XMUM Cube Open 2025

Inside the halls of Xiamen University Malaysia, solve stations buzzed without pause across two full days of high-intensity action on February 15 and 16, 2025. Timers lit up green in rapid sequence as 154 competitors took their places to test their finger dexterity and spatial recognition. A packed programme of 13 events across 28 rounds created a dynamic weekend of speedcubing in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia, drawing sharp contenders and dedicated enthusiasts from across the region to showcase their skills.

The spotlight shone brightest on the classic speed disciplines, where competitors pushed their turning speed to the razor edge. In the premier 3x3x3 Cube, which drew a massive field of 147 entrants over three rounds, Yiheng Wang took top honours with an exceptional winning average of 4.21 seconds alongside a weekend-best single solve of 3.62. The final round podium saw Kangze Wang secure second place with an average of 6.65, while Clement Chieng Jin Xuan rounded out the top three on home soil with an average of 7.43, locking in some of the most impressive 3x3 results seen this season.

The rapid-fire 2x2x2 Cube division delivered equally fierce competition among 129 participants battling across three fast rounds. Tan Kyle Xuan emerged victorious by laying down a sharp winning average of 1.92 seconds after securing a best single of 1.28. Ng Jia Quan took the runner-up spot on the podium with an average of 1.96, while Luis Tan Hong Yi finished third with an average of 2.16. In the qualification rounds, Yiheng Wang set a blistering single mark of 0.60 and an average mark of 0.95, while Tan Kyle Xuan and Ng Jia Quan also posted rapid qualifying marks during an electric run.

Big-cube specialist Lim Hung produced a dominant showing across the larger puzzles at XMUM Cube Open 2025. Lim claimed three separate event victories, winning the 4x4x4 Cube with a 25.08 average and a best single of 24.00 among 97 competitors, before going on to take the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:22.33 and the 7x7x7 Cube in 1:49.87. In the 6x6x6 and 7x7x7 finals, Lim outpaced Anyu Zhang, who took second in both events with times of 1:26.65 and 2:02.03, while Nordarwish Akmal Bin Noor Ibrahim claimed bronze in each discipline.

Away from the championship podiums, the cubing competition saw several competitors expand their horizons across deep, ambitious schedules. Aidin Zajmi took on an impressive workload of 12 events throughout the weekend, stepping up to post an official first ever attempt of 32.64 in Clock, 1:29.04 in the 4x4x4 Cube, and 3:20.23 in Megaminx. Danish Ng Mun Kit tackled 11 different events, establishing debut official marks with a 2.70 in the 2x2x2 Cube, a 34.63 in the 4x4x4 Cube, and a 3:37.40 in the grueling 7x7x7 Cube. Ng Yaw An also embraced a wide array of formats by entering 9 events, logging first attempts of 11.75 in Skewb, 50.30 in Square-1, and 1:33.15 on the 4x4x4 Cube.

That drive to take on new puzzles continued throughout the ranks at this WCA competition. Leong Joon Ee entered 8 events and logged debut marks of 19.16 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, 26.47 in Square-1, and 48.63 in the 4x4x4 Cube. Chow Kai Zen also completed an active 8-event schedule, recording a first ever attempt of 23.16 in Clock, 1:38.48 in 4x4x4 Cube, and 3:24.88 in Megaminx. Lee Jun Ming stepped up across 4 events, registering initial official marks of 4.85 on the 2x2x2 Cube, 10.28 in Pyraminx, and 24.03 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, capturing the expansive spirit of the gathering.

Mid-sized and specialty puzzles maintained a relentless pace throughout Sunday. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Ang Chin Xiang captured the victory in a thrilling contest, averaging 46.57 to edge past Lim Hung, who took second at 46.62, and Tristan Chua Yong, who finished third with 47.39. Chua Yong had earlier earned top honors in Megaminx with a winning average of 27.82. Mohamad Adrian Syahirin Bin Mohd Faizal topped an 80-competitor Skewb event with an average of 2.73, ahead of Luis Tan Hong Yi at 2.86 and Rafael Fong Kang Li at 3.17, while Ephraim Lim Shao Liang won Pyraminx with a 2.51 average.

