Troy Story 2023

A total of 154 competitors took their places on January 14, 2023, turning the Hilton Garden Inn Troy into a vibrant center of puzzle solving. Held across a single action-packed day in Troy, New York, USA, the gathering featured 6 distinct events and 12 complete rounds of competition. For many walking into the venue, this WCA competition represented the first time taking their home practice to the official tournament mat. The atmosphere of a debut weekend provided an energetic backdrop for both emerging solvers and seasoned contenders looking to establish their marks early in the year.

The flagship Rubik's Cube event stood as the centerpiece of Troy Story 2023, drawing a massive field of 150 competitors across three rigorous rounds. When the final round concluded, Krish Shah-Nathwani secured the top step of the podium with a winning average of 7.69 seconds, while also posting the fastest single time of the event at 6.91 seconds. Nipun Kisari claimed the runner-up position with an average of 7.85 seconds, edging out Alex Niedland, who completed the top three with an average of 7.90 seconds. The tight margins at the top of the table underscored the sharp standard of speedcubing on display throughout the day.

Krish Shah-Nathwani added a second championship to his tally in the 2x2x2 Cube event, navigating through 141 competitors to finish first with a blistering winning average of 1.83 seconds. He also set the standard for the fastest single solve of the event at 1.36 seconds. Chris Chi took second place with an average of 2.21 seconds, followed closely by Nipun Kisari in third at 2.76 seconds. The event was packed with personal breakthroughs and notable efforts, highlighting the rapid execution required in this short-format puzzle category.

Dylan Chan delivered an exceptional showing in the alternate events, earning double gold across the tournament. In the Skewb competition, which featured 91 entrants across two rounds, Chan captured first place with an average of 3.15 seconds and a single of 1.77 seconds, narrowly leading Chris Chi at 3.20 seconds and Noah Melita at 3.57 seconds. Chan carried that winning form over to Pyraminx, outpacing 110 competitors over two rounds to take victory with a 3.38 average and a best single of 2.31 seconds. Krish Shah-Nathwani took second place in Pyraminx with a 3.49 average, while Chris Chi placed third with 4.07 seconds.

Beyond the podium finishes, the heart of Troy Story 2023 lived in the individual journeys and personal records logged throughout the tables. Oliver David Lukowski took on 4 events and delivered a standout performance in the 2x2x2 Cube, recording a personal best average of 4.81 seconds to finish 62.2 percent faster than his prior mark of 12.73, while also logging his first ever attempts in Skewb at 21.92 seconds and Pyraminx at 8.80 seconds. Sammy Corrocher tackled 4 events, achieving an 8.81 Pyraminx personal best that was 47.2 percent faster than his previous 16.70 benchmark, alongside his first official attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 9.50 seconds and Skewb at 14.18 seconds. Benjamin Irazoqui entered 5 events, shaving 40.5 percent off his previous 2x2x2 Cube mark with a new personal best of 3.57 seconds, and completed his first attempts in Skewb at 17.74 seconds and Pyraminx at 14.37 seconds. Achira Jet Wong completed all 6 events on offer, earning a 22nd-place best finish in Skewb, setting a Pyraminx personal best of 4.06 seconds that was 37.2 percent faster than before, and registering debut attempts in Clock at 16.45 seconds and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 30.54 seconds.

The progress continued across the roster as more competitors broadened their event portfolios. Aaron Melita took on 6 events, securing a 51st-place finish in Clock, dropping his Clock personal best to 33.23 seconds for a 37 percent improvement over his prior 52.73, while making his first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 9.08 seconds and Pyraminx at 11.26 seconds. Ira Blauvelt competed in 5 events, achieving a best finish of 37th in Clock, setting a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 14.17 seconds that improved 30.8 percent over his former 20.47, and attempting 2x2x2 Cube and Pyraminx for the first time at 4.72 seconds and 11.81 seconds respectively. Henry LaRock entered 5 events, finishing 26th in Clock, dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 12.37 seconds for a 26.1 percent jump, while making debut attempts in Pyraminx at 8.99 seconds and Skewb at 10.72 seconds. Lucy LaRock took on 5 events, securing a 30th-place best finish in Clock, and posted her first official attempts in the 3x3x3 Cube at 1:55.08, Skewb at 29.15 seconds, and Pyraminx at 17.57 seconds.

Single-handed solving provided another compelling chapter as 73 entrants battled in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event across two rounds. Nipun Kisari claimed the title with an impressive winning average of 13.60 seconds, which included the fastest single solve of the event at 10.96 seconds. Dylan Chan earned the silver spot on the podium with an average of 14.56 seconds, while Rowe Hessler finished in third place with an average of 15.63 seconds. The event highlighted the technical dexterity and endurance demanded by one-handed speed cubing at a high standard.

The Clock event closed out the tournament program with a single, high-stakes round featuring 60 competitors. Joshua Marriott earned first place with a solid winning average of 4.86 seconds and the best single time of 4.38 seconds. Carter Williams followed in second place with an average of 5.12 seconds, and Evan Liu rounded out the podium positions with a third-place average of 5.34 seconds. Competitors from the United States secured all 18 podium spots awarded across the six disciplines, capping an exceptional day of competition.

As the equipment was packed away, Troy Story 2023 left a lasting impression on the regional speedcubing community. The tournament gave newcomers a supportive venue to record their inaugural official times and offered established racers an arena to chase personal breakthroughs. With hundreds of official solves logged across all 12 rounds, the cubing competition set an inspiring tone for the upcoming tournament season across the region.