Tokai Open 2023

109 competitors gathered on September 9, 2023, turning Tokai, Aichi, Japan into a bustling center of puzzle-solving action. The single-day schedule was packed with 11 rounds across five classic events, testing versatility and endurance alike. Hosted at the Tokai Municipal Workers Center, Tokai Open 2023 brought together seasoned campaigners and hungry up-and-comers from across the region and overseas. With high standards set from the opening rounds, the tournament delivered intense battles across every bracket.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a large field of 102 competitors through three demanding rounds of competition. Experienced campaigner Ao Nogami demonstrated pristine execution in the final round to capture the title. Nogami sealed the victory with a 7.58 winning average, holding off a formidable push from international challenger Amey Gaba of India, who finished second with a 7.85 average. Makoto Takaoka rounded out the podium in third place with an 8.33 mark, capping an exciting showcase of classic Rubik's Cube solving.

Beyond the final round podium, the 3x3 results featured exceptional individual efforts and regional speedcubing milestones throughout the day. Amey Gaba produced the fastest single of the entire tournament with a blistering 5.30 effort, alongside a 7.49 tournament average. Ao Nogami also delivered a personal high-water mark of 6.89, while Thailand's Itthikorn Jittaveeroj registered a standout 7.52 single and 8.29 average. Further notable efforts came from Kohdai Kusatani with a 5.96 single, Yuki Nomura with an 8.19 single, Sota Ui hitting 7.99, Hirotaka Ito posting 8.60, and Tomohiro Kobayashi logging an 8.59 single.

In the 5x5x5 Cube, Makoto Takaoka returned to peak form atop the standings across two rounds. Takaoka dominated the 39-player field, recording a winning average of 53.12 and logging the weekend's best single at 49.41. Amey Gaba picked up another podium result by securing second place with a 56.08 average, while Kohdai Kusatani took third place in 56.37. Takaoka's composed control over the big cube highlighted a veteran mastery of complex hardware under tournament pressure.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded event proved to be a clinic in precision, requiring competitors to commit scrambled puzzles entirely to memory before executing their solutions without sight. Masato Fujiwara took top honors among 38 entrants, securing the win with a rapid 21.06 single in the final round. Taku Yanai claimed the second step on the podium with a 27.67 effort, followed by Keiichiro Taira in third with a time of 37.17. The disciplined discipline remains one of the sharpest tests at any official WCA competition.

Away from the main stage, the depth of the community shone through in a series of impressive individual milestones. Soshi Eguchi tackled five events, achieving a best finish of 13th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, a personal best of 1:28.31 that was 54.5 percent faster than before, a Pyraminx personal best of 2.76, and a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 1:38.00. Kanako Eguchi took eighth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 55.04 single, cutting her previous best by 51.4 percent, while trying Clock for the first time in 11.03 and dropping her 3x3x3 Cube best to 14.30. Takuya Kira finished fifth in 5x5x5 Cube, improved his Pyraminx personal best by 50.5 percent to 2.35, clocked an 8.68 in his first Clock attempt, and scored a 7.98 3x3x3 Cube personal best. Mizuki Tsurudome placed 18th in 5x5x5 Cube, improving his personal best by 38.9 percent to 1:15.31, alongside debut attempts in Clock at 6.46 and Blindfolded at 2:45.27.

Other dedicated competitors made significant strides across varied disciplines at Tokai Open 2023. Kenya Yahata entered four events, posting a 7.04 Pyraminx personal best that improved his previous standard by 31.5 percent, alongside first attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 1:45.40 and Clock at 19.24. Ryo Momosaki improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 23.5 percent to 13.62 while logging first-time attempts in Pyraminx at 13.24 and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:09.53. Kazumi Morimoto took on all five events, placing 23rd in Clock with a first attempt of 10.37, alongside debut runs in Blindfolded at 2:56.84 and Pyraminx at 11.25. Kaisei Suzuki expanded his range across four events, logging initial career attempts in Pyraminx at 7.81, Clock at 16.84, and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:11.23.

