Square-1 on a Madison Square 2023

Six distinct disciplines challenged solvers on October 14 and 15 at Monona Terrace as Square-1 on a Madison Square 2023 tested the full breadth of modern speedcubing. The two-day gathering in Madison, Wisconsin, USA gathered 25 competitors across 12 demanding rounds of action. Rather than focusing on standard events, the schedule highlighted an extraordinary range of mechanics, ranging from the mechanical gears of Clock to shape-shifting challenges and memory-intensive blindfolded categories that push solving far beyond the classic Rubik's Cube.

Blindfolded solving dominated the weekend schedule, accounting for four separate events that required absolute focus, precision, and memorisation. Stanley Chapel put on a clinic across every blindfolded discipline, capturing titles across the entire spectrum. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final, Chapel secured victory with a single of 14.64 seconds, leading a podium that included Will Cerne at 19.49 seconds and Noah Swor at 22.32 seconds. The 3x3 results across earlier rounds had also produced rapid marks, establishing a fierce standard for the entire weekend.

Chapel extended his dominance to the larger puzzles with remarkable efficiency. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Chapel captured first place with a winning single of 1:06.58, finishing ahead of Cale Schoon, who took second in 2:09.97, and Carter Kucala, who placed third in 3:35.19. Chapel then claimed the 5x5x5 Blindfolded title with a time of 2:10.04. Schoon followed in second with 5:23.78, while Aaron Soley secured third place in 18:38.00 at this high-level WCA competition.

The 3x3x3 Multi-Blind discipline provided another massive showcase of memory endurance. Stanley Chapel led the 20-person field by successfully solving 45 out of 52 cubes in a time of 59:18. Will Cerne delivered an impressive performance to claim the runner-up spot with 21 out of 28 cubes in 57:29, while Carter Kucala achieved third place by solving 15 out of 17 cubes in 30:34. The event demonstrated the intense discipline required when managing dozens of puzzles simultaneously within the one-hour limit.

Away from blindfolds, the namesake discipline provided thrilling technical solves at Square-1 on a Madison Square 2023. Brian Johnson captured the Square-1 title with an 8.40-second winning average, bolstered by a best single of 6.81 seconds. Stanley Chapel took second place with an average of 9.10 seconds, edging Noah Swor, who finished third with a 9.12-second average. Meanwhile, Clock delivered rapid turns across three rounds, where Zeke Mackay claimed victory with a 5.98-second average ahead of Carter Kucala at 6.60 seconds and Simon Kellum at 6.75 seconds.

Beyond the podium finishes, the weekend fostered remarkable personal milestones across the venue floor. Ben Becker took on six events, securing a seventh-place finish in 5x5x5 Blindfolded while making his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a flawless 4/4 in 20:42. Becker also attempted 5x5x5 Blindfolded for the first time, logging 27:47.00, and slashed his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best by 51.8% to 1:39.79. Draco Tong cut 31.4% off his previous mark in 5x5x5 Blindfolded to finish fifth in 25:01.00, alongside an 8.2% drop in 4x4x4 Blindfolded down to 13:32.00. Brandon Reichman logged a 24% improvement in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:48.93 single, while Varun Gudibanda improved his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 20.8% down to 1:35.14.

Other dedicated solvers added to the list of breakthroughs throughout the tournament. Alex Chen shaved 17.3% off his Square-1 personal best with a time of 30.07 seconds. Tommy Moreno contested six events, setting personal records in Square-1 at 25.63 seconds, Clock at 7.43 seconds, and 3x3x3 Blindfolded at 34.12 seconds on his way to fifth place in the blindfolded final. Nick Rohla tackled five events, finishing ninth in 4x4x4 Blindfolded and achieving a personal best in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 5/5 in 38:50. Lucas Lippman-Bruno made his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, scoring 2/4 in 27:01, while earning eighth in Square-1 with an improved 8.71 average.

The gathering proved to be a vibrant speed cubing showcase that celebrated diverse puzzle engineering throughout 2023. Across two days of intense competition at Monona Terrace, competitors demonstrated mastery over varied mechanisms, shapes, and complex mental memorisation routes. Square-1 on a Madison Square 2023 highlighted how broad solving skill sets can be, leaving all 25 participants with fresh benchmarks as they prepare for the next season of tournament play in the region.

With all 18 podium positions claimed by United States competitors, the event closed out a weekend of elite specialist solving. The combination of precision gear turning in Clock, shape-shifting algorithms in Square-1, and massive multi-cube memory feats ensured Square-1 on a Madison Square 2023 will stand out as one of the most mechanically varied stops on the regional calendar.