Shhicago IV 2025

Eighteen competitors converged on the Technological Institute at Northwestern University on November 1 to 2, 2025, turning a focused field into a showcase of tactical mastery across 8 distinct events and 12 total rounds. Held in Evanston, Illinois, USA, Shhicago IV 2025 brought regional contenders together for a hard-fought weekend of speedcubing excellence. Across multiple formats requiring immense concentration and fast turns, competitors traded podium spots in tight match-ups that highlighted the competitive depth of the Midwest speed cubing circuit.

Jacob Turrubiartes established an early advantage across several events, claiming three separate gold medals over the course of the cubing competition. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Turrubiartes secured first place with an average of 13.84 seconds, complemented by a sharp single of 12.57 seconds. Ben Saperstein followed in second place with a 15.99 average, while Max Walaszek took third on the podium with a mark of 17.94. Turrubiartes carried that momentum directly into memory-based events, demonstrating complete control across varying cube sizes.

Blindfolded events proved to be a decisive battleground between the leading entrants. Brayden Thompson captured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title, producing an exceptional 18.95 winning average and a single solve of 17.45 seconds to stay ahead of Turrubiartes, who finished second at 33.73 seconds, and Lucas Lippman-Bruno, who placed third in 1:01.88. Turrubiartes responded by claiming the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event with a 2:57.67 average, besting Aaron Soley who recorded 7:54.51. In the demanding 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, Turrubiartes again took top honours by solving 22 out of 27 cubes in 56:24, edging out Thompson who completed 19 of 21 cubes in 59:16.

Lucas Lippman-Bruno matched Turrubiartes with an impressive multi-discipline run, earning two regional victories at Shhicago IV 2025. In the 5x5x5 Cube final, Lippman-Bruno delivered a commanding winning average of 55.63 seconds, supported by the weekend's best single of 50.33 seconds. Max Walaszek captured second place with a 58.31 average, and Sebastian Carrillo earned third with 1:01.41. Lippman-Bruno also went to the wire in Square-1, securing victory with an 11.81 average to narrowly defeat Carrillo, who posted 11.86, and Jameson R. Sramek, who rounded out the podium at 13.54.

Beyond the fight for top podium steps, significant breakthroughs took place throughout the lower tables as several solvers achieved major milestones. Caleb D. Novick tackled 5 events during the WCA competition, cutting his 5x5x5 Cube personal best down to 1:55.76 from 3:29.39 to go 44.7 percent faster, while improving his Square-1 best to 23.57 seconds for a 25.8 percent drop. Joey Adler made a successful tournament debut in Square-1 with a 14.03 single on the way to a 6th-place finish, and improved his 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 44.2 percent to 1:40.89.

Other competitors delivered equally impressive advances during their weekend campaigns. Sofia Kang completed 4 events, taking on 3x3x3 Multi-Blind for the first time with a score of 2/3 in 24:25 for an 8th-place result, and improved her 5x5x5 Cube best to 2:23.52 to go 22.3 percent faster. Siyi Li took 8th in 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:37.73 first attempt and recorded a 49.82 first attempt in Square-1. Simon Poldi took on 4 events and secured 5th in 3x3x3 One-Handed, while Haley Randall completed her first WCA competition by posting a 4:57.71 mark in her initial 5x5x5 Cube attempt.

In the intellectual battle of 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, Sebastian Carrillo emerged triumphant over his close rivals. Carrillo delivered a winning average of 35.67 moves, supported by a weekend-best single of 32 moves. Lippman-Bruno applied relentless pressure, finishing second with an average of 36.00 moves, while Turrubiartes stayed within touching distance in third with 36.33 moves. The event showed that efficiency and meticulous calculation on the standard Rubik's Cube mechanism remain just as vital as pure turning speed.

The grueling 5x5x5 Blindfolded contest concluded with Draco Tong taking the title after logging a single solve of 24:01.00. Aaron Soley pushed through all 25 faces to finish second in 24:18.00, demonstrating remarkable endurance in the largest blindfolded challenge of the schedule. Tong also secured a third-place finish in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 8 of 10 cubes solved in 59:24, confirming his strength across complex blind disciplines alongside the top competitors.

When the final solve wrapped up at Northwestern University, the competitors had posted decisive marks across classical and blindfolded formats. All 29 podium places went to United States representatives, reflecting the fierce domestic talent assembled in the Evanston venue. With strong performances recorded across the full slate, including notable blindfolded outcomes and 3x3 results, the entrants closed out the weekend with significant personal marks as they look forward to future rounds on the speedcubing circuit.