Caio Hideaki Sato broke the South American 4x4 average record Saturday with a 23.61 in the first round of Presidente Prudente Open 2026 in Brazil.

Sato entered the weekend ranked third on the continent with a 24.28. He cut 0.67 seconds from that mark, passing Theo Goluboff’s 24.03 and Claudio Matias Cancino Bruna’s record of 23.70 to take the top spot.

His times were (26.94), 22.72, (20.97), 26.79, 21.31.

Sato needed a final solve below 21.58 to break the record.
He delivered a 21.31, taking it by nine hundredths of a second.

The result also puts a less popular 4x4 method in the spotlight.
Sato uses Redux cross, an uncommon method for someone at his speed.

Sato solves all six centers first. He then pairs his cross edges and solves the cross before using free-slice edge pairing to finish the remaining edges.

Sato’s success with different methods extends to one-handed, where he uses Roux. He already holds the South American averages for both 3x3 at 5.28 and one-handed at 8.81. Saturday’s 23.61 adds 4x4 to that list.

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In this episode, hosts Dylan Miller and Chris Mills cover the latest from the speedcubing world, with a wide-ranging conversation on recent results, storylines, and what’s coming next.

Watch the full episode below.

New episodes release every Friday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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Editor’s Note: This is the fourth installment of a four-part series by Nishkal Pandya. Members can also read the complete article as one piece, along with unreleased notes from the author, in our exclusive section.

The views expressed are the author’s own. This article presents the author’s personal training philosophy and an intentionally extreme thought experiment. It is not professional child-development advice. Any training involving a young child should remain voluntary, enjoyable, age-appropriate, and responsive to the child’s health and well-being. If the child no longer wants to participate, the training should stop.

My Training Blueprint

This is my training blueprint if I were to do it myself. This entire article was just a bunch of pieces and things to learn and how to do it, but when you should do it is equally, if not more, important than what to learn. I would try to teach 1LLL + 2-sided recog, but this blueprint can be applied to ZB as well. The approximate ages will be mentioned, but think of this in stages.

Stage 1 (3-3.5): Training the Athlete, Not The Cuber

The goal here is to make the brain and fingers ready for top-level cubing. I would work on finger dexterity with toys such as Legos, building blocks, train tracks, and of course a cube. This also goes hand-in-hand with hand-eye coordination, spatial reasoning, pattern recognition, and memory games. This primes the skills needed to be able to master fingertricks and the basics fast.

In terms of cubing-related training, I would give them a few different cubes, such as a 3x3, 2x2, pyraminx, and clock to play with. The Pyraminx is a different shape, which increases interest in cubing and turning the puzzle, and the clock has pins and dials that also offer auditory stimulation. They can pick it up whenever they want, and can figure out how the pieces move and have full reign of exploration. At this stage, basic fingertricks such as home grip can be taught, and intuitive daisy -> cross work can be done. If they want to learn more, try to teach them how to do the first layer of the beginner method. I would also have them watch fun cubing content as well as childhood TV shows. Showing solves by Yiheng, Xuanyi, Matty, Tymon, world records, or championship finals to inspire and interest the child in the sport more.

Stage 2 (3.5-4.0): Learn CFOP

Here, I would start structured sessions, learning the beginner method and quickly getting under a minute or even 50 seconds. As soon as the 50-ish-second barrier is hit, I would immediately teach them CFOP. I will teach F2L intuitively and have them understand what’s going on, like the cube is a second language. Cube notation, planning cross, and recognition flowcharts will be important at this stage. This will help them reach around 40-45 seconds, which is when they will learn 4-look last layer. Around this time, they would experience their first competition but not compete in it. My goal for their first competition is either a sub15 or a sub10 average. The end goal of these 6 months is to learn full OLL and full PLL while being able to plan cross consistently. The speed should be around sub20 or even sub15, which is when I would see guidance from more experienced coaches.

Stage 3 (4.0-4.5): Mastering CFOP and Intro to ZB

At this point, lookahead and prediction are the number 1 priority, including OLL to PLL transition. Turning speed will be improved through OLL and PLL time attacks. To help with better lookahead and prediction, the child will be taught advanced and efficient F2L solutions, multislotting, pseudoslotting, influencing free pairs, and more optimal fingertricks. This will ideally get them to sub8 or even sub7. Here is when they will compete in their first, second, or third competition. I would focus on mitigating nerves and fixing mistakes from the competition.

After the child can predict cross+2 and have perfect OLL to PLL transition, I would introduce ZB through COLL. After that, they will learn T, U, and L sets and learn Baum-Harris recognition.

Stage 4 (4.5-5.0): Full ZB and 1 Look F2L

Now, 1 looking F2L becomes a daily drill while also finishing full ZB and pushing recognition. Comps would be happening once or twice a month. Solves will be analyzed by a team of coaches, and every minor mistake will be worked on. There is not much else to work on here since these are very difficult concepts and skills.

Stage 5 (5-6): 1LLL

At this point, sub5 or even sub4 solves will be normal, but to push the limit even more, we can add on the rest of 1LLL. This entire year is spent learning and training the subsets of 1LLL through optimizing algs, alg trainers, and optimizing 2-sided recognition. Half of the 1LLL training time is learning algs, and the other half is drilling algs.

