San Mateo Speedcubing Open 2023

The shopping floor at SM City San Mateo provided a bustling backdrop as dozens of puzzle enthusiasts gathered for a packed day of twisting challenges. Inside the retail hub, tables were arranged with precision timers, display monitors, and scrambling stations while shoppers and supporters stopped to watch the rapid hand movements unfold. The busy mall setting gave the San Mateo Speedcubing Open 2023 an energetic atmosphere throughout June 18, 2023, turning casual weekend foot traffic into an attentive gallery for every solve.

A total of 87 competitors arrived in San Mateo, Rizal City, Philippines, to test their speed across six distinct events and 12 total rounds of play. As a sanctioned WCA competition, the single-day gathering offered everything from the classic Rubik's Cube to intricate dodecahedrons and memory-intensive blindfolded solving. The schedule moved swiftly from morning qualifying heats to high-pressure afternoon finals, keeping judges and runners constantly active across the venue floor as the 2023 tournament progressed.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube competition drew 86 entrants through three rounds of intense action. Sean Patrick Villanueva captured first place with an impressive 6.03 winning average in the final, bolstered by a best single solve of 5.75 seconds. Toby Litiatco secured second place with an average of 6.74 seconds, while Brenton Angelo Lo Wong earned third place at 7.05 seconds. These standout 3x3 results highlighted the remarkable depth of Filipino speedcubing at the highest levels of the main event.

Big-cube specialist Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc delivered a commanding double victory during the afternoon sessions. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Palisoc topped a field of 58 competitors with a 29.66 winning average and a best single of 27.99 seconds, finishing ahead of Brenton Angelo Lo Wong at 30.10 and Robbie Villarica at 31.67. Palisoc returned to the staging area in the 5x5x5 Cube final, securing another gold with an average of 50.84 seconds and a best single of 45.85, outpacing Christian Naguio at 55.81 and Villarica at 58.10.

In the short-format 2x2x2 Cube event, Robbie Villarica took top honours among 54 competitors with a swift 2.23 winning average and a single of 1.84 seconds. Brenton Angelo Lo Wong claimed the runner-up position with an average of 2.41, while Isaiah Benedict S. Feria took third place with 2.46. Meanwhile, the Megaminx final saw Nicole Jnus Macalalad take the win with a 46.79 average and a single of 38.63 seconds, finishing ahead of Enika Aubrey Maninang at 48.92 and Ayooluwa Samuel Dada of Nigeria at 50.81.

Behind the podium battles, several competitors achieved massive personal milestones across their events. Kim Clifford B. Gusinalem competed in four events, delivering a 2.96 mark in a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube while trimming his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 73.8 percent down to 43.74 and his 5x5x5 Cube time by 64.8 percent to 1:51.65. James A. Acana improved his Megaminx mark by 54.1 percent to 2:04.34, reduced his 3x3x3 Cube time by 40.4 percent to 11.40, and dropped his 4x4x4 Cube best by 36.8 percent to 57.65. Gabriel Takeo Dalupan clocked 1:05.52 in his first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube best by 48 percent to 9.31.

Other dedicated solvers also used the cubing competition to establish new personal marks. Terence Gabriel R. Villa made first attempts at 4x4x4 Cube with 1:33.24 and 2x2x2 Cube with 5.66, alongside a 21.7 percent drop in 3x3x3 Cube to 17.11. Joseph Benedict Salisi recorded a 1:14.25 debut in 4x4x4 Cube, a 5.69 debut in 2x2x2 Cube, and a 17.7 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube to 14.65. JM Tambaoan entered five events, logging debuts in Megaminx at 3:23.05 and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:28.39, while dropping his 4x4x4 Cube best by 16.8 percent to 1:09.96. Norainne Mari Mañeja posted a 2:33.82 Megaminx debut, improved her 4x4x4 Cube time by 26.8 percent to 1:06.58, and dropped her 5x5x5 Cube best by 13.5 percent to 2:30.77. Drake Reinhard Pilarta placed 8th in 2x2x2 Cube with a 20.2 percent improvement to 3.12, took on his first 3x3x3 Blindfolded attempt in 3:21.44, and improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 10.7 percent to 9.16.

The blindfolded discipline closed out the specialized events with quiet intensity, as competitors relied on pure memorisation and spatial execution. John Axel B. Gordo took the 3x3x3 Blindfolded victory with a best single solve of 56.55 seconds. John Edison Ubaldo followed in second place with a time of 1:00.46, and Brenton Angelo Lo Wong earned third with 1:10.61. The successful blindfolded runs showcased the wide spectrum of skills that make speed cubing such a varied sport.

Across the day, competitors from the Philippines took 17 podium places, alongside one podium finish for Nigeria. The San Mateo Speedcubing Open 2023 wrapped up with celebrated victories, numerous career bests, and strong showings from both established contenders and improving entrants, sending the community forward to prepare for upcoming fixtures on the competitive circuit.

Puno ng sigla at tunog ng lumalagutok na mga puzzle ang loob ng SM City San Mateo nang magtipon ang 87 kalahok para sa San Mateo Speedcubing Open 2023. Sa bawat mesa ng labanan, maingat na inihanda ang mga timer, banig, at sari-saring kubo para sa isang buong araw ng matinding bilis at taktika. Mula sa pinakamaliliit na mekanismo hanggang sa pinakamasasalimuot na malalaking puzzle, naging saksi ang bulwagan sa husay ng mga kalahok.

