Stulang Cube Party 2023

Forty-five competitors converged on McDonald's Stulang Laut for Stulang Cube Party 2023 on September 2, 2023, generating a flurry of world-class marks across nine action-packed rounds. The single-day speedcubing tournament in Johor Bahru, Malaysia proved that a compact schedule can still deliver historic depth. With six distinct puzzles on the roster, participants pushed their solving speeds to the absolute limit in pursuit of podium glory and regional standing.

The 2x2x2 Cube event saw a relentless assault on the record sheets across multiple rounds of play. China's Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) spearheaded the charge, delivering an astonishing 0.97 single and an exceptional 1.17 average in the preliminary stage. Daryl Tan Hong An of Singapore followed closely with a 1.01 single and a 2.11 average, while Taiwan's Ping-Yueh Huang (黃品越) logged marks of 1.81 and 2.09. Malaysia's Desmond Low Kai Sheng registered a 1.32 single and a 2.44 average, alongside Ng Jia Quan (黄佳铨) posting a 1.53 single and 2.26 average.

The list of record-setting solves in the 2x2x2 Cube did not stop there, illustrating the sheer intensity of the event. Taiwan's Chao-Che Chung (鍾肇哲) turned in a 2.59 single and 2.98 average, while Singapore's Isaac Lai Yin Chung notched a 2.24 single and 2.59 average. Malaysia's Lim Chun Yik (林峻毅) locked in a 2.21 single and 3.07 average, complemented by China's Anyu Zhang (张安宇) posting a 2.39 single and 3.26 average, and Hongyuan Fu (傅泓源) carding a 2.00 single and 3.32 average.

When the final round of the 2x2x2 Cube concluded, Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) took top honors with an official winning average of 1.33, propelled by a 0.79 best single. Daryl Tan Hong An secured the runner-up position on the podium with a 2.14 average, while Malaysia's Lim Hung (林弘) clinched third place with an average of 2.46. The rapid-fire event highlighted the remarkable precision required at this elite level of speed cubing.

In the classic 3x3x3 Cube, the premier showcase of any cubing competition, Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) once again displayed unmatched mastery over the standard Rubik's Cube. Across three rounds featuring forty-four competitors, Wang secured the championship title with a winning average of 5.02 and a blazing best single of 3.89. The final 3x3 results placed Malaysia's Tee Kai Yang in second place with a 7.40 average, narrowly edging out Daryl Tan Hong An, who took third with a 7.49 mark.

Away from the main finals, several competitors produced monumental personal breakthroughs that defined the spirit of the weekend. Jayden Choo entered six events and shattered his previous Pyraminx personal best by 71.5 percent with a 3.02, alongside an 8.21 Skewb best that was 21.6 percent faster, and posted a 3:54.22 in his first ever attempt at the 6x6x6 Cube. Poh Jen Joon also took on six events, achieving a sixth-place finish in Pyraminx while logging a 1.45 in the 2x2x2 Cube, which was 42.5 percent faster than his prior best, and completing his first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 2:59.16. Eason Ong Yi Cheng achieved a sixteenth-place best finish in the 6x6x6 Cube with a first-time mark of 2:41.77, while improving his Pyraminx personal best by 41.2 percent to 7.42.

The milestone performances continued as Edward Lim took on six events and took sixteenth in Pyraminx, while posting a 5:52.31 in his first ever attempt at the 6x6x6 Cube and dropping his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 26.2 percent to 2:08.74. Yu-Shuo Wang finished twenty-second in Pyraminx, set a new 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 4.68 that was 21.9 percent faster, and logged first attempts in the 5x5x5 Cube at 4:13.01 and Skewb at 11.95. Ng Jun Hao took on four events, earning a twenty-fifth place finish in Skewb and completing his first official attempts in Pyraminx at 5.12, 2x2x2 Cube at 3.84, and Skewb at 10.36. Chung-Wen Lin recorded a thirty-first place finish in the 5x5x5 Cube, marking first attempts in the 2x2x2 Cube at 16.21 and 5x5x5 Cube at 6:16.23.

