My cubing page

I can’t specifically remember when, but my cubing journey started in middle school when I found a Rubik’s cube at a birthday party and learned to solve it myself using the CFOP method. Since then:

My personal best solve time is 6.48 seconds
My average solve time is around 11 seconds
I can solve Rubik’s cubes blindfolded (it took me seven attempts for my first and only successful solve)
I’ve attended 9 speedcubing competitions (my WCA profile)

For now, I only solve the 3x3, but hopefully I’ll find later motivation to learn other twisty puzzles.

3x3 Main

My 3x3 Rubik’s cube main is the GAN 14 3x3 Magnetic (MagLev UV Coated)

This composition took two hours to get right. The colors admittedly look a bit muted; I took this picture with my phone.

Fancy, I know right? When I got this cube in particular, I started an experiment and adjusted the tensioning towards the faster end. In the past, I always adjusted the tension towards the slower end because I applied too much force while turning which would quickly tire me out.

Although it was hard getting used to at first, so far I think the experiment has worked! Hopefully this isn’t just a placebo, but I feel like turning has been easier than ever.

Personal Best Solve

This solve is one-of-a-kind. For perspective, from around ten thousand prior career solves, my previous personal best was 8.62 seconds. No other solve time other than this contender has come close after more than five years. Without further ado:

6.48   L U2 L’ D2 R F2 L’ U2 F2 R D2 L’ B’ R’ U’ L’ R2 B2 L’ D2
x2  // Inspection 

R B U’ M’ U2 M  // XX Cross 

y R U2 R’ U R U’ R’  // 3rd pair 

y R U’ R’ U R U R’  // 4th pair 

r U2 R’ U’ R U’ r’  // OLL 

U R’ U L’ U2 R U’ R’ U2 R L  // PLL
// Solved on Sep 7, 2019

You can visually follow this solve along if needed.

Before picking up the cube, you can already tell that the solve presents a special opportunity. There exists not one, but two completed 2x2x1 F2L blocks. Complemented by easy edges, the solve manifests a rare XX Cross! Following that, the third and fourth pairs were easy-to-look-ahead 2-gen algorithms that each required a rotation for setup.

I couldn’t have asked for a better last layer. My OLL was the fat anti-sune already U-face oriented, one of my fastest OLL algorithms. On the other hand, I was met with a Ja PLL, an algorithm I’ve historically constantly locked up on. Despite the fact, from what I remember my execution was flawless, aided by the 25% chance of no AUF. Through the culmination of an awesome scramble and perhaps an even more awesome solution, my 6.48 second Rubik’s cube solve is forever cemented as one of my proudest life accomplishments.

My Competitions

Bay Area Speedcubin' 63 - Atherton 2024

Competition date: Jun 22, 2024

Round Place Best Single Average of 5 1 82 11.51 13.75 2 75 11.51 13.10

Once again, I went to this competition with my friend Adrian. We spent the morning helping build a Rubik’s cube mural.

I had never seen a mural in person, it was seriously cool

The completed mural

Now, the competition. I was pretty satisfied with my first round and qualified for the second round, but Adrian was just two spots away from qualifying D: .

After we got lost driving in an IKEA parking lot, I came back from lunch for round two. I can’t say I share the same satisfaction with my performance towards the end of round two. For context, my times going into the fifth solve were: 14, 12, 11, and 12. I was on pace for a sub 12 average, which would have been an insane jump from the my previous personal best average of 14.41. After ending the fifth solve with a Jb perm, in a cruel twist of fate I plus two-ed a 12 second solve. Youch.

Adrian recorded a video of my dissatisfaction with my last solve. It was really funny; I shook my head and gave the most debilitating frown.

I still qualified for the next round, but tragically, I couldn’t attend the semi-finals due to a scheduling conflict. Still, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have fun.

Berkeley Winter B 2023

Competition date: Jan 22, 2023

This the first competition I went to after the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, I only found out about it after the registration window deadline :( . Though, my friend Adrian had already independently signed up for it, so I decided to go with him for the fun of it.

That was a good move! It was so refreshing and exciting to get back into cubing and reignite this nerdy hobby of mine. Adrian and I talked with other Bay Area cubers and ended up volunteering to judge for an entire hour. Max Park was there as well. We got his autograph, hooray!

We were so nervous to walk up to him

Bay Area Speedcubin' 21 2019

Competition date: Dec 1, 2019

Round Place Best Single Average of 5 1 43 12.38 14.41 2 63 11.52 DNF

Well, this is a bit embarrassing. If you haven’t noticed already, I got a DNF (did not finish) average, yikes! Maybe it was nerves, or general bad luck, but I improperly started the timer for both my 4th and 5th solves. It was disorienting to realize that I had the worst average of the entire competition. Let’s just move on.