Tuam Winter 2023

Fifty-nine competitors stepped up to the tables for the 3x3x3 Cube at the Ard Rí House Hotel, and across three intense rounds, the chase for the top step came down to the absolute wire. Poland's Tymon Kolasiński sealed the main event title by posting a commanding 6.49 average in the final round, highlighted by a scorching 4.66 single that closed out any challenge. Ireland's Richard Madden pushed hard to earn second place with an 8.17 average, while Iollan Walsh rounded out the podium in third with an 8.55 mark. The standard of turning was relentless, setting the tone for an action-packed two days in County Galway.

The gathering in Galway, Ireland, held on November 4 and 5, brought together 60 competitors across 15 different events and 25 total rounds. Tuam Winter 2023 proved to be a major stop on the national speedcubing calendar, drawing talent across classical puzzles and specialised disciplines alike. Fans tracking the 3x3 results witnessed world-class efficiency, but the broader schedule delivered drama across every table from the opening morning through to Sunday afternoon's finals.

Kolasiński's dominance stretched far beyond the standard Rubik's Cube. The Polish standout claimed gold across all the large cube events, taking the 4x4x4 Cube with a 23.05 winning average and an 18.89 single, while besting fields of 43 and 19 competitors respectively in the 4x4x4 and 6x6x6 formats. In the 6x6x6 Cube, his 1:12.35 average outpaced Richard Madden's 2:01.57 and Brandon Poulton's 2:09.76. He then capped the big cube sweep in the 7x7x7 Cube with a winning average of 1:58.96, finishing ahead of Poulton's 3:17.86 and Madden's 3:52.44.

The blindfolded categories became an absolute masterclass from Ryan Eckersley of the United Kingdom, who swept all three unseeing formats. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Eckersley took the win with a 22.39 single, besting Colm McCarthy's 31.56 and Simon Kelly's 38.00. Moving on to the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event, Eckersley logged an impressive 1:35.24 single to claim top honours over Poulton and Mongolia's Namuun Natsagdorj. Eckersley then completed the treble in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, delivering a 3:43.77 single while every other contender in the seven-person field recorded a DNF on the demanding puzzle.

Host nation competitors enjoyed plenty of podium success throughout the weekend, capturing 30 total podium spots. Richard Madden put on a versatile display, claiming gold in the 3x3x3 One-Handed final with a 13.46 average and winning the 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:07.49 average to edge out Poulton's 1:09.99 and Elliott Laurent's 1:17.58. In the Pyraminx final, Enda Loftus captured first place with a 3.03 average ahead of Madden's 4.05 and William Carey's 4.41. Loftus also secured gold in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.48 average, while Ronan Finke led the Skewb field with a 2.70 average.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors made substantial leaps in their individual solving careers. Aadheesh Murthy delivered one of the weekend's biggest breakthroughs, shaving 62.4 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube mark with a new personal best of 5.18, alongside a 30 percent improvement on the 3x3x3 Cube down to 23.64. Liam Pike cut his Pyraminx personal best by 56.2 percent to 4.48. Sheng Yu Han took on his first ever attempt at Skewb with a 14.77 while knocking 49.1 percent off his Pyraminx best to hit 3.93. Jonah O'Driscoll tackled eight events, trying the 5x5x5 Cube for the first time with a 3:23.36 single while improving his Pyraminx best by 35.7 percent to 4.68.

First-time competitors also made their presence felt throughout the WCA competition. Maurice Hunt stepped onto the official stage for the first time across seven events, producing a 43.19 single in 3x3x3 One-Handed, a 1:29.95 in the 4x4x4 Cube, and a 9.09 on Skewb. Zach Kirwan also took part in his debut speed cubing tournament, completing nine events including maiden attempts of 13.48 on Pyraminx and 14.57 on Skewb. Kim Hackett showed sharp execution with a 35.7 percent drop to a 13.51 Square-1 personal best, while Alex Brett completed first-ever official solves in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:08.36, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 35.01, and Megaminx at 3:30.36.

The remaining puzzle finals highlighted the depth of the 2023 roster. Prabhav Rajaram Nayak of India won the Megaminx with a swift 46.77 average, while Rían Burke took the Clock title by averaging 4.94 across two rounds. Ryan Eckersley added a fourth gold to his haul by winning Square-1 with a 9.50 average. As the final scrambles cleared in Galway, Tuam Winter 2023 concluded as an unforgettable cubing competition that showcased elite international talent alongside rapid grassroots progression.