WCC Speedcubing Open 2023

Inside the bustling retail concourse at Wilcon City Center, dozens of puzzle enthusiasts gathered as timers beeped and plastic layers clicked in rapid succession. Spectators leaned over barriers to catch glimpses of competitors inspecting scrambles before setting their hands down on the timing mats. The single-day tournament brought together 55 entrants to test their skills across 6 events and 11 rounds of high-intensity play, filling the hall with a distinct competitive rhythm from the very first inspection period.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed event took centre stage at the WCC Speedcubing Open 2023, showcasing the immense discipline and finger dexterity required when solving with a solitary hand. Isolating movement to one hand transforms typical algorithmic execution into a demanding physical puzzle of table grips, index pulls, and pinky pushes. Across three rigorous rounds involving 31 competitors, Sean Patrick Villanueva put on a masterclass in efficiency, claiming the gold medal with a 9.74 average and an event-best 7.41 single.

Villanueva was pushed through the one-handed final round by Maverick Sua, who took second place with an average of 12.65 seconds, and Toby Litiatco, who secured the third step on the podium at 14.35 seconds. The discipline rewards calm control over sheer turning speed, and Villanueva demonstrated exactly that by keeping his turns smooth and fluid. The performance highlighted how single-handed execution remains one of the most technically demanding disciplines in modern speed cubing.

Beyond one-handed solving, Villanueva continued his exceptional form in the classic 3x3x3 Cube event, which drew the largest field of the day with 54 competitors. He captured first place by producing a winning average of 6.22 seconds alongside the fastest single of the contest at 5.61 seconds. Litiatco earned the silver medal in the final with a 7.02 average, while Brenton Angelo Lo Wong took bronze with a 7.31 mark to cap off a remarkable set of 3x3 results.

Away from the top of the standings, the WCC Speedcubing Open 2023 served as a breakthrough proving ground for numerous determined competitors across multiple disciplines. Gina Uy delivered an exceptional slate of personal bests across four events, lowering her 3x3x3 One-Handed single to 32.22 seconds for a 30 percent improvement, dropping her Megaminx time by 16.4 percent to 2:32.90, and cutting her 4x4x4 Cube mark by 4.7 percent to 1:04.15 while finishing 11th. Astin Gian Cedeño also unlocked major gains, taking 27.8 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube personal best with a 12.09 single and trimming his 2x2x2 Cube time by 16.2 percent to 3.57. Nathaniel Villanueva entered four events, cutting his one-handed single by 20.7 percent to 28.38, improving his 3x3x3 single by 4.1 percent to 9.69, and bettering his 2x2x2 single to 4.51.

First-time event appearances also marked an inspiring chapter of the competition for several dedicated participants. David Martinez entered five events, recording his first official one-handed solve at 30.74 seconds, a debut Megaminx result of 2:55.61 to place 14th, and a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:21.25, which was 17.8 percent faster than his prior record. Norainne Mari Mañeja tackled 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 42.69 single, registered her maiden 4x4x4 Cube mark at 1:30.97 to place 26th, and reduced her 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 16.9 percent to 5.50. Kyle Derrick Chua Ong took on five events, logging his first one-handed solve at 42.78, taking 10th in Megaminx, and lowering his 3x3x3 mark by 8 percent to 10.65. Markus Wong achieved a personal best of 21.72 on the 3x3x3 Cube, improving by 11.8 percent, and made his first official 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 1:41.36. JZ Lyle Dexter Wamar logged his first 2x2x2 Cube attempt at 6.94 seconds alongside a 3x3x3 personal best of 17.48 across three events.

Multi-event specialist Brenton Angelo Lo Wong enjoyed a dominant day across the mid-sized puzzles, capturing top honours in both the 2x2x2 Cube and 4x4x4 Cube events. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Wong secured victory over 38 competitors with a 2.35 average and a 1.98 single, finishing ahead of Litiatco at 2.90 and Sebastian Silva at 3.02. Wong returned to the top of the podium in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 33.47 and a 32.15 single to edge out Yuji Yoshida at 33.60 and Maverick Sua at 35.86.

The specialised disciplines provided intense competition as well during the June 4, 2023 gathering in Quezon City, Philippines. Nicole Jnus Macalalad triumphed in the 12-sided Megaminx event, recording a dominant 48.52 average and a 41.57 single across a field of 15 competitors, with Wong taking second in 1:02.76 and Yoshida finishing third in 1:03.15. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, which challenges solvers to memorise the puzzle before donning a blindfold, John Edison Ubaldo won the title with an impressive single of 59.07 seconds, finishing ahead of Kaidrich Keolo Pobre at 1:37.70 and Jacob Miko Tan at 1:38.64.

The action-packed schedule demonstrated the full variety of puzzle disciplines that make every official WCA competition an exciting spectacle. From high-speed Rubik's Cube turns to the demanding precision of blindfolded and one-handed execution, all 18 podium positions went to Filipino competitors. The WCC Speedcubing Open 2023 delivered memorable performances across the board, setting a high standard for local speedcubing talent as athletes look forward to their next official cubing competition.

May 55 kalahok ang nagtipon sa Wilcon City Center upang magtagisan sa bilis at talas ng isip sa anim na opisyal na kaganapan. Sa likod ng maayos na takbo ng 11 rounds sa buong araw, ang dedikasyon ng mga organizer, WCA delegate, at mga boluntaryo ang naging pundasyon ng tagumpay sa Quezon City, Philippines. Mula sa pag-aayos ng mga timer at scramble table hanggang sa pagpapanatili ng iskedyul, siniguro ng pamunuan na maipamalas ng bawat kalahok ang kanilang galing sa cubing competition na ginanap noong June 4, 2023.