Side events brought fast-paced drama to the tables as the afternoon progressed. In Clock, China's Yijie Zhao captured the victory with a 5.57 winning average, edging out Japan's Noriyuki Okada at 6.37 and Shoi Hamaguchi at 6.70. Zhao also earned a podium spot in Pyraminx, taking third with a 4.01 average. The Pyraminx title went to Hajime Miyazaki, who put together a 3.48 average to narrowly defeat Yoshi Hero Nakamura of the Philippines, who finished second in 3.60. Miyazaki also delivered during the main event, posting an 8.58 single and a 9.34 average on the standard cube.

With 10 podium spots going to Japan, two to China, two to India, and one to the Philippines, Tokai Open 2023 celebrated both local talent and international friendship. From veterans proving their enduring sharpness to dedicated solvers reaching new personal benchmarks, the tournament demonstrated the vibrant health of Japanese speed cubing. As the curtain fell on a memorable day in Aichi, the regional community walked away with renewed momentum for the challenges of the coming season.

2023年9月9日、Tokai, Aichi, Japanの東海市立勤労センターに109名のキューバーが集い、熱気あふれるスピードキューブの大会が繰り広げられました。会場内にはタイマーのストップ音やスキューブなどの回転音が響き渡り、各テーブルで白熱した試技が続きました。

スピードを競う競技とは対照的に、思考の深さと解法の効率を突き詰める競技の奥深さもルービックキューブの魅力です。集中力が極限まで高まるフロアにおいて、11ラウンドにわたる戦いが順次進行していきました。

花形である3x3x3 Cube部門では102名がしのぎを削り、3ラウンドの激戦の末にAo Nogami (野上碧)が平均7.58で優勝を飾りました。2位には平均7.85のAmey Gaba、3位には平均8.33のMakoto Takaoka (高岡誠)が入りました。Ao Nogami (野上碧)は単発5.85の好記録も記録しています。

5x5x5 Cube部門を制したのはMakoto Takaoka (高岡誠)で、平均53.12、単発49.41で見事な優勝を果たしました。2位にはAmey Gabaが平均56.08、3位にはKohdai Kusatani (草谷幸大)が平均56.37で続いています。

3x3x3 Blindfolded部門では、目隠し状態で記憶力と正確な指先が試される中、Masato Fujiwara (藤原正人)が単発21.06の圧倒的なタイムで頂点に立ちました。2位はTaku Yanai (矢内拓)の27.67、3位はKeiichiro Taira (平佳一郎)の37.17でした。

大会の隠れた主役たちの挑戦も光りました。Yuki Tsuneyoshi (恒吉優紀)は3x3x3 Blindfoldedで前記録を71.6パーセント更新する45.41の自己ベストを叩き出し5位に入ったほか、3x3x3 Cubeで14.39、Clockで22.26の初記録を残しました。Yusuke Katayama (片山悠介)も同目隠し部門で31.7パーセント短縮の1:25.03を記録し3x3x3 Cubeでも26.78をマーク。Fumika Hoshino (星野史佳)は3x3x3 Cubeで5.1パーセント縮める9.57を出し、5x5x5 Cubeの1:14.08とClockの10.01に初挑戦しました。Zirui Wang (王子睿)は3x3x3 Cubeで9.00の自己新を出し、Clockで19.62、Pyraminxで8.47を記録しました。

今大会が初のWCA competitionとなった選手たちも素晴らしい滑り出しを見せました。Kenshin Nakura (名倉健心)はPyraminxで5.83を記録して20位に入り、3x3x3 Cubeで13.43、5x5x5 Cubeで2:05.10を記録。Takaaki Kitai (北井孝明)は3x3x3 Cubeで10.46、Pyraminxで11.52、5x5x5 Cubeで1:35.66を揃えました。Yusuke Suzuki (鈴木裕介)は3x3x3 Cubeで26.39、Pyraminxで10.18、Clockで37.03を記録し、Itsuki Yamada (山田樹)は3x3x3 Cubeで17.95、Clockで20.07を残しました。

Clock部門ではYijie Zhao (赵翊杰)が平均5.57で優勝し、Pyraminx部門ではHajime Miyazaki (宮崎朔)が平均3.48で制しました。Tokai Open 2023は全5種目を無事に終え、表彰台の国別内訳は日本10、中国2、インド2、フィリピン1となりました。

多彩なパズルと選手たちの情熱が交錯したTokai Open 2023は、それぞれが自己ベストや新たな挑戦を胸に刻んで幕を閉じました。