Rubik's x TheCubicle CubingUSA All-Stars 2025

2025-11-01 ~ 2025-11-02

Despite the 3+ mistakes I made away from the win, I am extremely grateful that I was able to podium. I started to get into a slump about a week before the competition, and I couldn’t break out of it before this competition. Before this round, I had a very embarrassing square-1 performance, and I missed the 2x2 podium by 0.02.

Final

#2Mean22.67Single22 (23 / 22 / 23)

Attempt 1

Scramble

R' U' F U2 F2 L' U2 F2 L' R D B F2 D' U' B U2 F L' D2 B R' U' F

Results

D' R2 L2 B2 D' R L2 D2 F2 D' F2 R2 D2 F2 R2 U' F2 D' L' F' B' D L'

(L D’ F B) // EO (4)
(L), D’ R2 L2 B2 D’ R // DR 4c3 (11)
(D F2 U) L2 D2 F2 D’ // HTR (18)
F2 R2 D2 F2 R2 // finish (23)

Optimal from DR.

Not much to say about this attempt. I didn’t find the 9 to 4c3. I had some 11 to 4c3 with variations and some longer DRs with good subsets, but I can’t be bothered to type them here.

After this attempt, I knew only 3 people were ahead of me (Aeden, Stanley, and Chris, all getting a 22). I had the only 23, and most others had 24. I felt like everyone was close enough, and felt like this competition would basically just be a mo2 for A2 and A3.

February 28, 2026 3:51 AM

Attempt 2

Scramble

R' U' F R2 U L2 B' D F2 D F D F' B2 R' D2 L' D2 F2 R B2 R' F2 R' U' F

Results

U F R2 L2 U L' D' R' L2 D2 R L' D2 F2 L2 U R2 D F2 U B R'

U F (R B’) // EO (4)
R2 L2 U L’ D’ L // DR 2c3 4e (10)
(D’ L2 D’ F2 D’) // HTR (15)
(R2 B2 U2 F2) // leave E+M slices (19)
+3 M slice, +0 E slice (22)

There is also a 21 on this DR by using the other direction of the 5 move HTR trigger:
(F2 D R2 D F2 D) // HTR (16)
(B2 R2 F2 D2 B2) // finish (21)

At this point, I had a stable podium position, but I knew I couldn’t mess up A3.

February 28, 2026 3:57 AM

Attempt 3

Scramble

R' U' F L2 B2 L2 R2 D' L2 D' F2 L D R' U' F2 D2 B F U' F D' R' U' F

Results

F' D' F R' D' L2 U L U' R2 D2 F2 R' L B2 R2 U2 L D2 F2 R2 F R'

(R F’) F’ D’ F // EO (5)
R’ D’, L2 U L U’ // DR 4a1 4e (11)
(R2 F2 D2 [R’) // HTR (15)
(F2 R2 U2 B2 U2 L2]) // leave slice (21)
[] = (<L’ U2 R2 B2 R L’> F2 D2 R2) // +2 slice (23)

Unfortunately, there is a +1 slice with blocky fish:
<> = (R U2 L2 B2 R2) // -1 (22)

I looked for a way to slice out the (R L’), but I was too tunneled on slice theory to spot this solution.

An EO I had written down gives a 19:
(B’ D2 L’ F’ U’) // EO (5)
(R’ D2 L F’) // DR 0c0 2e (9)
(L B2 D2 B2 R’) // HTR (14)
(F’ B’ D2 F’ B’) // finish (19)

I am not sure how I missed +5 to DR (I checked the EO with U instead of U’), so I think I will attribute that to nerves 💀💀

February 28, 2026 3:58 AM