While this is going on, ZB will be refined to prevent regressions, and competitions will be every 2 weeks at the minimum. At the end, with full 1LLL learned with recognition being optimized, we will evaluate which method is better for the child. If 1LLL is lacking by a large margin, we would go back to ZB. If 1LLL is better or slightly worse, we will train 1LLL specifically to Xuanyi-level recognition and 2-looking solves. If 2-look becomes easy, we optimize to predict a few pieces of last layer. But that is a long way off, and highly unlikely, but the right child with the right talent and the right motivatiti can do it.

Conclusion and Final Notes

This article is not a prediction of what will happen. It is my take, from a lot of research and speaking to top solvers, and a bit of my own delusions. This might be possible. It might not be.

This can be used as a potential blueprint to produce the next world champion. However, there are too many things that this guide does not account for: genetics, motivations of the kid or parents, finger injuries, life events, burnout, and luck. World-class performance comes from a bunch of factors combined with skill coming together. The speeds mentioned here are under ideal conditions and general predictions.

This blueprint can also be modified and changed for any other area of interest, whether it be violin, math, chess, programming, or even something like an event in cubing like Pyraminx, Skewb, 2x2, Square-1, or even the new FTO.

To summarize this in a few sentences, the key to world-class is not a million solves. It is the right environment, master the fundamentals, optimize only at the end, learn from people better than you, and do deliberate practice. Most important of all, start as early as possible.

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With many cubers heading back to school, the first weekend of September brings a lighter schedule of major competitions.

The calendar is short on quantity, but not on championship stakes.

Timothy Lawrance will chase his third straight African FMC title, while Florida prepares to crown its first official state champions.

Florida will also feature a 3x3 Blindfolded rematch between world record holder Tommy Cherry and North American Championship runner-up Noah Swor.

Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Preview, where we look ahead at the potential storylines going into the weekend.

Timothy Lawrance Goes for a Third Straight African FMC Title

WCA African FMC Championship 2026 takes place September 5.

The competition page lists four locations across South Africa and Angola: Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Luanda.

Only 3x3 Fewest Moves will be held. Competitors will have three separate one-hour attempts, with all three results counting toward their final mean.

The event is part of the 2026 African Championship, but it is being held three weeks before the main competition begins in Cape Town.

Timothy Lawrance enters as the two-time defending African champion.

He won the 2022 championship outright with a 31.00 mean, finishing ahead of Germany’s Linus Buck and South Africa’s Osman Badroodin.

Two years later, international competitors took the top two places overall. Argentina’s Guido Dipietro won with a 23.00 mean, while Finland’s Niko Ronkainen finished second at 27.33.

Timothy also recorded a 27.33 mean, placing third overall and finishing as the top African competitor. The result was an African record at the time and gave him his second straight continental title.

He returns with the fastest personal-best mean in this year’s field.

Timothy leads the psych sheet at 27.33, followed by Ruben Grobler at 29.33 and Osman Badroodin at 31.67.

Daniel Rush, the reigning African 3x3 champion, enters fourth at 32.67.

Timothy is the favorite, but only 1.60 moves separate him from Ruben by personal-best mean. In an event where one solution can create a several-move swing, that is not an overwhelming gap.

All three attempts also matter. One DNF would prevent a competitor from recording a valid mean, leaving little room for a mistake across three hours of solving.

Timothy has been Africa’s top FMC competitor at each of the last two championships. On Saturday, Ruben, Osman and the rest of the field will try to end that run.

Florida Prepares to Crown Its First State Champions

Florida Championship 2026 runs September 5-6 at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee.

It is the first official championship in Florida cubing history.

Eligible Florida residents can earn the inaugural state title in each event, even if an out-of-state competitor finishes higher in the overall standings.

Nicolás Sánchez leads the overall 3x3 psych sheet with a 6.06 personal-best average.

Tommy Cherry is next at 6.38 and enters as the fastest Florida competitor in the field.

Owen Brooks follows at 6.71, while Noah Swor enters at 6.99.

Tommy Cherry and Noah Swor Meet Again in 3x3 Blindfolded

Florida’s strongest individual matchup may come in 3x3 Blindfolded.

Tommy holds both world records at 11.56 single and 13.97 average.

He set the single in June before lowering the average to 13.97 at Hefei August Open 2026. His five solves in that record average were 13.68, 14.48, 13.60, 13.75 and 15.87.

Noah owns the second-fastest American single at 13.86. He is ranked No. 10 in the world by single and also holds a 16.39 personal-best average.

The two Florida competitors finished first and second at the North American Championship in July.

Tommy won with a 14.19 single, while Noah finished second at 15.74.

This time, they will meet for the first Florida 3x3 Blindfolded title.

Tommy enters as the world record holder and reigning North American champion. Noah enters as the closest American challenger by single and the last competitor to stand beside him on a major championship podium.

One of them will leave Tallahassee as Florida’s first 3x3 Blindfolded champion.

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In S3 Episode 17, hosts John Eppley, Manu Singhal, and Zach Ridall get into some big questions for the next generation of speedcubing. Is Timofei the new king of big cubes? Could the 2x2 average record fall again before 4-pad arrives? And looking ahead to 2027, who has the best shot at taking home the big cube golds?

New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

Zach’s Playlist:

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Welcome to Season 3 of Plus Three, SpeedcubingTV’s weekly podcast covering the biggest stories, moments, and conversations across the cubing community.

