Reading Spring 2023

Fifty-two competitors lined up for Square-1 as the niche categories took center stage during an intense weekend of puzzle solving in Berkshire. The Rivermead Leisure Complex and Gym hosted Reading Spring 2023 from April 22 to April 23, welcoming 241 entrants across seven distinct disciplines. While traditional speedcubing events drew large crowds, the specialized puzzles delivered some of the sharpest contests of the tournament. The single-round Square-1 battle set a rigorous standard early, demanding total mastery over its shifting geometric shape layers under official World Cube Association tournament conditions.

Australia took top honors in the Square-1 discipline courtesy of Jonathan Charlesworth, who secured the win with an average of 11.34 seconds alongside a best single of 8.59. Daniel Partridge of the United Kingdom followed closely in second place with an 11.82 average, while Malaysia secured third through Ainesh Sevellaraja with a mark of 12.17. Charlesworth maintained his dominance across the non-standard twisty puzzles, also claiming first place in Skewb with a 3.25 average and a 3.02 single across two rounds featuring 108 competitors.

The Skewb podium saw Partridge take another second-place finish with an average of 3.52 seconds, followed by Australia's Jaxon Foster in third at 5.07. Meanwhile, the Pyraminx contest assembled 172 competitors across three rounds, culminating in a dominant performance by the United Kingdom's Edward Burgess. Burgess captured the victory with a 2.38 winning average and an event-best single of 1.55 seconds. Malaysia's Tan Jun took second place with a 4.40 average, just edging out the United Kingdom's Nathan Olano, who finished third at 4.41.

In the larger cube formats, 96 entrants contested the 4x4x4 Cube over two rounds, where Ainesh Sevellaraja delivered a winning performance for Malaysia. Sevellaraja captured the title with a 33.19 average and a best single of 26.83 seconds, finishing ahead of Charlesworth in second at 33.55 and Partridge in third at 35.51. Across all seven disciplines, the weekend developed into an intriguing international contest, with United Kingdom competitors earning 12 total podium spots, Malaysia taking five, and Australia securing four.

The technical challenge shifted to one-handed execution in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, which gathered 108 participants across two rounds. Joseph Briggs claimed the victory for the United Kingdom with an 11.26 average and a 10.41 best single. Louis de Mendonça followed in second place with a 12.11 average, while George Scholey rounded out an all-British podium in third place at 15.98. The discipline demonstrated remarkable dexterity, showing how alternative formats remain a vital pillar of the broader speed cubing circuit.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors made substantial strides across extensive multi-event schedules at Reading Spring 2023. Gilbert Birchall entered seven events, logging a 4x4x4 Cube debut of 1:07.03, a first Square-1 attempt of 1:13.03, and setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.32 that was 62.4 percent faster than before. Ugham Lindsay tackled seven events, posting a first Square-1 time of 24.64, a first 4x4x4 Cube result of 1:03.83, and cutting their Skewb personal best by 64 percent down to 6.13. Kaisei Brittain took ninth place in Square-1 while recording event debuts of 1:27.80 on 4x4x4 Cube, 44.15 in One-Handed, and 3.84 on Skewb. Efe Pasaogullari took on seven events, recording first attempts in One-Handed at 46.59 and Square-1 at 1:21.68 alongside a Pyraminx personal best of 7.82, which was 46.5 percent faster.

That same depth of commitment was evident throughout the arena as competitors expanded their repertoires at this WCA competition. Leonardo Laghi took 19th in One-Handed, recorded a Pyraminx debut of 6.54 and a Square-1 debut of 55.64, and improved their One-Handed personal best to 20.09, which was 39.2 percent faster. Osian Rhys Morris Williams posted debuts in One-Handed at 30.51 and Pyraminx at 12.81 while dropping their 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 47.7 percent to 1:00.52. Jack Adams achieved a Square-1 debut of 35.04 and improved their 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 41.3 percent to 3.76. Siddharth Anilkumar posted a One-Handed debut of 46.36 and improved their 3x3x3 personal best by 43.9 percent to 7.68.

The classic puzzle formats brought massive participant numbers to Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom, where the 2x2x2 Cube ran across four rounds with 167 solvers. James Alonso captured the 2x2x2 title for the United Kingdom, putting up a winning average of 1.41 seconds and a 1.12 single. Sevellaraja took second place with a 2.10 average, while James Tuppenney earned third in 2.50. The event also featured a flurry of official results throughout the lower rounds, including Kyle Kayden Renatus registering a 6.63 single and 8.06 average, and Alan Tan posting a 2.13 single and 3.89 average.

The premier Rubik's Cube category concluded Reading Spring 2023 with 232 competitors contesting three elimination rounds. The 3x3 results saw James Alonso claim his second victory of the weekend with a winning average of 6.71 seconds and a best single of 5.61. George Scholey took second place with an 8.03 average, while Sevellaraja secured third on 8.07. Across 17 rounds in 2023, the cubing competition highlighted the remarkable versatility required across both mainstream and specialized disciplines at the highest levels of speedcubing.

With two titles apiece for James Alonso and Jonathan Charlesworth, alongside consistent podium finishes from Ainesh Sevellaraja and Daniel Partridge, the tournament demonstrated the breadth of talent active on the circuit. As competitors prepare for the remainder of the 2023 calendar, the diverse program at Reading Spring 2023 affirmed the vital role that niche puzzles play in testing the total skill set of modern solvers.