Wiltshire Autumn 2023

George Scholey claimed victory in the marquee 3x3x3 Cube final at Wiltshire Autumn 2023, sealing the title with an 8.00 winning average and a decisive 7.30 best single. His consistency across four rounds led a packed field of 124 competitors at the Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham, Wiltshire, United Kingdom. The victory set the tone for two full days of high-calibre speedcubing from September 9 to September 10, 2023, where speed cubing enthusiasts gathered to contest seven distinct events over eighteen fast-paced rounds.

The 3x3 results throughout the weekend proved relentless as competitors drove each other to rapid times round after round. Fabio Schwandt secured the runner-up spot in the main event with an 8.10 average, while Cham J. Chambers completed the podium on 8.47. The classic Rubik's Cube division demonstrated remarkable parity from the opening heats to Sunday's final, with UK contenders setting rapid marks across the boards and claiming every top-three position awarded during the entire meeting.

Beyond the main event, Fabio Schwandt produced a standout weekend across two very different disciplines. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Schwandt posted a winning average of 1:44.91 with a best single of 1:40.58 to finish ahead of Mark Ostrom and Daniel Partridge. He doubled his gold tally in Square-1, logging a 9.18 average and an 8.09 single to beat Scholey and Billie Hammill. His dual titles highlighted an intense schedule that tested technical precision across diverse puzzle mechanisms.

Big cube solving demanded exceptional endurance, with Daniel Partridge capturing the 5x5x5 Cube title via a 56.37 average, edging Dean David and Cham J. Chambers. Partridge remained busy across multiple finals, picking up additional podium honours in 6x6x6 and Megaminx. In the largest puzzle of the schedule, Mark Ostrom took top honours in the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 2:34.58 and a single of 2:32.72, holding off Partridge and Daniel Evans in a hard-fought contest.

The Megaminx final delivered the closest margin of the weekend as Aidan Grainger logged a winning average of 34.29 to shade Sean Moran by just five hundredths of a second. Moran quickly made his mark elsewhere, taking the 3x3x3 One-Handed crown with a 13.63 average, comfortably ahead of Dean David and Cham J. Chambers. The twelve-sided puzzle and the one-handed challenge both showcased the versatility demanded at a top-tier WCA competition.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors made huge strides and expanded their repertoires across the schedule. Peter Jaszczynski produced a massive breakthrough in Square-1, shaving 64.4 percent off his previous benchmark to record a personal best of 16.99 alongside an 8.99 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube. Rian Revening entered all seven events, cutting 45.2 percent from his Square-1 mark with a 15.92 personal best and logging his first official attempts in 6x6x6 at 3:23.78 and 7x7x7 at 5:38.83. Emily Hart reduced her 3x3x3 Cube standard by 36.2 percent to 17.03 while debuting in 5x5x5 at 2:44.72 and Megaminx at 2:09.07.

The breadth of ambition continued as Lily Bevan took on seven events, improving her 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 26.5 percent to 31.02 and recording first attempts in 5x5x5 at 2:27.48 and Megaminx at 2:36.46. Alexander Sayers improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 11.38 and notched maiden official solves in Megaminx at 1:36.33 and 6x6x6 at 2:47.72. Samuel Davies tackled seven events, debuting in 5x5x5 at 1:17.55, 6x6x6 at 2:20.20, and 7x7x7 at 3:47.87. William Petrie recorded initial marks in Megaminx at 2:37.04, 6x6x6 at 3:22.90, and 7x7x7 at 6:03.57, while Charlie Butler posted first attempts in Megaminx at 1:58.33, Square-1 at 1:01.73, and 6x6x6 at 4:24.14.

By the time the final awards were distributed at Wiltshire Autumn 2023, all 21 podium places had gone to United Kingdom competitors across the seven disciplines. With 126 competitors testing themselves across 18 rounds, the gathering in Chippenham delivered an action-packed cubing competition that tested both elite speed and personal development as another memorable weekend of solving drew to a close.