Hasselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – This weekend, Hasselt hosts the Belgian Rubik’s Cube Championship at PXL University College, featuring 12 puzzle variations alongside the classic 3×3 cube, with a record 200 participants competing.
As VRT News reported, this weekend, Hasselt will host the Belgian Rubik’s Cube Championship at the PXL University College restaurant on Elfde-Liniestraat. Top speedcubers from across Belgium will compete in a variety of challenges. Most people know the classic 3×3 Rubik’s Cube, but the championship features puzzles that test skill and speed.
What makes the Belgian Rubik’s Cube Championship in Hasselt a record-breaking event?
Besides the 3×3 cube, there are 12 other categories. Some involve larger cubes with 4, 16, 25, 36, or 49 squares per side. Other events make the 3×3 puzzle harder, including blindfolded and one-handed competitions. The championship also includes different puzzles like the ‘clock’, ‘megaminx’, ‘pyraminx’, ‘skewb’, and ‘square-1’. In every event, the goal is the same: solve the puzzle faster than the others.
“I met my girlfriend at these kinds of competitions.”
Yanniko Zhechev (17)
This year, the Belgian Rubik’s Cube Championship in Hasselt has attracted a record 200 participants. Among the competitors is 17-year-old Yanniko Zhechev, who is taking part in his 52nd competition. He is one of the most experienced cubers at the event. The championship brings together enthusiasts from across the country to compete, share skills, and test their speed under official conditions.
“I once solved the 3 times 3 in 9.91 seconds,” he says. But he’s confident today as well. “Square-1 is a cube that changes shape and requires you to sort by both shape and color. Megaminx is a puzzle with 12 sides. I could get third place with that,”
Yanniko Zhechev said.
For Zhechev, the championship is about more than just racing against the clock.
“It creates a sense of connection,”
he says.
“I have made a lot of friends at competitions, and I even met my girlfriend here. It is also nice to officially present the times you practice at home.”
While there are many puzzle categories and challenges, the classic 3×3 Rubik’s Cube remains the most popular.
“That’s the original one that everyone tries their best for,”
says Aron De Vrieze (17).
“That’s the one that’s most valued. In 2023, I once finished third in a discipline, but seeing people again that you don’t normally see during the year is still the most fun.”
The Belgian Rubik’s Cube Championship has been held regularly under the World Cube Association. The first recorded national final was in Seraing on October 29–30, 2022. The championship continued in Seraing in 2023 on October 21–22. In 2024, the event moved to Leuven and took place on November 16–17. Each year, the championship attracts top cubers from across Belgium to compete in a variety of events, including the classic 3×3 cube and other challenging puzzles.