The big cube battles at this WCA competition belonged decisively to Lim Hung (林弘), who captured two gold medals for the host nation. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Lim earned victory among thirty-one entrants with a 50.34 average and a best single of 46.39, holding off Daryl Tan Hong An at 50.82 and Anyu Zhang (张安宇) at 56.04. Lim followed up in the 6x6x6 Cube by claiming first place in 1:22.80 with a 1:16.64 single, besting Anyu Zhang (张安宇) at 1:29.32 and Tan Hong An at 1:36.93.

Side events brought thrilling conclusions to Stulang Cube Party 2023. In the Pyraminx, Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) captured his third gold medal of the day with a 2.69 winning average, followed by Ng Jia Quan (黄佳铨) at 3.00 and Ephraim Lim Shao Liang (林绍良) at 3.45. In Skewb, Eng Dickson (黄迪胜) topped the thirty-competitor field with an average of 3.60 and a single of 3.14, outperforming Chao-Che Chung (鍾肇哲) at 4.53 and Yu-Hsuan Chang (張祐瑄) at 4.75. Across the entire program, Malaysia led the medal count with seven podiums, China earned five, Singapore collected four, and Taiwan secured two.

Kejohanan Stulang Cube Party 2023 menyaksikan persembahan luar biasa daripada Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) yang mencatatkan purata kemenangan 5.02 saat dalam acara Kiub 3x3x3, termasuk catatan masa terpantas 3.89 saat. Kejayaan cemerlang ini memuktamadkan aksi bertenaga di McDonald's Stulang Laut yang berlangsung di Johor Bahru, Malaysia pada 2 September 2023. Para penganjur, perwakilan WCA dan barisan sukarelawan telah menggembleng tenaga sepanjang hari bagi mengendalikan jadual padat yang merangkumi sembilan pusingan.

Kelancaran kejohanan speedcubing ini menjadi bukti dedikasi pasukan penganjur yang menguruskan seramai 45 peserta merentasi enam acara berbeza. Daripada persiapan stesen susunan masa hingga ketepatan semakan catatan rasmi, peranan warga kerja di sebalik tabir memastikan setiap peserta dapat bersaing secara adil. Usaha berterusan para sukarelawan memastikan seluruh sembilan pusingan berjalan lancar mengikut jadual yang ditetapkan di venue yang unik ini.

Dalam acara utama Kiub 3x3x3, Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) menguasai pentas akhir dengan catatan purata 5.02 saat untuk merangkul kejuaraan di hadapan 44 peserta lain. Tee Kai Yang dari Malaysia menduduki tempat kedua dengan purata 7.40 saat, diikuti Daryl Tan Hong An dari Singapura di tempat ketiga dengan purata 7.49 saat. Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) turut cemerlang dalam acara Kiub 2x2x2 dengan purata kemenangan 1.33 saat serta catatan terbaik 0.79 saat di hadapan Daryl Tan Hong An yang mencatat 2.14 saat dan Lim Hung (林弘) dengan 2.46 saat.

Dominasi Yiheng Wang (王艺衡) diteruskan dalam acara Pyraminx apabila menjuarai saingan yang disertai 36 peserta dengan purata 2.69 saat. Ng Jia Quan (黄佳铨) meraih tempat kedua dengan purata 3.00 saat manakala Ephraim Lim Shao Liang (林绍良) menamatkan saingan di kedudukan ketiga dengan purata 3.45 saat. Ketiga-tiga kemenangan ini membuktikan kepantasan penyelesaian beliau dalam pelbagai jenis teka-teki pantas yang dipertandingkan.