In S3 Episode 17, hosts John Eppley, Manu Singhal, and Zach Ridall, get into some big questions for the next generation of speedcubing. Is Timofei the new king of big cubes? Could the 2x2 average record fall again before 4-pad arrives? And looking ahead to 2027, who has the best shot at taking home the big cube golds?

Watch the episode below.

New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

Paid members can also watch the extended cut with bonus discussion.
Watch the extended subscriber edition here.

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Henry Lichner became the 10th person in WCA history to record a sub-40 5x5 average.

Timofei Tarasenko became the second person to break one minute in an official 6x6 solve, recording a 59.93 European record.

Kevin Gerhardt won his third straight German 3x3 title, while Nicholas Archer stopped James Alonso from completing the same run in the UK.

In Slovenia, Oskar Vidiček defended the national 3x3 title and swept every big cube event.

Yiheng Wang also returned to WCA competition after his Monkey League comeback and won both 3x3 and 2x2.

Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Wrap, where we look back at the biggest results and storylines from the weekend.

Henry Lichner Becomes 10th Person to Break 40 in 5x5 Average

Henry produced one of the weekend’s biggest milestone at 4x4 Off US-40 IL 2026 in Casey, Illinois.

His five solves in the 5x5 final were:

39.35, (31.98), (44.37), 39.41, 39.52 = 39.43 average

The average made Henry the 10th person to break 40 seconds in official competition. It ranks No. 10 in the world and No. 2 in the United States, behind only Max Park.

Henry entered the weekend with a 40.32 personal best from the 2025 WCA World Championship. He improved it by 0.89 seconds, with all three counting solves under 40.

The average also included a 31.98 single, which improved his previous best by 4.22 seconds.

That solve ranks No. 7 in the world and No. 2 in the United States. It also made Henry the seventh person to break 32 seconds in official competition.

Read the full story about Henry’s 5x5 breakthrough.

Timofei Tarasenko Becomes Second Person to Break One Minute in 6x6

Timofei recorded a 59.93 European record single at Paradise Place Thailand Cube Open 2026 in Bangkok.

The result came on his third solve of the opening round and moved him to world No. 2, ahead of Seung Hyuk Nahm’s 1:00.40.

It also lowered Timofei’s European record by 0.50 seconds. He had set the previous record of 1:00.43 in Kuala Lumpur one week earlier.

Max Park remains the only other person with an official sub-1 6x6 single. Max has broken one minute three times, making Timofei’s 59.93 the fourth-fastest official result ever.

Timofei later broke the barrier again in finals of the same competition, recording a 59.51.

He also holds the 6x6 mean world record at 1:03.63, which he set in Kuala Lumpur less than one week earlier.

Read the full story about Timofei’s sub-1 solve.

Kevin Gerhardt Completes German Three-Peat

Kevin won his third consecutive German 3x3 title at Rubik’s German Nationals 2026.

His final average was:

5.98, 7.32, (8.37), 5.90, (5.89) = 6.40 average

Kevin finished 0.23 seconds ahead of Sebastian Weyer, who placed second with a 6.63 average. Imanuel Müller was third at 6.82.

Philipp Weyer, the top seed entering the competition, finished sixth at 7.11.

Kevin’s title followed victories with a 6.48 average in 2024 and a 6.63 average in 2025. His 6.40 this year was the fastest of the three championship averages.

He also reached five other podiums. Kevin placed second in 2x2, second in 4x4, third in 5x5, third in Megaminx and second in Skewb.

But the biggest result came in 3x3, where he became German champion for the third straight year despite entering behind three sub-5.9 competitors on the psych sheet.

Nicholas Archer Stops James Alonso’s UK Three-Peat

Nicholas won the 3x3 title at Kewbz UK Championship 2026, ending James Alonso’s run of two straight national championships.

Nicholas recorded:

(8.15), 6.37, 6.36, (5.95), 6.30 = 6.34 average

James finished second with a 6.96 average, while Johnny Morello Kerlaff placed third at 7.06.

The result gave Nicholas a personal-best average and returned him to the top of the UK 3x3 podium.

James still left Birmingham with a national title. He won 2x2 with a 1.62 average, beating Harry Allen on the single-solve tiebreak after both finished with the same average.

Nicholas added another victory in 3x3 One-Handed, where he won with an 8.64 average.

Yiheng Wang Wins Twice in His WCA Return

Yiheng returned to official competition at Ulanqab Small Cubes 2026, after coming back from a 4-1 deficit to win the Monkey League Season 6 championship.

He won the 3x3 final with:

4.54, (4.77), 4.27, (3.82), 4.48 = 4.43 average

Yiheng also recorded a 4.43 average in the first round, giving him two averages at the same winning mark in one day.

Yufang Du finished second in the final at 5.12, and Lingkun Jiang placed third at 5.75.

Yiheng also won 2x2 with a 0.98 average in the final. His fastest average of the event was 0.90 in the first round.

Oskar Vidiček Defends Slovenian Title and Sweeps Big Cubes

Oskar finished fourth overall in the 3x3 final at Slovenian Nationals 2026, but his 7.75 average was the fastest by a Slovenian competitor.

That made him the national champion for the second straight year.

Dávid Szabó won the competition overall with a 6.52 average. Gergő Zalán Molnár followed at 6.57, and Daniel Sartori finished third at 7.01.

