Thailand’s defending champion faces a close field this weekend. In Portugal, two international visitors lead the overall field, while Tiago Morais returns to defend his national title. Peru, Jordan, and Kuwait also crown champions, and FMC Europe brings together competitors across the continent.
Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Preview, where we look ahead at the potential storylines going into the weekend.
A Close Title Defense in Thailand
Thailand Championship 2026 runs October 9-11 in Pathum Thani, with just 0.16 seconds separating the top three entrants by personal-best 3x3 average.
Parist Pariyakanok leads at 6.02, ahead of Enoch Tangprasittipol at 6.06 and Natthaphat Mahtani at 6.18.
Pariyakanok won last year’s title with a 7.29 average, just 0.05 ahead of Thada Phuenghua, who also returns.
The same leading trio carries over to one-handed. Pariyakanok brings a 9.49 best average, followed by Tangprasittipol at 10.06 and Mahtani at 10.13. Pariyakanok has the edge on paper in both events, but he will need to perform his best to win the titles.
Two Races to Follow in Portugal
Portugal Championship 2026 takes place October 9-11 in Luso, Aveiro, with Tymon Kolasiński and Valerio Locatelli leading the overall 3x3 field.
Kolasiński’s 4.49 best average puts him ahead of Locatelli at 5.68, but Locatelli finished ahead of him at July’s European Championship, taking second in 3x3 with 5.74 to Kolasiński’s third-place 5.90.
Tymon is registered for every cube event from 2x2 through 7x7, while Locatelli also leads the one-handed field with a 9.79 average.
The Portuguese title race starts with Tiago Morais. His 7.05 leads Afonso Cláudio Machado at 7.47 and Pedro Azevedo at 7.97.
Morais was the highest-placed Portuguese competitor in last year’s 3x3 final, finishing seventh overall with 8.26. Machado followed at 8.78. With Kolasiński and Locatelli visiting, the overall win and national title could again go to different people.
Cuipal Maguiña Chases Three Straight
Jose Antonio Cuipal Maguiña enters Peru Nationals 2026 looking for his third consecutive 3x3 national title. The competition runs October 9-11 in Nuevo Chimbote.
He won in 2024 with 6.82 and again last year with 7.21. His 6.34 personal best leads this year’s field, ahead of returning runner-up Benjamín Ochoa at 7.11 and Carlos Daniel Torres Tello at 7.73.
Ochoa also leads the psych sheets for 4x4 and 5x5, while Juan Pablo Huanqui is the clear Megaminx favorite. Huanqui’s 30.39 best average puts him more than nine seconds ahead of Cuipal Maguiña’s 39.79.
Six National Titles at FMC Europe
FMC Europe 2026 takes place October 10 across multiple locations, with Adam Marcellus Kelly and Adrien Neveu sharing the best personal mean in the registered field at 19.67 moves.
Moritz Lotz and Yurii Riabov follow at 20.33.
Alongside the overall competition, the event will decide the FMC national titles for Ukraine, Greece, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Estonia. Eligible competitors can win their country’s title from any participating location.
Hammouri and Mayyas Meet Again in Jordan
Jordan Nationals 2026 runs October 9-10 in Amman, with last year’s top two returning.
Kamel Hammouri won the 2025 final with 9.06, ahead of Zaid Mayyas at 9.80. They lead this year’s field by personal-best average, with Hammouri at 8.30 and Mayyas at 9.11.
Abdallah Belal Omar and Zakarya Otair are tied behind them at 9.25.
Alolaimi Returns as Kuwait’s Favorite
Kuwait Nationals 2026 takes place October 9-10 at the Kuwait Science Club, with Ahmad Alolaimi returning after winning last year’s 3x3 final with 9.03.
His 8.07 personal-best average leads the overall field, ahead of Russia’s Mikhail Nikitin at 9.09. Ghanim Abdulaziz Almutawa is the next Kuwaiti contender at 9.76.
Alolaimi also won one-handed last year. His 14.76 best average leads Nikitin’s 15.18, giving the pair another event to contest.