Rubik's Cube enthusiasts from Romania competed in the ASSIST Cubing Contest
Tue, 25 Oct 2022
What is the fastest way to solve the Rubik's cube?
ASSIST Software set out to find the answer. Thus, we brought together Rubik's cube-solving experts from all over the country on the 22nd of October 2022. There was a lot of concentration, speed, and dexterity involved. For this reason, we came with positive energy, words of encouragement, and plenty of prizes for the best competitors!
The ASSIST Cubing Contest is a new Rubik's cube-solving competition, organized in partnership with the World Cube Association, through representatives of Speedcubing.ro - the Rubik's Cube Community of Romania. The contest took place in Suceava, and participants could choose to participate in up to six different cubing challenges. 58 algorithmic enthusiasts showed great interest for a place on the podium. Among the contestants, there were also members of the ASSIST Software team. The competition was intense, and the prizes were well worth it / and we were impressed with the results!
Starting small, going big
The Rubik's cube competition organized by ASSIST Software gathered participants from all over Romania. Age was not a selection criterion; so, there were both children and adults, from 8 to 48 years old. All that mattered in this competition was the ability to be the fastest Rubik's cube solver. Could there be a secret behind it? Or is it pure algorithmics plus steady training? From what we could see, it takes a lot of agility and attention. But that's not enough!
With six challenges, there was something for everyone. The competition started with the simplest cube, and increased in difficulty, ending with the unique one-handed and blindfolded challenges. While the start was easy for most competitors, only the best excelled at the final challenges. Those who managed to outperform and get a place on the podium received prizes from ASSIST Software and diplomas from our partners from Speedcubing.ro. We gave the winners covers, and different cubes with time-measuring systems. The grand prize was a GAN Smart i3 Cube.
Going from easy to difficult in just a few seconds
- Challenge 1: the 2x2x2 cube. The best time to solve this cube was only 1.42 seconds. The average time to solve this cube was 1.74 seconds.
- Challenge 2: the 3x3x3 cube. The winner of this challenge solved the cube in 7.49 seconds. The average solving time was 8.28 seconds.
- Challenge 3: the 4x4x4 cube. This challenge raised the level of complexity, with the best solving time coming in at 33.48 seconds. The average time was 37.38 seconds.
- Challenge 4: the 5x5x5 cube. The winning time for this challenge was 1:06:10 minutes. This cube was solved in an average time of 1:11:40 minutes.
- Challenge 5: the 3x3x3 cube blindfolded. This challenge was by far the most difficult of the entire competition. Few competitors managed to complete it. However, the winner of this challenge got it done in 2:53:32 minutes.
- Challenge 6: the 3x3x3 one-handed cube. Another unique and difficult challenge was the one-handed one. The winner excelled in this challenge, managing to solve it in only 10.86 seconds. The average time in this case was 11.68 seconds.
The Suceava community was happy to take part in a competition that tested their intellectual skills in a simple yet very complex game. Participants included colleagues from ASSIST Software and people from Suceava, Iași, Piatra Neamț, Botoșani, Bucharest, and Cluj Napoca counties.
The competition's winner was Ianis Costin Chele, who got the best solving time in 5 out of 6 challenges. The winner of the blindfolded challenge was Vasile Dan. Congratulations to all participants, and good luck in the next Rubik's cube competitions!