Oskar’s title-winning average was 1.20 seconds faster than the 8.95 he recorded to win in 2025. Former champion Marcel Ručigaj finished as the second Slovenian competitor at 8.52.

Oskar also won every big cube event:

• 4x4: 26.56 average

• 5x5: 48.36 average

• 6x6: 1:28.99 mean

• 7x7: 2:22.48 mean

The 4x4 and 5x5 averages were Slovenian records. Oskar also set Slovenian records with both a 1:21.36 single and the 1:28.99 mean in 6x6.

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We discuss his Michigan upbringing and how cubing has helped send Matthew to places doesn’t think he’d have otherwise got to. Matthew recounts the tale of how he landed a paid sports broadcasting gig on his first week at college even though he was prepared to do it for free. We also get the discuss his appearance in GAWNEs “This Is War” music video where he got to solve cubes alongside the rapper. He also reflects on the connections that come with being a part of the cubing community from being at the World Championship to getting in contacts at ESPN and how he’s grateful for where the community has taken him.

Watch the edited public version below.

Want the full conversation?
Paid members can watch the Extended Subscriber Edition in Exclusive here.

New episodes release every Monday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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We discuss his Michigan upbringing and how cubing has helped send Matthew to places doesn’t think he’d have otherwise got to. Matthew recounts the tale of how he landed a paid sports broadcasting gig on his first week at college even though he was prepared to do it for free. We also get the discuss his appearance in GAWNEs “This Is War” music video where he got to solve cubes alongside the rapper. He also reflects on the connections that come with being a part of the cubing community from being at the World Championship to getting in contacts at ESPN and how he’s grateful for where the community has taken him.

New episodes release every Monday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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Henry Lichner became the 10th person to record a sub-40 5x5 average Saturday at 4x4 Off US-40 IL 2026 in Casey, Illinois.

Lichner recorded a 39.43 average with times of 39.35, (31.98), (44.37), 39.41 and 39.52. All three counting solves were below 40 seconds.

The result lowered his previous PR average of 40.32 by 0.89 seconds. It moved him ahead of Feliks Zemdegs’ 40.10 for world No. 10 and made him the second American to become sub-40, joining Max Park.

Lichner also recorded a 31.98 single during the average. The solve cut more than four seconds from his previous best of 36.20 and moved him to world No. 7. He became the seventh person to break 32 seconds and second-fastest American behind Park’s 31.54.

The performance adds to Lichner’s growing list of major big-cube results. He won bronze in 6x6 at the 2025 WCA World Championship and earned silver in 5x5, 6x6 and 7x7 at the 2026 WCA North American Championship.

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In this episode, hosts Dylan Miller and Chris Mills cover the latest from the speedcubing world, with a wide-ranging conversation on recent results, storylines, and what’s coming next.

Watch the full episode below.

New episodes release every Friday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

Want more Millisecond?

Paid members help support independent speedcubing media, including podcasts, interviews, event coverage, editorials, and future exclusive content on Speedcuber’s Digest.

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Timofei Tarasenko became the second person to record an official sub-1 single in 6x6.

Tarasenko posted a 59.93 on his third solve of the opening round at the Paradise Place Thailand Cube Open 2026 in Bangkok.

The result moved him to world No. 2, ahead of Seung Hyuk Nahm’s 1:00.40. It also lowered Tarasenko’s European record by 0.50 seconds after he recorded a 1:00.43 at the Kuala Lumpur Cubing Challenge 2026 last weekend.

Max Park remains the only other person to break one minute in 6x6. He has done it three times:

• 59.74 at Southeast Championship 2022

• 58.03 at Western Championship 2024

• 57.69 at Burbank Big Cubes 2025

Park’s three solves remain the fastest official results ever, making Tarasenko’s 59.93 the fourth-fastest.

The sub-1 followed solves of 1:10.26 and 1:12.57. Tarasenko finished the round with a 1:07.59 mean.

Tarasenko also holds the 6x6 mean world record at 1:03.63, which he set in Kuala Lumpur less than one week earlier.

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Editor’s Note: This is the third installment of a four-part series by Nishkal Pandya. Members can also read the complete article as one piece, along with unreleased notes from the author, in our exclusive section.

The views expressed are the author’s own. This article presents the author’s personal training philosophy and an intentionally extreme thought experiment. It is not professional child-development advice. Any training involving a young child should remain voluntary, enjoyable, age-appropriate, and responsive to the child’s health and well-being. If the child no longer wants to participate, the training should stop.

Last Layer Last

More Algs ≠ Faster Times

If you ask most cubers what they will learn next to improve, the answer is often “more algorithms”. It’s understandable why. Algorithms are numerical, graspable, trainable, and are something you can tell people you know. Algs are not the reason someone is slow at a certain point. They are made to optimize a strong solve. This is why someone who averages 12 does not benefit from learning full ZBLL, but Tymon did. His F2L and foundations were already so good that the new algs helped him get faster in a way that was worth his time. If the turning is bad, the lookahead is lacking, or your solutions are inefficient, saving 5 moves on last layer will not help.

Basically, algorithms are the final optimization. Never sacrifice lookahead/prediction, efficiency, mechanics, or fingertricks for more algs. Algorithms do not create champions. They polish the champion-level fundamentals.

