Swoop in Silence Oxford 2023

Stanley Chapel delivered a commanding masterclass at Benton Hall, securing 49 out of 51 solved cubes in 58 minutes and 6 seconds during 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. The remarkable display of memory and concentration set the standard for Swoop in Silence Oxford 2023, where a specialized group of competitors gathered on September 16, 2023, to contest high-level blindfolded and discipline-heavy events in Oxford, Ohio, USA.

The one-day WCA competition brought together 25 competitors for 8 rounds across 6 events, highlighting both traditional speed cubing and technical problem-solving. While typical gatherings center strictly on fast standard solving, the focus in Oxford emphasized complex mental execution. The 3x3 results across various formats demonstrated exceptional preparation from seasoned entrants who brought sharp form back to the competition floor.

Stanley Chapel continued to build a strong weekend tally, taking first place in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a winning single of 17.15 seconds in the final round. In the preliminary stage of the event, Chapel posted a swift single of 14.93. Carter Kucala secured second place in the final with a 24.89 solve after logging a 20.20 in the opening round, while Rohan Vittal finished third overall with a time of 36.69 seconds.

Justin Sui swept the big-cube blindfolded disciplines, showcasing total precision on the larger Rubik's Cube variations. Sui captured the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title with a winning single of 6:15.63, finishing ahead of Ivan Krueger, who took second in 8:29.37, and Wesley Barwinski in third with 14:17.00. Sui then claimed the 5x5x5 Blindfolded victory with a mark of 17:28.00, followed by Krueger in second at 19:13.00 and Luke Garrett in third at 24:33.00.

The 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest required deep analytical focus over its single round. Simon Kellum emerged victorious among 22 competitors, achieving a winning average of 24.33 moves behind a best single attempt of 23. Carter Kucala captured another podium finish by taking second place with an average of 25.00 moves, and Stanley Chapel earned third place with an average of 26.67 moves.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several solvers delivered major breakthroughs across their events. Elliott Cantor made a first career attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves to score 43 and achieved a Clock personal best of 13.54 seconds, which was 56.7 percent faster than their previous mark. Blake Philip also recorded a first attempt at Fewest Moves with 47 and lowered their Clock personal best to 17.25 seconds, an improvement of 27.1 percent. Joey Reindl registered first-time marks in both Clock with 37.06 seconds and Fewest Moves with 67. Tommy Kolocouris completed initial attempts in the same two events, logging 25.41 seconds in Clock and 50 moves.

The personal milestones continued across the floor at Swoop in Silence Oxford 2023. Simeon Bishop set a Clock personal best of 11.06 seconds, improving by 12.9 percent, and put up 53 on a first Fewest Moves attempt. Grant Bruns took fourth place in 4x4x4 Blindfolded and notched a successful first try at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a flawless 3 out of 3 in 22:11. Chris Nankervis improved their Clock personal best to 8.49 seconds, 4.2 percent faster than before, while Keenan Darkins lowered their Clock personal best to 7.64 seconds, an 8.3 percent drop. Carson Clark took on a first attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging 7:59.09, and achieved a Fewest Moves personal best of 43, which was 28.3 percent faster.

In the Clock event, Luke Garrett displayed tremendous turning speed to capture the title with an average of 5.01 seconds, also posting the tournament's fastest single solve of 3.93 seconds across two rounds. Stanley Chapel finished as the runner-up with an average of 6.10 seconds, while Carter Kucala rounded out the podium in third with an average of 6.47 seconds.

The 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event closed out the heavy-lifting schedule, with Carter Kucala taking second place by solving 26 out of 33 cubes in 56:43, and Ivan Krueger placing third with a perfect 10 out of 10 in 57:16. Across all six events, United States competitors secured all 18 podium positions, concluding a focused speedcubing meet where experienced entrants set an exacting standard at Swoop in Silence Oxford 2023.