock, at unang opisyal na subok sa 5x5x5 Cube na 3:36.82.

Naging espesyal din ang araw para sa mga bagong mukha na sumabak sa kanilang pinakaunang WCA competition. Si Jacob Michael Ting Blanco ay nagpakitang-gilas sa 4 na events kabilang ang 5.41 sa 2x2x2 Cube, 16.19 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 11.93 sa Pyraminx, habang umabot sa ika-28 puwesto sa Skewb. Sumabak naman si Tristan Baclor sa 3 events at nagtala ng 10.00 sa 3x3x3 Cube, 23.51 sa One-Handed, at 49.27 sa 4x4x4 Cube para sa ika-28 puwesto. Sinubukan din ni Iñigo Matteo Quitania Bautista ang 4 na events kung saan nagtala siya ng 23.52 sa Pyraminx, 28.40 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 9.04 sa 2x2x2 Cube. Ganoon din si Tyler Mac Lao Lopez na lumahok sa 3 events at nagrehistro ng 5.99 sa Pyraminx, 12.33 sa 2x2x2 Cube, at 41.38 sa 3x3x3 Cube.

Sa pagtatapos ng Quezon City Open 2023 sa lungsod noong 2023, malinaw na naging matagumpay ang buong araw ng paligsahan para sa komunidad ng mga speedcuber. Mula sa mainit na tunggalian sa pangunahing entablado hanggang sa mga baguhang sumubok sa unang pagkakataon, naipamalas ang dedikasyon at kahusayan ng bawat manlalaro bago maghanda para sa susunod na yugto ng palakasan.