CFOP: The Base

I will make sure the base 78 algs are perfect before going into larger algsets. Starting with 2 look OLL and 2 look PLL, recognition should be sub0.7 for both cases, and exec should be sub1. After that, I would expand that to full OLL and full PLL and use algorithm trainers to train recognition and exec to the previous requirements.

After this, adding on the concept of predicting OLL/PLL so transitions are pauseless like Yiheng’s would help teach the recognition scheme to help them learn larger algsets like ZB or VLS or even 1LLL. Once this is mastered, the child could be around sub7 or even sub6.5 (remember that they mastered cross and F2L already).

ZBLL: The New Meta

Back in the day, OLL and PLL were normal, and there was no reason to innovate or optimize more. You could get a good solve in 1 of 2 ways: a high-TPS solution but medium movecount, or medium-TPS and lower movecount. Now, you need a low movecount and high TPS.

A world-class solver doesn’t become fast because they know ZB. They learned ZB because they already were fast and ZB would make them faster. If you want to learn full ZB, learn full CFOP first. ZB is a method designed to be more efficient than CFOP. You first do ZBLS, which solves the last pair in a way that makes a cross on top, and then ZBLL, which solves the rest of the cube. This is around 800 algorithms, which take time to recognize but are more efficient. This is why a lot of top solvers have a pause during last layer. They have to recognize a case by identifying corner patterns and edge patterns.

If a child is trained properly with ZBLL, they can recognize the cases faster than most people recognize OLL and PLL. Xuanyi Geng is the best example of this. He regularly recognizes ZBLL in less than 0.4 seconds. His success is why all the new Chinese solvers are using full ZB. They were raised to be world-class, and they trained to perform at that level.

In the past, ZBLL was considered impossible and impractical to use in solves. Now, the bar is raised, and another algset is considered impossible and impractical to use.

On 1LLL

If you ask any top solver or coach if a child can learn 1LLL, you will get mixed answers. However, if you ask them if they should, the answer will be no.

They’re probably right. Making a child learn 4,000 algs, plus 2-sided recognition, is very difficult due to a low attention span, the sheer volume of cases, and how hard recognition is. Also, the amount of time spent learning 1LLL can be used for inspection, lookahead, turning, solutions, or more. 1LLL is theoretically better, but not practically better.

But people said the same thing about ZB. The goal is not to train a 3-year-old to be world-class in a year. It’s to train them to be #1 in 3 years. Since they already can predict 3 or more pairs, their turning is solid, and their solutions are optimized and ergonomic, they can set aside time to learn full 1LLL. The recognition scheme is similar to ZBLL, just more cases to choose from. It is possible to do it. Last Layer King, otherwise known as Fletcher Berry, knows around 1,000 1LLL algs. He has a 10.39 average. There is someone better, who has better recognition. Introducing Eduardo Silva Damasceno, also known as EDMARTER. He has a 9.93 official average and has posted a 7.13 average with recognition speeds of under one second. He has also learned algorithms from more obscure algsets like TCOLL, EELL, TTLL, L5C+L5E, and even 1LLL with a flipped edge case as the 4th pair. This shows that it is possible and even potentially viable to learn 1LLL and use it in competition with good results.

If you are training a child to be world-class, I would still recommend ZB due to the resources and progress in developing the method, which cannot be said for 1LLL. I am confident that 1LLL will be the future of world-class solving methods, and it doesn’t hurt to try to usher in the future of speedcubing.

Recognition Over Execution

When people think and train algorithms, they focus on execution speed and fingertricks. However, execution is only half of an algorithm. Before a solver can execute, they have to recognize. If recognition takes too long, it doesn’t matter how fast you can do the alg.

There are a variety of ways to recognize cases, and I will talk about all of them. The simplest way is just identifying blocks and figuring it out from there intuitively. The Baum-Harris (BH) system is a 3-part system: Recognize the OCLL (orient corners), identify the corner pattern, and then a 3-piece pattern in the front (UFR, UF, UR) to determine EP. The Tran (Tv2) method uses COLL, and then tracks 2 specific edges and determines if they are equal, adjacent, or opposite to another sticker. The Twisty-PLL method is just exactly what it sounds like: imagining the PLL if the corners were twisted.

To train recognition for ZBLL until it is Xuanyi-level, learn Baum-Harris first. Choose a recognition angle, and identify blocks like bars, opposites, or matching. This combines the intuitive with BH, making it easier to put in your muscle memory. Training 3-sided and eventually 2-sided, you should use a smart cube. Connect your Bluetooth cube to cstimer.net, select CFOP, go to ZBLL. In settings, change Cube Mode to Training or Continuous Training and Virtual Cube Display to qCube. You will see the front, left/right slots, and the top. For 2-sided, change qCube to q2look, which shows 2 sides and the top face. Tymon made this video explaining how to do this.

Since I mentioned 1LLL, I will try to talk about the recognition schemes. The BH method can be as follows: Recognize the OLL case from the fixed angle, mentally flip the bad edges, and perform ZBLL BH. For Tran, it’s a lot simpler. You recognize the OLLCP, then the edge permutation (Ua, Ub, H, Z, or their parity variants). This eliminates the idea of mentally flipping edges and, combined with an intuitive approach for identifying blocks and patterns, is the fastest and best way to learn 1LLL recog. From there, follow the BlueTooth cube training for every set until it is sub-0.5 recog. Furthermore, some cases look identical from 2 sides, so the most work has to be put into differentiating the twins.

