speedcubing

Speedcubing is the activity of solving twisty puzzles, especially the Rubik’s Cube, as quickly as possible. It combines speed, accuracy, and look‑ahead to minimize pauses between moves. While the 3x3x3 cube is the most common focus, speedcubing also covers competitions and practice with other puzzles, including 2x2x2, 4x4x4, 5x5x5, Pyraminx, Megaminx, and various other shapes and puzzles.

The modern speedcubing scene emerged from the Rubik’s Cube revival in the 1980s and was formalized under the World Cube Association (WCA), which standardizes rules, scrambles, and judging. The WCA also maintains official records and rankings. In 3x3 solving, the most widely used method is CFOP (Cross, F2L, OLL, PLL), though other approaches such as Roux and ZZ are popular among competitors. Events also feature specialized formats, including blindfolded solving (BLD), one‑handed solving (OH), and fewest moves (FMC), each with its own rules and success criteria.

Competition formats typically involve rounds where competitors submit the best single solve and/or averages of multiple solves. Solves are timed with official timers, and scrambles are provided to ensure fairness. Practice focuses on finger dexterity, efficient turning, look‑ahead, plan execution, and puzzle tuning, including tension, lubrication, and, in modern cubes, magnetic features for stability.

Speedcubing communities worldwide publish records, hold championships, and offer tutorials and simulators, making it both a competitive sport and a popular hobby.