VID Cubing 2023

Christian Rodríguez delivered a masterclass at VID Cubing 2023, capturing three separate victories across an intense day of solving in Hatillo 3, San Jose, Costa Rica. His weekend was highlighted by a decisive performance in the 3x3x3 Cube, where he registered a winning average of 8.24 seconds and a best single of 7.22. Facing a competitive field of 45 competitors on April 29, 2023, Rodríguez set the pace early and held firm through both rounds of the flagship event to take top honors.

While the standard Rubik's Cube demands swift turning and sharp lookahead, solving without sight or using only one hand requires an exceptional tier of focus and spatial memory. Pure blindfolded solving remains the ultimate test of mental discipline, demanding complete memorisation before executing turns in the dark. That same elevated mental endurance translated directly to the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, where Rodríguez secured his second title of the weekend with a 14.38 winning average and a swift 11.17 single across 24 competitors.

The 3x3 results solidified a banner weekend for Costa Rican solvers at this high-energy cubing competition. In the main 3x3x3 final, Andrés Irías Li secured second place with a 9.01 average, while Andres Sanchez Ponce claimed third on the podium with a 9.56 mark. Sanchez Ponce had a remarkably busy day across multiple formats, earning five podium finishes in total and testing his skills in nearly every puzzle discipline on the schedule.

Rodríguez earned his third victory in the 2x2x2 Cube, posting a winning average of 2.97 seconds and a best single of 2.32 among 35 competitors. Sanchez Ponce took second place with a 3.71 average, while Dilan Masis Alfaro locked up third with a 4.16 average and a single of 2.86. The competition featured intense short-puzzle pacing, proving how fractions of a second decide podium outcomes in the compact formats.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors delivered remarkable personal milestones during the weekend. Esteban Gutiérrez Rojas cut massive time from his previous marks, recording a Pyraminx personal best of 6.97 seconds that was 48.1 percent faster than his earlier best, alongside a Skewb best of 9.34 that was 26.2 percent faster. Ethan Benavides Segura entered six events, securing tenth place in Skewb with a 5.35 personal best that trimmed 28.9 percent from his old standard, while also clocking a 13.94 best in 3x3x3 and a first attempt at 4x4x4 with 1:16.86. Matias Guido Avila achieved a Pyraminx personal best of 6.88 seconds, an improvement of 24.6 percent, and made his first attempts at 4x4x4 with 1:22.79 and Megaminx with 2:08.43.

The depth of progress across the roster was evident throughout each round of this WCA competition. Jose Gabriel Alvarez Castrillo dropped his Pyraminx best by 19.4 percent to 5.24 seconds, lowered his 4x4x4 best to 49.35, and set an 11.68 in 3x3x3 while placing tenth in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Jimmy David Solís Delgado improved his 3x3x3 best by 13.8 percent to 13.02 seconds and shaved 7.3 percent off his 4x4x4 mark to reach 1:05.58. Dax Sage brought down his 2x2x2 personal best by 14.1 percent to 4.82 seconds across four events. Luca Shalit tackled all eight events on the schedule, earning seventh place in Square-1 while logging first attempts in Square-1 at 57.90, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 38.98, and Megaminx at 2:45.63. Rowan Chandler made their first WCA competition appearance, taking on five events with first attempts of 8.62 in 2x2x2, 7.78 in Pyraminx, and 2:49.10 in 4x4x4.

The mid-sized and specialty puzzles provided high drama throughout the afternoon schedule. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Sebastián Herrera Pomares earned first place with an impressive 35.73 winning average and a single of 29.46, finishing ahead of Andrés Irías Li at 41.01 and Rodríguez at 43.08. In Square-1, Jose Daniel Solano Rodríguez took the title with a 16.27 average and a 12.85 best single, fending off Rodríguez at 17.05 and Sanchez Ponce at 19.21. In Megaminx, Panama's Egdar Castillo captured the gold with a 1:05.31 average, leading Sanchez Ponce at 1:07.91 and Jeferson Salazar Zambrana at 1:14.45.

The remaining puzzle events closed out an eventful schedule of speed cubing at VID Cubing 2023. Isaí Abarca Smith won the Pyraminx title with a rapid 3.21 average and a 2.51 single, leading Sanchez Ponce at 5.80 and Jason Conejo Aguilar at 5.84. In Skewb, Brandon Alejandro Carpio Garita took top honors with a 4.40 average and 3.69 single, edging Sanchez Ponce at 4.54 and Rodríguez at 4.77. With 23 podium finishes for host nation Costa Rica and one for Panama, the single-day gathering provided an unforgettable showcase of regional speedcubing talent.

As the season moves forward, the results from Hatillo 3 demonstrate the steady growth and rising standards across Central America. Solvers showed tremendous composure across nine distinct rounds, balancing high-speed execution with the concentration needed to conquer both standard cubes and complex rotating shapes. The collective achievements set a high benchmark for the next wave of regional tournaments.