After I wrote this, I talked to Twan Dullemond, and doing Baum-Harris + flipped edges is better in the long run for 2-sided 1LLL recog. Tran wouldn’t work because the JOLL (EP prediction) recog could be out of sight.

Whatever you choose, recognition must be faster than 0.5, and then the execution should be instant from muscle memory. At the end of the day, your last layer is only as fast as your recognition time.

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Yiheng Wang will return to WCA competition less than a week after coming back from a 4-1 deficit to win the Monkey League Season 6 championship.

Across Europe, three national championships will also be decided.

James Alonso will try to win his third straight UK title, while Kevin Gerhardt is chasing the same result in Germany.

In Slovenia, defending champion Oskar Vidiček leads the home field against 2023 champion Marcel Ručigaj.

Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Preview, where we look ahead at the potential storylines going into the weekend.

Yiheng Wang Returns After His Monkey League Comeback

Ulanqab Small Cubes 2026 takes place August 29 in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, China.

The one-day competition features 3x3, 2x2, Pyraminx and Skewb, but most of the attention will be on Yiheng.

Six days earlier, Yiheng trailed Xuanyi Geng 4-1 in the Monkey League Season 6 championship.

He then won four straight sets to complete the comeback and claim his second consecutive Monkey League title. The entire match came down to its final solve.

Ulanqab brings him back to the standard WCA format.

Yiheng leads the 3x3 psych sheet with his 3.51 world record average, more than eight-tenths of a second ahead of the rest of the field.

Yufang Du is second at 4.36, followed by Qixian Cao at 4.68 and Lingkun Jiang at 5.04.

Yiheng has already produced some of the best results of his career this summer. Earlier this month, he recorded a 2.77 Asian record single, finishing just 0.01 behind the world record.

Now he enters Ulanqab with another major title behind him and the same question that follows him into almost every WCA competition: How low can he go this time?

James Alonso Goes for a Third Straight UK Title

Kewbz UK Championship 2026 runs August 28-30 at the University of Birmingham.

James Alonso enters with a chance to win his third consecutive UK 3x3 championship.

He won the 2024 UK Championship outright with a 6.30 average.

The situation was different at the 2025 UK Championship. International competitors took the top three places overall, but James finished fourth at 6.94 and was the highest British competitor.

That made him the UK champion for the second straight year.

This time, James enters as the No. 2 British seed with a 5.74 personal-best average.

Caleb Wolf Dunn leads the field at 5.44, followed by James, Monty Fox at 5.86 and Johnny Morello Kerlaff at 6.18.

The 3x3 final will also put extra pressure on the top British competitors.

The top eight UK solvers will be placed into seeded matchups, while qualifying international competitors will compete in a separate group. That keeps the national title race centered on direct battles between the fastest British cubers.

Kevin Gerhardt Faces Three Sub-5.9 Challengers in Germany

Rubik’s German Nationals 2026 takes place August 28-30 in Vellmar.

Kevin Gerhardt has won the last two German 3x3 titles.

He won the 2024 championship with a 6.48 average, finishing ahead of Patrick Ponce and Sebastian Weyer.

Kevin defended the title at the 2025 German Nationals, but the final was much closer.

His 6.63 average beat Philipp Weyer by just 0.05 seconds. Sebastian Weyer finished third at 6.99.

All three return this year, along with another major challenger.

Philipp leads the psych sheet with his 5.66 German record average. Imanuel Müller is directly behind him at 5.78, followed by Sebastian at 5.87.

Kevin enters fourth at 6.10.

Philipp was the German champion in 2023, before Kevin took over the title for the next two years.

That gives Germany three recent champions or finalists near the top of the field, with Imanuel now joining them inside the top four.

Kevin has delivered his best results when the national title was on the line. But he does not enter with one of the three fastest personal-best averages.

Parts of the competition, including Sunday’s final rounds, will be broadcast on the German Cube Association YouTube channel.

Oskar Vidiček Tries to Defend Slovenia’s Title

Slovenian Nationals 2026 runs August 28-30 in Dobrova.

The last three Slovenian 3x3 titles have gone to three different competitors.

Marcel Ručigaj won in 2023, Taiyo Berčič won in 2024 and Oskar Vidiček won in 2025.

Oskar is the fastest Slovenian competitor on the psych sheet with a 7.37 average. Marcel follows at 7.90, with Jakob Kitak at 8.52 and Simon Mars at 8.63.

Oskar won last year’s national title with an 8.95 average. His personal best is now more than 1.5 seconds faster.

The overall competition has a much faster international field.

European Championship runner-up Valerio Locatelli leads the psych sheet at 5.68, barely ahead of Gergő Zalán Molnár at 5.72.

Dávid Szabó, who won Slovenian Nationals overall in 2024, returns with a 6.07 average.

The final will reserve at least six spots for Slovenian competitors, giving the national championship its own clear race even if international competitors control the top of the overall standings.

Oskar is the favorite among the Slovenian field, but Marcel has already won this championship once. With Taiyo absent, the title could come down to a race between two of the country’s last three champions.

From Yiheng’s return in China to a pair of three-peat attempts in the UK and Germany, this weekend gives several recent champions a chance to do it again.

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Tymon Kolasiński set a 1:32.69 European record 7x7 single at Elmsford Extravaganza III 2026, moving from fourth to second in the world rankings.

