Wellington Mind Games 2025

A single decisive solve of 20.56 seconds locked up the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final, proving to be the defining mark on a demanding schedule of mental disciplines. That clutch finish came at the end of a packed one-day schedule where 15 competitors took to their tables across five separate events and six rounds of action. Held at Ngaio Town Hall, the single-day gathering tested precision, memory, and spatial mastery, demanding intense concentration from every entrant on the registration list.

The venue in Wellington, New Zealand set the stage for Wellington Mind Games 2025 on January 26, 2025. This dedicated cubing competition welcomed specialists eager to tackle the classic Rubik's Cube without sight alongside complex multi-cube and large-cube variations. Rather than standard turning speed, the day revolved around complex calculation and memorisation under the strict conditions of an official WCA competition.

James Macdiarmid delivered the day's biggest individual highlight during the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event. On his way through the competition, he secured a New Zealand national record single of 18.55 seconds before sealing top honours in the final with his winning single of 20.56 seconds. Jack McDougall claimed the runner-up position on the podium with a single of 41.44 seconds, while Tom Nelson rounded out the medal positions in third place with a best effort of 34.41 seconds.

Beyond the traditional 3x3 results in the blindfolded category, Macdiarmid demonstrated extraordinary retention in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. He successfully solved 45 out of 51 cubes in a time of 59:39 to earn his second gold medal of the day. Nelson placed second in the field of 13 competitors by solving 24 out of 28 cubes in 54:14, and McDougall finished third with a successful tally of 16 out of 18 cubes in 58:13.

The broader field produced plenty of breakthrough moments that went far beyond the podium steps at Wellington Mind Games 2025. Dylan Himmelfarb tackled five events and delivered a massive leap in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging a personal best of 54.13 seconds that was 51.3 percent faster than his prior standard, while also completing his first ever attempts at 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 10:11.00 and 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 8 out of 11 cubes in 52:52. Luke Steele improved his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best by 15.4 percent down to 3:55.94 and took on 3x3x3 Multi-Blind for the first time with a clean 2 out of 2 in 17:33. William Jackson took on five events, registering a 12.9 percent personal best of 27 in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, a 3x3x3 Multi-Blind personal best of 7 out of 9 in 53:10, and a first-ever 4x4x4 Blindfolded attempt of 10:04.00 to place fourth in Fewest Moves.

Other competitors made their marks across diverse challenges during the weekend. Abigail Dixon took on three events and secured a sixth-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 3.2 percent personal best of 1:40.77, while lowering her 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best by 13.3 percent to 39. Liam Wadek entered three events and delivered his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a perfect 3 out of 3 in 26:20 to place 10th. Harry Davies took on 3x3x3 Fewest Moves for the first time in his career, registering a 47 to take 12th place. Jim Zhu entered three disciplines and achieved a best finish of sixth in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, while Zack Aden competed in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves to earn a 14th-place finish.

Big-cube blindfolded solving brought further triumphs as competitors pushed their memory capacity across larger puzzles. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Tom Nelson captured victory among eight solvers by posting a winning average of 2:21.15 alongside a best single of 2:02.37. McDougall followed in second with an average of 3:59.06, and James Moore took third place with 9:06.36. McDougall later reached the top step in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, recording a winning average of 15:06.00 and a best single of 12:43.00 ahead of Moore at 15:43.00 and Oscar Childs at 18:27.00.

The tactical demands of 3x3x3 Fewest Moves capped off the competitive lineup at Wellington Mind Games 2025. Aneurin Hunt emerged victorious in the field of 14 entrants with a winning average of 28.33 and a best single of 25. Jack Maddigan secured second place with an average of 31.00, and McDougall added another podium placement by taking third with 34.00.

Every podium position across the five disciplines went to New Zealand competitors, demonstrating remarkable depth in mental speed cubing events. The focused atmosphere at Ngaio Town Hall highlighted both technical mastery and mental endurance, bringing an exceptional start to the 2025 competitive calendar for local speedcubing athletes.