Sa pangunahing kategorya ng 3x3x3 Cube, naghari si Sean Patrick Villanueva matapos magtala ng winning average na 6.22 laban sa 54 iba pang kalahok sa tatlong round. Naabot din niya ang pinakamabilis na single time na 5.61. Pumangalawa sa podium si Toby Litiatco na may average na 7.02, habang pumuwesto sa ikatlong ranggo si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na nagtala ng 7.31 sa pagtatapos ng torneo sa WCC Speedcubing Open 2023.

Ipinagpatuloy ni Sean Patrick Villanueva ang kanyang magandang porma sa 3x3x3 One-Handed kung saan nasungkit niya muli ang gintong pwesto sa pamamagitan ng 9.74 winning average at best single na 7.41. Sumunod sa kanya si Maverick Sua na pumangalawa sa bilis na 12.65 average, samantalang nakamit naman ni Toby Litiatco ang ikatlong pwesto sa oras na 14.35 sa naturang disiplina.

Naging mabunga rin ang araw para kay Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na nag-uwi ng dalawang unang gantimpala sa magkaibang event. Sa 2x2x2 Cube, pinangunahan niya ang 38 kalahok bitbit ang winning average na 2.35 at best single na 1.98, habang sumunod sina Toby Litiatco na may 2.90 at Sebastian Silva na may 3.02. Sa 4x4x4 Cube, nanguna muli si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na may 33.47 average laban kina Yuji Yoshida na nagtala ng 33.60 at Maverick Sua na may 35.86.

Sa mas kumplikadong Megaminx, nanaig si Nicole Jnus Macalalad tangan ang winning average na 48.52 at best single na 41.57 upang talunin ang 15 katunggali, kung saan pumangalawa si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong sa 1:02.76 at ikatlo si Yuji Yoshida sa 1:03.15. Sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded naman, na nangangailangan ng matinding memorya bago ang paglutas nang nakapiring, nagwagi si John Edison Ubaldo (ᜇ᜔ᜌᜓ︀ᜈ᜔ ᜁᜇᜒᜐᜓ︀ᜈ᜔ ᜂᜊᜎ᜔ᜇᜓ︀) sa pamamagitan ng kanyang 59.07 single time. Sumunod sa podium sina Kaidrich Keolo Pobre na may 1:37.70 at Jacob Miko Tan (陈在元) na may 1:38.64 sa WCC Speedcubing Open 2023.

Sa kabila ng mga kilalang nagwagi, naging saksi ang speedcubing komunidad sa mga pambihirang pagsisikap ng iba pang manlalaro. Malaking pag-unlad ang ipinamalas ni Christian Ivan Dwayne Angad Tamayo nang maabot ang personal best na 11.93 sa 3x3x3 Cube na 25.4 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa dati, pati ang 4.25 sa 2x2x2 Cube na 20 porsyentong bilis, bukod sa pagtapos bilang ika-28 sa 4x4x4 Cube sa tatlong event na kanyang sinalihan. Si Kasen A. Abelgas naman ay nagtala ng 12.23 sa 3x3x3 Cube na 25.3 porsyentong pagbuti sa kanyang talaan. Apat na event ang hinarap ni Jude Ericsson Regorgo kung saan bumilis ang kanyang 3x3x3 One-Handed nang 18.3 porsyento sa oras na 25.66, 2x2x2 Cube sa 5.20, at 4x4x4 Cube sa 51.59 kung saan tumapos siya sa ika-14 na pwesto. Sa kabilang banda, sinubukan ni Gio Miguel Gomez ang kanyang pinakaunang attempt sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na nagbunga ng 20.98 sa dalawang event na nilahukan.

Naging entablado rin ang paligsahan para sa mga bagong mukha na sumabak sa kanilang pinakaunang WCA competition. Sumabak si Penn Matthew T. Tan sa apat na kategorya at naitala ang mga unang marka na 13.58 sa 3x3x3 Cube, 5.04 sa 2x2x2 Cube, at 2:34.94 sa Megaminx kung saan nakuha niya ang ika-12 pwesto. Si Enrico Gabriel F. Manangan ay sumali sa tatlong event at nagtala ng 12.13 sa 3x3x3 Cube, 5.06 sa 2x2x2 Cube, at ika-13 pwesto sa 4x4x4 Cube sa oras na 50.13. Nagpakitang-gilas din si Danica Mea Villanueva Bohol sa tatlong event taglay ang 15.94 sa 3x3x3 Cube, 10.74 sa 2x2x2 Cube, at ika-15 pwesto sa Megaminx sa oras na 3:23.36, habang si Adrian Santos ay nagrehistro ng 9.85 sa 3x3x3 Cube at 19.82 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed sa dalawang event na sinubukan sa WCC Speedcubing Open 2023.

Ang kabuuang 18 podium finishes na napanatili ng mga pambato ng Pilipinas ay patunay sa lumalawak na talento sa paglutas ng Rubik's Cube sa bansa ngayong taong 2023. Sa maayos na pamamahala ng mga opisyal at walang humpay na suporta ng mga boluntaryo, matagumpay na natapos ang WCC Speedcubing Open 2023 at nag-iwan ng magandang pundasyon para sa susunod na yugto ng palakasan.