The solve took place inside TheCubicle’s office in Elmsford, New York, with Xuanyi Geng serving as Kolasiński’s judge.

Watch the 1:32.69 solve below:

Kolasiński entered the competition with a personal best of 1:34.32, which was already the European record and ranked fourth in the world.

His 1:32.69 moved him ahead of Ziyu Wu’s 1:33.72 and Lim Hung’s 1:32.92, leaving only Max Park ahead of him.

Park holds the 7x7 world record at 1:30.59, putting Kolasiński just 2.10 seconds away.

The European record came on the second solve of Kolasiński’s mean. He recorded 1:46.63, 1:32.69 and 1:44.96 for a 1:41.43 mean.

That also broke Kolasiński’s own Polish national record of 1:41.64.

Kolasiński now holds the European record single, while Timofei Tarasenko holds the European record mean at 1:38.08. Tarasenko set that mark just days earlier in Kuala Lumpur, becoming only the second competitor in WCA history to record a mean under 1:40.

The two results leave Europe with two of the strongest 7x7 performances in the world, while Park remains on top in both the single and mean rankings.

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In S3 Episode 16, hosts John Eppley, Manu Singhal, and Zach Ridall, talk about some of the biggest news in the world of speedcubing at the moment. Will 4-pad be a good change for the WCA? Who knows? Will the removal of clock change the face of the WCA? How will it do so? The Yiheng Wang vs Xuanyi Geng match in the Monkey League is also discussed. People are still processing what just happened even though Yiheng came back and dominated, winning 4-1. Yiheng’s comeback in the match is discussed.

Watch the episode below.

Paid members can also watch the extended cut with bonus discussion.
Watch the extended subscriber edition here.

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Paid members help support independent speedcubing media, including podcasts, interviews, event coverage, editorials, and future exclusive content on Speedcuber’s Digest.

New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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In S3 Episode 16, hosts John Eppley, Manu Singhal, and Zach Ridall talk about some of the biggest news in the world of speedcubing at the moment. Will 4-pad be a good change for the WCA? Who knows? Will the removal of clock change the face of the WCA? How will it do so? The Yiheng Wang vs Xuanyi Geng match in the Monkey League is also discussed. People are still processing what just happened even though Yiheng came back and dominated, winning 4-1. Yiheng’s comeback in the match is discussed.

New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

Zach’s Playlist:

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Yiheng Wang won four straight sets to complete a dramatic comeback against Xuanyi Geng and claim his second consecutive Monkey League championship.

Timofei Tarasenko broke the 6x6 mean and Megaminx average world records during a dominant weekend in Kuala Lumpur, while Sujan Feist matched his own 0.86 2x2 world record average.

Elsewhere, Yi Shen won a close 3x3 final in Nanning, Sameer Aggarwal became Northwest champion, and Ryan Pilat won Rocky Mountain Championship overall.

The World Cube Association also announced that 4-pad timers will become mandatory in 2027, only days after finalizing its decision to remove Clock.

Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Wrap, where we look at the biggest results and storylines from this past weekend.

Yiheng Wang Erases a 4-1 Deficit to Win Monkey League

Yiheng Wang completed one of the biggest comebacks in Monkey League history, defeating Xuanyi Geng 5-4 in the Season 6 championship match in New York City.

Xuanyi controlled the first half of the best-of-nine final and built a 4-1 lead, moving within one set of the title.

Then Yiheng turned the match around.

Yiheng used two timeouts during the final. During the second, Monkey League organizer and commentator Phillip Lewicki said Yiheng was battling a fever and needed medicine.

After the break, Yiheng won three straight sets to tie the match at 4-4.

The championship then came down to the fifth and final race of the ninth set.

Xuanyi recorded a 5.56. Yiheng responded with a 3.84, winning the race, the set and the championship.

It was Yiheng’s second consecutive Monkey League title. He also won Season 5 by defeating Tymon Kolasiński.

That makes Yiheng only the second competitor to win back-to-back Monkey League championships. Tymon, who won Seasons 1, 3 and 4, was the first.

Watch the final and read the full story here.

Timofei Tarasenko Breaks Two World Records in Kuala Lumpur

Timofei Tarasenko put together one of the best all-around weekends of the year at Kuala Lumpur Cubing Challenge 2026.

His biggest result came in the 6x6 final:

1:00.43, 1:04.49, 1:05.98 = 1:03.63 mean

The 1:03.63 gave Tarasenko the 6x6 mean world record. His opening 1:00.43 was also the third-fastest 6x6 single in WCA history and a new European Record.

Tarasenko added a second world record in the first round of Megaminx:

(22.47), (24.29), 23.57, 23.73, 22.91 = 23.40 average

The result lowered his own previous world record of 24.38 by 0.98 seconds.

He also became only the second competitor to average below 1:40 on 7x7, joining Max Park.

Tarasenko recorded a 1:38.08 mean, including a 1:34.42 single that ranks fifth in WCA history.

He nearly added a third world record on 5x5. After four solves, Tarasenko had a best possible average of 33.58, faster than Tymon Kolasiński’s 33.73 world record. A DNF on his final attempt left him with a 34.71 average instead.

Tarasenko closed the weekend by winning 3x3 with a 5.87 average:

(5.16), 5.86, (7.98), 5.60, 6.15 = 5.87

He finished the competition with victories in 3x3, 2x2, 4x4, 5x5, 6x6, 7x7, One-Handed and Megaminx.

