Photo: Peter Andersson
What is speedcubing?
Speedcubing is the sport that involves solving Rubik’s cubes and similar puzzles in the shortest possible time. In the 80s, the cube started to become really popular and it was no longer enough to just solve it – you wanted to be the fastest. The first World Championships were held in 1982 and Minh Thai won with a time of 22.95 seconds. The sport has now really started to become popular and today the fastest participants can solve the cube in a few seconds. Speedcubing is growing steadily and at the world championships in Paris in 2017, approximately 1000 people participated. There are now also multiple competitions all around Europe every single weekend.
Many different events
At speedcubing competitions, you can compete in a total of 17 different events. Eleven of the events are different puzzles, variations on the Rubik’s cube. These are cubes like 4×4, 5×5 and Pyraminx. The other six events are mainly different ways of solving the 3×3 cube. For example, solving with one hand, or solving without looking.
Skewb
Skewb is an official event at speedcubing competitions. The puzzle is easier to solve than a Rubik’s cube and the times are usually low.
Rubik’s cube with feet
Solving with feet was until 2019 an official event at speedcubing competitions. The cube was solved just as usual – but with your feet!
Fewest Move Challenge
It’s not just about speed. In this official competition event, all competitors receive the same scramble. The person who comes up with the smartest and shortest solution wins.
Participate at a speedcubing competition
Is speedcubing something you want to try? It’s easy! You do not need to qualify to compete. All you need is the cube or cubes you are going to compete with. Participating in a cube competition usually costs around 15 €. All official speedcubing competitions are open to the public and you are welcome to just stop by and watch if you like. It is almost always free to enter, but in some cases competitions are held in places where you have to pay an entry fee.
Speedcube
At speedcubing competitions, so-called Speedcubes are used. They are fast competition viable cubes that have a lot of improvements compared to the original cube. You can buy a speedcube in our shop if you don’t already have one.
How fast do you have to be?
There are no requirements on how fast you have to be to be able to compete. Competitions usually implements some limit on how fast a solve should be in order to count, also making sure that the competition does not last all day. Check the website of the specific competition you are interested to see what their limits are.
Find a competition near you!
Competitions are usually announced about 1-2 months before they take place. Click here to find out which competitions are coming up next near you.