Camerone Chin enjoyed a double-victory weekend, striking gold in Clock with a 4.40 winning average and later capturing the Square-1 crown with an 8.03 average. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Kangze Wang took the title with an average of 11.90 and a best single of 9.71. Speed cubing under blindfolds tested pure memory and mental control in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, where Hill Pong Yong Feng secured the win with a single time of 21.62 seconds, followed closely by Lee Roo Zen at 21.98 and Ng Jia Quan at 26.32.

As the final solves concluded and tables were cleared, host nation competitors collected 25 total podium spots, alongside strong showings from China with 6, Singapore with 5, and Hong Kong with 3. XMUM Cube Open 2025 demonstrated the exceptional depth of talent in the regional Rubik's Cube community, leaving competitors with fresh personal benchmarks and new event milestones to carry into their training for the season ahead.

Yiheng Wang dari China mencatat purata kemenangan luar biasa 4.21 saat dalam acara 3x3x3 Cube untuk menjuarai kategori utama pada hujung minggu yang penuh aksi. Kejohanan yang berlangsung pada 15 hingga 16 Februari 2025 di Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia ini menyaksikan penguasaan menyeluruh para peserta tuan rumah di hadapan kelompok peminat kiub Rubik tempatan. XMUM Cube Open 2025 menghimpunkan seramai 154 peserta dari pelbagai negara yang bertanding merentasi 13 acara dan 28 pusingan yang sengit.

Tuan rumah Malaysia membuktikan kekuatan sukan speedcubing mereka dengan menyapu bersih sejumlah 25 penamat podium sepanjang pertandingan dua hari tersebut. China mengikut dengan enam podium, Singapura meraih lima, manakala Hong Kong membawa pulang tiga podium. Antara detik paling manis bagi wakil tempatan adalah sapuan bersih ketiga-tiga anak tangga podium dalam acara Clock dan 3x3x3 Blindfolded, yang membuktikan kedalaman bakat luar biasa dalam kejohanan cubing competition berprestij ini.

Dalam acara Clock, Camerone Chin mempamerkan ketangkasan luar biasa dengan merangkul tempat pertama melalui catatan purata kemenangan 4.40 saat dan catatan tunggal terbaik 3.33 saat. Di belakang beliau, Ng Jia Quan meraih tempat kedua dengan purata 5.28 saat manakala Arif Imran Bin Arifin melengkapkan kedudukan podium di tempat ketiga dengan 5.37 saat. Camerone Chin turut menambah satu lagi kejuaraan berganda selepas menjuarai acara Square-1 dengan catatan purata 8.03 saat.

Kejayaan sapuan podium Malaysia turut berulang dalam acara 3x3x3 Blindfolded yang menguji daya ingatan dan ketepatan tinggi tanpa melihat. Hill Pong Yong Feng muncul sebagai juara dengan catatan masa tunggal terbaik 21.62 saat. Tempat kedua disambar oleh Lee Roo Zen dengan catatan masa 21.98 saat, manakala Ng Jia Quan sekali lagi naik ke podium di tempat ketiga menerusi masa terbaik 26.32 saat, sekali gus menegaskan kehebatan peserta negara dalam acara yang cukup mencabar ini.