Read the full breakdown of Tarasenko’s first day of competition here.

Sujan Feist Ties His Own 2x2 World Record

Sujan Feist tied his own 2x2 world record at Cubing the Coast MS 2026.

Feist recorded a 0.86 average in the second round:

0.85, (2.97), 0.81, 0.91, (0.66) = 0.86

He first set the 0.86 world record at Kids America Christmas Clash OH 2025 in December.

That means Feist now owns the two fastest official 2x2 averages in history, both at exactly 0.86.

The result was also his 17th official sub-1 average. Only seven competitors in WCA history have ever officially averaged below one second.

Feist entered the weekend as the reigning world and North American champion in 2x2. Now he has matched his world record while holding both titles.

Read the full story here.

Yi Shen Wins a Close Final in Nanning

Yi Shen won a deep 3x3 final at Nanning Open 2026, finishing only 0.03 seconds ahead of Yunzhi Lian.

Yi won with a 5.08 average:

4.84, (6.11), 4.76, (4.24), 5.65 = 5.08

Yunzhi finished second at 5.11, while pre-competition favorite Bofan Zhang completed the podium at 5.42.

The final standings were:

1. Yi Shen - 5.08
2. Yunzhi Lian - 5.11
3. Bofan Zhang - 5.42

Bofan led the psych sheet with a 4.38 personal best, but Yi delivered the strongest average in the final.

Only 0.34 seconds separated the entire podium.

Sameer Aggarwal Becomes Northwest Champion

Sameer Aggarwal won Northwest Championship 2026 with a 6.09 average.

His final solves were:

(7.17), 6.70, (5.50), 5.73, 5.83 = 6.09

Max Siauw finished second with a 6.98 average, while Greyson James placed third at 7.30.

The result reversed the top two eligible finishers from the previous Northwest Championship.

In 2024, Max finished ahead of Sameer and became Northwest champion. Two years later, Sameer finished nearly nine-tenths of a second ahead of Max to claim the title.

The final podium was:

1. Sameer Aggarwal - 6.09
2. Max Siauw - 6.98
3. Greyson James - 7.30

Ryan Pilat Wins Overall, Paul Mahvi Takes the Rocky Mountain Title

Ryan Pilat delivered on his position as the fastest name on the psych sheet, winning Rocky Mountain Championship 2026 with a 6.95 average.

His final solves were:

5.91, (7.62), (5.04), 7.67, 7.33 = 6.95

Jonathan Pelser finished second at 7.74, with Paul Mahvi third at 7.78.

But the regional title had a different winner.

Ryan and Jonathan both represent Texas for CubingUSA championship eligibility, making them ineligible for the Rocky Mountain title.

Paul represents Arizona and was the highest-finishing eligible competitor. That made him the 2026 Rocky Mountain 3x3 champion.

Defending champion Jeremy Bulambot did not compete.

Ryan still left Denver with a dominant overall performance. He won eight events, including 3x3, 2x2, 4x4, 7x7, 3BLD, Square-1, 4BLD and 5BLD.

WCA Moves to 4-Pad Timers and Makes Clock Removal Final

The weekend also closed a major week of WCA news.

Beginning January 2, 2027, every official WCA attempt that uses a speedsolving timer will require a Speed Stacks G5 StackMat Pro Timer in 4-pad mode.

The change is intended to make improper starts and stops much harder. Four-pad mode requires competitors to activate the two smaller thumb sensors in addition to the traditional hand sensors.

Existing records will not be reset or separated from results recorded with 4-pad timers. The WCA also says it will provide new G5 timers to regions that need equipment for the transition.

Read the full story on the WCA’s move to 4-pad timers here.

The announcement came only days after the WCA Board reaffirmed its decision to remove Clock following the 2027 World Championship.

After reviewing community feedback, petitions and additional input from WCA Volunteers, the Board said its decision remained unchanged.

“This decision is final,” the Board said.

Clock will remain generally available through July 18, 2027, before making its final official appearance at the 2027 World Championship. FTO will become an official WCA event on January 2, 2027.

Read the full story on the final Clock decision here.

Between Yiheng’s four-set comeback, Tarasenko’s two world records, Feist matching his 0.86, close championship finals in Nanning and the United States, and two major WCA decisions, the weekend delivered major results both on and off the competition floor.

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We discuss Tyson’s role in co-founding the World Cube Association, and his thoughts on what cubing should strive to be when WCA was being founded. We also talk about what Tyson values most about cubing, which is unfortunately a non-cubing-related aspect – his impact on the sport, and ability to give more people a chance to participate. Tyson tells us the story of cubing for The Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith in 2006, and we move on to discuss the WCA, and whether he would change anything if he had the chance to do it all over again.

Watch the edited public version below.

Want the full conversation?
Paid members can watch the Extended Subscriber Edition in Exclusive here.

New episodes release every Monday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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We discuss Tyson’s role in co-founding the World Cube Association, and his thoughts on what cubing should strive to be when WCA was being founded. We also talk about what Tyson values most about cubing, which is unfortunately a non-cubing-related aspect – his impact on the sport, and ability to give more people a chance to participate. Tyson tells us the story of cubing for The Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith in 2006, and we move on to discuss the WCA, and whether he would change anything if he had the chance to do it all over again.

New episodes release every Monday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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