Ang mga big cubes tulad ng 5x5x5 Cube at 4x4x4 Cube ay humihingi ng pambihirang tibay ng konsentrasyon at walang humpay na lakas ng daliri sa bawat yugto ng paglutas. Sa 5x5x5 Cube, pinatunayan ni Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc ang kanyang pambihirang galing matapos dominahin ang dalawang round ng labanan. Naitala niya ang winning average na 50.84 kasama ang pinakamabilis na single time na 45.85 upang masungkit ang unang puwesto laban sa 33 kalahok, habang pumangalawa si Christian Naguio sa 55.81 at pumangatlo si Robbie Villarica sa 58.10.

Hindi rin nagpatinag si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa 4x4x4 Cube kung saan muli siyang nanguna sa 58 kalahok sa pamamagitan ng winning average na 29.66 at pinakamahusay na single na 27.99. Pumangalawa sa podium si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na nagtala ng 30.10 average, habang si Robbie Villarica ang sumungkit sa ikatlong puwesto sa kanyang 31.67 average. Ang dalawang tagumpay na ito ay nagpatunay sa kanyang pambihirang tibay at bilis sa mas mabibigat na mga kategorya.

Sa pangunahing kategorya ng tradisyonal na 3x3x3 Cube, ipinamalas ni Sean Patrick Villanueva ang bilis sa paglutas ng Rubik's Cube laban sa 86 na kalahok sa loob ng tatlong rounds. Nakamit ni Villanueva ang unang puwesto gamit ang winning average na 6.03 at best single na 5.75. Sumunod sa kanya si Toby Litiatco na may average na 6.74 para sa ikalawang puwesto, habang si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong naman ang pumangatlo na may 7.05 average.

Umani rin ng tagumpay ang iba pang mga kategorya sa paligsahan tulad ng 2x2x2 Cube kung saan nanguna si Robbie Villarica sa pamamagitan ng 2.23 average at 1.84 best single. Sa Megaminx, nagwagi si Nicole Jnus Macalalad na nagrehistro ng 46.79 winning average laban kina Enika Aubrey Maninang na may 48.92 at Ayooluwa Samuel Dada mula Nigeria na may 50.81. Sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded naman, nakuha ni John Axel B. Gordo ang kampeonato gamit ang single time na 56.55.

Sa likod ng mga nangungunang puwesto sa San Mateo Speedcubing Open 2023, maraming kalahok ang nagtala ng mahahalagang personal na tagumpay sa kani-kanilang paglalakbay sa speedcubing. Si Aiyana Cassandra C. Dinolang ay nagtala ng personal best na 38.35 sa 4x4x4 Cube na 19.7 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa dati niyang 47.73, bukod sa kanyang unang subok sa 2x2x2 Cube sa bilis na 4.14 at ika-anim na puwesto sa 3x3x3 Cube. Si JZ Lyle Dexter Wamar ay sumabak sa apat na kategorya, nagtala ng 5.70 sa 2x2x2 Cube na 17.9 porsyentong mas mabilis sa dating 6.94, nagbawas ng 14.2 porsyento sa 4x4x4 Cube sa oras na 1:03.03, at nagtala ng 2:02.20 sa kanyang unang subok sa 5x5x5 Cube. Nagpakitang-gilas din si Ethan Z-Jon B. Potpotan sa pamamagitan ng 39.22 sa 4x4x4 Cube na 12.4 porsyentong mas mabilis sa dating 44.75, kasabay ng unang subok sa 5x5x5 Cube sa 1:29.67. Si Dave Jeremark B. Lampera naman ay nagtala ng 12.50 sa 3x3x3 Cube na 10.6 porsyentong mas mabilis sa dating 13.98, habang sumubok sa unang pagkakataon sa 4x4x4 Cube sa 1:06.04.

Naging espesyal din ang paligsahan para sa mga sumabak sa kanilang pinakaunang WCA competition. Si Jhon Miller Sumatra ay nagtapos sa ika-limang puwesto sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded sa oras na 1:58.46 sa kanyang unang subok, kasabay ng unang pagsubok sa 3x3x3 Cube sa 9.05 at Megaminx sa 1:12.77 sa apat na kategoryang sinalihan. Si Denise Jaizy Manegdeg mula USA ay nagtala ng mga unang opisyal na marka sa tatlong kategorya kabilang ang 7.54 sa 2x2x2 Cube, 28.34 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 2:19.06 sa 4x4x4 Cube. Si Abigail Severino ay lumahok din sa tatlong kategorya at nagtala ng 5.57 sa 2x2x2 Cube, 18.30 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 1:23.31 sa 4x4x4 Cube. Samantala, si Jared Vincent Fernando ay nagpakita rin ng galing sa tatlong kategorya sa kanyang unang sabak na may 4.31 sa 2x2x2 Cube, 15.14 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 1:08.97 sa 4x4x4 Cube.

Ang buong cubing competition na ginanap sa San Mateo, Rizal City, Philippines noong June 18, 2023 ay nagpakita ng mataas na antas ng husay sa 12 rounds at anim na opisyal na kategorya. Sa kabuuang bilang ng mga nakatuntong sa entablado, 17 podium finishes ang nasungkit ng Pilipinas habang isa ang nakuha ng Nigeria. Matagumpay na nagtapos ang San Mateo Speedcubing Open 2023 na nag-iwan ng magagandang alaala at panibagong inspirasyon sa buong komunidad para sa darating na panahon.