Di samping persaingan sengit di pentas kemenangan utama, XMUM Cube Open 2025 turut menjadi medan lonjakan prestasi bagi ramai peserta yang mencipta rekod peribadi baharu. Chiah Hao Yan yang bertanding dalam empat acara berjaya melakukan cubaan rasmi pertamanya dalam 3x3x3 One-Handed dengan 27.19 saat dan Pyraminx dengan 9.06 saat, di samping memperbaiki catatan terbaik peribadi 2x2x2 Cube kepada 3.72 saat iaitu 70.7 peratus lebih pantas berbanding rekod lama 12.70 saat. Natalie Cate Skelchy pula beraksi hebat dalam sembilan acara, mencatat penyudah terbaik di tempat ke-13 dalam 2x2x2 Cube serta menyempurnakan cubaan rasmi sulung untuk 5x5x5 Cube dengan 1:31.90, Square-1 dengan 29.72 saat, dan Clock dengan 16.73 saat.

Wong Tha Weil turut melakar pencapaian bermakna dalam enam acara dengan cubaan rasmi sulung dalam 3x3x3 One-Handed dengan 26.96 saat, Clock dengan 19.38 saat, dan 4x4x4 Cube dengan 49.10 saat. Charmaine Yau Sze Min pula menyertai enam acara, melakukan cubaan rasmi pertama dalam Clock dengan 16.74 saat, di samping memperbaharui rekod peribadi 2x2x2 Cube kepada 1.68 saat iaitu 67.4 peratus lebih pantas, serta rekod 3x3x3 One-Handed kepada 23.10 saat iaitu 25.4 peratus lebih pantas. Ng Si Cong menyertai sembilan acara dengan cubaan rasmi sulung Clock 13.88 saat dan 7x7x7 Cube 3:57.50 serta memperbaiki catatan Skewb kepada 6.69 saat iaitu 22.8 peratus lebih pantas. Sementara itu, Mizan Bin Mazlan bertanding dalam tujuh acara, menamatkan saingan Pyraminx di tempat ke-9, membuat cubaan rasmi pertama 3x3x3 Blindfolded dengan 3:37.68, memotong catatan Pyraminx kepada 2.57 saat iaitu 50.3 peratus lebih pantas, dan memperbaiki 3x3x3 Cube kepada 10.69 saat.

Kategori kiub besar turut menyaksikan kehebatan Lim Hung yang membolot kejuaraan dalam tiga acara berbeza sepanjang XMUM Cube Open 2025. Lim Hung menjuarai 4x4x4 Cube dengan purata 25.08 saat, 6x6x6 Cube dengan purata 1:22.33 di hadapan Anyu Zhang dan Nordarwish Akmal Bin Noor Ibrahim, serta 7x7x7 Cube dengan purata 1:49.87. Dalam acara 5x5x5 Cube, persaingan berlangsung sengit apabila Ang Chin Xiang merangkul gelaran juara dengan purata 46.57 saat, mengetepikan Lim Hung yang mencatat 46.62 saat di tangga kedua dan Tristan Chua Yong di tempat ketiga dengan 47.39 saat.

Bagi acara lain, Tan Kyle Xuan muncul juara 2x2x2 Cube dengan purata 1.92 saat selepas menewaskan Ng Jia Quan dan Luis Tan Hong Yi. Mohamad Adrian Syahirin Bin Mohd Faizal menjuarai Skewb dengan purata 2.73 saat, menewaskan Luis Tan Hong Yi dan Rafael Fong Kang Li. Ephraim Lim Shao Liang memenangi Pyraminx dengan purata 2.51 saat, Kangze Wang menjuarai 3x3x3 One-Handed dengan purata 11.90 saat, manakala Tristan Chua Yong membawa pulang kejuaraan Megaminx dengan purata 27.82 saat.

Kejohanan yang diiktiraf sebagai sebuah WCA competition rasmi ini melabuhkan tirainya dengan penuh gemilang di Sepang, Selangor. Pungutan keseluruhan 25 kedudukan podium oleh atlet tempatan membuktikan perkembangan pesat komuniti kiub di Malaysia, manakala kehadiran peserta antarabangsa yang mempamerkan purata masa bertaraf dunia di XMUM Cube Open 2025 terus meletakkan kejohanan tahun 2025 ini sebagai antara pertembungan yang paling diingati pada musim ini.