Hassan Khanani Wins Square-1 at NAC 2026
Khanani claimed the Square-1 title with a 6.21 average, closing with a 5.87 to secure the win.
Hassan Khanani won Square-1 at the 2026 North American Championship, taking the title with a 6.21 average.
Khanani recorded attempts of (6.57), 6.29, 6.48, (4.45), and 5.87 in the final. Despite difficult and unpredictable scrambles throughout the round, Khanani held his nerve to secure the championship with a clutch final solve.
Final Podium
🥇 Hassan Khanani (United States) - 6.21
🥈 Brendyn Dunagan (United States) - 6.29
🥉 Max Siauw (United States) - 6.41
North American Championship Podium
🥇 Hassan Khanani (United States) - 6.21
🥈 Brendyn Dunagan (United States) - 6.29
🥉 Max Siauw (United States) - 6.41
The opening solve set the tone for a dramatic final. No competitor was able to break six seconds until Max Siauw, the last solver on the first scramble, produced a 5.45 to seize the early lead. The next-fastest solve of the round was a 6.57 from Khanani, giving Siauw early momentum.
Brendyn Dunagan quickly responded with a 5.18 on his second solve to bounce back into contention. Moments later, Siauw suffered a costly cube drop on his second attempt, resulting in an 8.23 and drawing an audible “aww” from the crowd as the race tightened.
The battle remained close through the middle of the final. Dunagan followed with a 5.75 on his third solve before signaling to a member of the audience to confirm he was pacing for third place. Siauw, meanwhile, recorded a 9.59 on his third attempt and was visibly disappointed as his advantage slipped away.
Everything changed on the fourth solve when Khanani delivered a blistering 4.45, giving himself a significant advantage heading into the final scramble. After Dunagan recorded an 8.13 on his final solve and Ryan Pilat finished with a 7.20, Khanani needed a 6.11 to secure the title. He answered with a composed 5.87, clinching the North American Championship before the final competitor had even finished.
Siauw was the last to solve, needing a 5.58 to climb onto the podium. He responded with a 5.07, edging Pilat by just 0.04 seconds despite receiving a +2 penalty earlier in the round that ultimately cost him the championship.
Following his victory, Khanani said the scrambles were “not good” and caught him off guard. Having also won the national title last year, he said that not much has changed since then. He also gave a shoutout to his brothers following the win.
Khanani's victory makes him a back-to-back North American Champion in Square-1, overcoming challenging scrambles and a tightly contested final. With standout performances from Dunagan, Siauw, and Pilat, the event delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the championship, with the podium remaining undecided until the final solve.