Reno Fall 2023

Caleb Yao delivered the defining performance of the tournament by capturing top honors in both standard 3x3x3 Cube and 2x2x2 Cube at Reno Fall 2023. Taking place on September 9, 2023 at Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada, USA, the one-day gathering drew 59 competitors across seven official events and 13 total rounds. The action showcased intense speedcubing across multiple puzzle categories, bringing together seasoned contenders and ambitious newcomers in northern Nevada.

The 3x3x3 Cube competition headlined the schedule, featuring 57 competitors across three competitive rounds. Yao secured victory in the final with a winning average of 7.81 seconds, backed by a best single solve of 7.35 seconds. Paul Mahvi followed in second place with an average of 8.78 seconds, while Michael Larsen completed the podium in third place averaging 8.94 seconds. The final 3x3 results demonstrated remarkable consistency at the top of the standings.

Yao carried that winning momentum directly into the 2x2x2 Cube event, where 48 competitors battled through two rounds. In the final round, Yao posted a winning average of 2.64 seconds along with a blistering best single of 1.49 seconds. Larsen secured the runner-up position with an average of 3.21 seconds, and Brayden Hanrion earned third place with a 3.33 average, capping off a remarkably rapid bracket at Reno Fall 2023.

The 5x5x5 Cube brought high-level endurance to the floor over two rounds with 35 competitors. Mahvi dominated the final, posting a winning average of 54.43 seconds and a best single solve of 51.56 seconds. Anto Kam from Hong Kong earned second place with an average of 1:13.77, while Larsen picked up another podium finish in third place with an average of 1:14.31. United States competitors claimed 19 podium positions across the tournament, alongside two podium finishes for Hong Kong.

Beyond the podium finishes, numerous competitors marked substantial breakthroughs and personal milestones during this WCA competition. Eric Ostdiek lowered his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 4.17 seconds, an improvement of 47.9 percent over his previous mark. Brayden Scott tackled seven separate events, setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 5.04 seconds, which was 36 percent faster, and dropping his 5x5x5 Cube best to 2:47.43, a 21.6 percent improvement, while also making a first attempt at Square-1 with 46.71 seconds. Ivan Efimov dropped his Square-1 mark to 38.07 seconds, cutting 38.5 percent off his earlier standard, and achieved a 20.6 percent personal best in 2x2x2 Cube at 3.35 seconds. Om Patel registered a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 43.65 seconds, an improvement of 32.8 percent, while also recording a 30.3 percent improvement on 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 4.89 seconds.

Other competitors took on unfamiliar challenges for the first time on the official stage. Erik Swanson logged a first attempt at Clock in 29.51 seconds and Square-1 in 1:18.13, while cutting his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 30.6 percent to 40.77 seconds. Zachary Ableser made a first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 1:15.48 and 2x2x2 Cube with 10.79 seconds, alongside a 14.2 percent personal best in 3x3x3 Cube of 23.64 seconds. Gabriel Sianez secured a 9th-place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a personal best of 15.72 seconds, an improvement of 9.9 percent, and lowered his 5x5x5 Cube time by 19.6 percent to 1:44.96. Suriya Kutty completed their first ever official speed cubing tournament, logging initial marks across three events including a 4.20 second single on 2x2x2 Cube.

Specialist events delivered additional drama as Anto Kam captured the 3x3x3 One-Handed title among 37 entrants with a winning average of 10.36 seconds and a best single of 9.20 seconds, finishing ahead of Jason Wong with 14.17 seconds and Jason Ostdiek with 14.71 seconds. In the Skewb final, Hanrion clinched first place with a winning average of 5.63 seconds and a single of 4.36 seconds, edging out Taj Bressert at 5.88 seconds and Larsen at 5.89 seconds.

The single-round events rounded out the day with sharp execution on the Rubik's Cube variants. Jaidon Poraminthara Lin won Clock among 28 competitors with a winning average of 4.72 seconds and a single of 3.28 seconds, ahead of Abhimanyu Singhal at 7.38 seconds and Jeremy Benik at 8.02 seconds. In Square-1, Larsen took the title with an 11.23 average and a single of 10.45 seconds, besting Mahvi at 12.79 seconds and Yao at 14.17 seconds. With diverse disciplines and widespread personal bests, Reno Fall 2023 proved to be a vibrant display of regional cubing talent.

As the equipment was packed away at Earl Wooster High School, competitors left Reno with fresh milestones, new event completions, and podium awards spanning seven puzzle disciplines. Reno Fall 2023 highlighted the ongoing growth and sharp skills across Nevada cubing circles heading into the next competitive season.