Di samping persaingan podium, terdapat ramai peserta yang mencatatkan peningkatan peribadi yang sangat membanggakan. James Chan (陈永恩) berjaya memperbaiki rekod peribadi Pyraminx miliknya kepada 6.34 saat, iaitu 38.9 peratus lebih pantas berbanding rekod lama 10.37 saat, selain menamatkan saingan Skewb di tempat ke-30 daripada empat acara yang disertainya. Ng Teng Sheng pula mencatatkan masa 19.00 saat dalam Kiub 3x3x3 iaitu 26.7 peratus lebih pantas, di samping memperbaiki rekod Kiub 2x2x2 kepada 6.32 saat dan Pyraminx kepada 9.53 saat. Yushu Wang (王郁舒) turut melonjakkan prestasinya dengan purata Kiub 2x2x2 8.61 saat yang 23.1 peratus lebih pantas dan Pyraminx 17.19 saat.

Pencapaian memberangsangkan turut diraih Douglas Yee Zhan Yang yang memotong masa Kiub 3x3x3 sebanyak 15.2 peratus kepada 7.48 saat, Kiub 6x6x6 kepada 2:01.10 yang 7.4 peratus lebih pantas untuk menduduki tempat ke-10, serta Kiub 2x2x2 kepada 2.81 saat. Wong Ming Liang (黃泯量) menyertai lima acara berbeza dan memperbaiki rekod Kiub 5x5x5 kepada 1:39.83 selain mencatatkan 11.99 saat dalam Kiub 3x3x3. Kejohanan ini juga merupakan pertandingan WCA pertama buat Wong Jia Ming yang membuat percubaan sulung dalam Pyraminx dengan catatan 11.61 saat, Kiub 2x2x2 dengan 6.95 saat, dan Kiub 3x3x3 dengan 48.10 saat. Rao Shenghong Reyner turut menyertai pertandingan pertamanya dengan menyempurnakan Pyraminx dalam masa 6.35 saat untuk menduduki tempat ke-21, Kiub 2x2x2 dalam masa 4.47 saat, dan Kiub 3x3x3 dengan catatan 19.45 saat.

Bagi kategori kiub besar, Lim Hung (林弘) mempamerkan kehebatan tersendiri apabila memenangi Kiub 5x5x5 dan Kiub 6x6x6. Dalam acara Kiub 5x5x5 yang disertai 31 peserta, beliau mencatatkan purata kemenangan 50.34 saat untuk menewaskan Daryl Tan Hong An dengan 50.82 saat dan Anyu Zhang (张安宇) dengan 56.04 saat. Lim Hung (林弘) kemudian menjuarai Kiub 6x6x6 dengan purata 1:22.80 dan catatan terbaik 1:16.64, mendahului Anyu Zhang (张安宇) dengan 1:29.32 dan Daryl Tan Hong An dengan 1:36.93.

Acara Skewb pula menyaksikan kemenangan peserta tuan rumah, Eng Dickson (黄迪胜), yang mencatatkan purata masa 3.60 saat dan catatan terbaik 3.14 saat mengatasi 30 peserta lain. Chao-Che Chung (鍾肇哲) menduduki tempat kedua dengan purata 4.53 saat manakala Yu-Hsuan Chang (張祐瑄) meraih tempat ketiga dengan purata 4.75 saat. Dari segi kutipan keseluruhan podium, Malaysia mendahului dengan tujuh kedudukan, diikuti China dengan lima podium, Singapura empat, dan Taiwan dua.

Kejohanan cubing competition ini melabuhkan tirai dengan jayanya hasil kerjasama erat antara para peserta dan barisan sukarelawan. Acara Rubik's Cube berskala komuniti seperti Stulang Cube Party 2023 terus menyemarakkan minat peminat teka-teki mekanikal tempatan. Dengan berakhirnya saingan di McDonald's Stulang Laut pada tahun 2023, komuniti kini bersedia menyongsong cabaran musim seterusnya dengan rekod baharu dan pengalaman berharga.