Speedsolving.com - All Puzzles. All the Time : Speedsolving the Rubik's Cube and Other Puzzles

Interview with Andrew Kang
May 23, 2010 - 5:34 AM - by pjk
May 23, 2010 : Interview with Speedsolving.com member Andrew Kang : Currently (at the time of this interview) is ranked 47th in the world for 3x3x3 Average (11.89 Seconds). He has held 4 continental records (3x3x3 & 4x4x4 Average), placed 2nd at the 2007 World Championship, and is the 2008 US Nationals Champion (3x3x3). Location: Alpharetta, Georgia, USA Occupation: Student What is your favorite event, why? 3x3 because it's the only event I'm good at. What made you become interested in solving puzzles? My friend Daniel demonstrated a 75 second solve in orchestra class back in 2005 and told everyone that he was creating a cube club at school that year. I was intensely fascinated with the cube and learned how to do my first solve in October of 2005. What, in your opinion, is your biggest "cubing" accomplishment? There is a lot of things that I am proud of, but the biggest thing that I am proud of is placing 2nd in the 2007 World Championship in Budapest. Meeting Erno Rubik and having him autograph a shirt for me in front of the media is something I'll never forget. A close second is becoming US Champion in 2008. What are your other hobbies? Currently, Starcraft 2 and Osu! take up my time when I'm not cubing. I'm also a fan of going to the gym. What is/are your pet peeve(s)? My biggest pet peeve is when cubers attack/troll other cubers on forums and instill a unwelcoming atmosphere into the cubing community. What will the future of cubing be like and how would you like cubing to progress? For speed, I believe a consistent sub 9 average is the human limit in the 3x3 event. I hope that as the community will still be welcoming to newcomers so that everyone can enjoy what the Rubik's Cube has to offer.

Interview with Jaap Scherphuis
Mar 11, 2010 - 11:04 AM - by pjk
March 11, 2010 : Interview with Speedsolving.com member Jaap Scherphuis : Jaap is one of the biggest puzzle collectors in the world, and is creator of Jaap's Puzzle Page, which contains one of the most comprehensive guides to puzzles of all kinds (created in 1999). You can read more about him on his about page. Location: Delft, Netherlands. Occupation: Software Engineer. What is your favorite puzzle, why? Apart from the 3x3x3, obviously, it's a toss-up between the Rubik's Magic and Lights Out. I love the way Magics move, and the all the different shapes that are possible with it. I am fascinated by Lights Out because of the amazing amount of mathematics behind it, from straightforward linear algebra to deep, not yet understood parts of maths that are still waiting to be explored. I have a stack of printouts of maths papers related to Lights Out that is two inches thick. What made you become interested in solving puzzles? As far as I can remember, I have always been interested in mathematical puzzles. I was 8 or 9 when the Rubik's Cube first came out, and got one as a present. Around the same time I also got my first proper maths puzzle books, Martin Gardner's Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions, and Henry E. Dudeney's Amusements in Mathematics. How many puzzles do you own, and of those, how many were you able to solve without any outside help? I have no idea how many slidy/twisty puzzles I own, I don't keep track. It is probably somewhere between 700 and 1000. My first cube came with a solution booklet. I was too young and impatient to resist, so I never worked out the solution myself. The Barrel was my second puzzle, and I used a booklet on that as well when I didn't understand how a single piece could be flipped. I kicked myself for not realising how that worked. The Pyraminx, Orbit, and Alexander's Star I then did without help. When the 4x4x4 cube came I managed to solve it all by myself, stupidly by devising a layer by layer method, except for the edge parity. It was only many years later that I knew what caused parity and how to fix it. All the puzzles after that I solved without help, though there have been several occasions where I solved a puzzle by writing a computer program to solve it for me. Which puzzle has given you the given you the greatest challenge? The biggest solving challenge for me was the Square-1. It took me a few months to figure out, and it is the first for which I really needed computer help. I wrote a program that searched for move sequences that moved only a few pieces. Unfortunately, the only things it spat out were even permutations, so there was no short parity fix. Eventually I managed to use the computer to turn a parity fix that moved nearly all the pieces into one that moved only 6 edges. At the time I was writing up my solutions in a filofax, but with all the many new move sequences I was finding, I decided to put it up on a website. Are there any puzzles you have been unable to get hold of that you would like? In the last year I got hold of two that I had been looking for for years - Crossover by Nintendo, and the Dino Star. There are about ten I'm still looking for, but I won't tell what they are since they are so rare and little known that I don't want to draw attention to them. So far, what has been your most enjoyable cubing experience? All the cubing events I've been to have been very enjoyable. The Dutch Cube Day is always a fantastic event, and every year I think I won't buy much, and am happy to be proved wrong. The 2003 World Championships was I think the most enjoyable, because it was the first international event I went to. I still find it hilarious that I won the Rubik's Clock event there. What are your other hobbies? I watch a lot of DVDs, especially those with a lot of extras. I have about 800 items, very few of which are vanilla editions. I used to read a lot of science fiction, and do some magic, but nowadays computer programming, puzzles, and DVDs take up most of my spare time.

Interview with Rowe Hessler
Jan 03, 2010 - 2:48 PM - by pjk
January 3, 2010 : Interview with Speedsolving.com member Rowe Hessler : Currently (at the time of this interview) holds the World Record for 2x2x2 Average (2.45 Seconds), and the North American Record for 3x3x3 Average (11.04 Seconds). He is the former World Record holder for 3x3x3 Blindfolded (52.27 Seconds - 2008). Location: Long Island, New York Occupation: Freshman at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, New York What is your favorite event, why? My favorite event would have to be 3x3x3. It is mainly all that I practice these days, besides a little one-handed. Just because it is my favorite does not mean it is my best event in competition, I just find 3x3 the most fun and exciting. I like the fact that there is almost always 3 rounds of it, so I have a greater shot at doing well. Ever since I broke the NAR at 9.13 seconds and becoming the first US citizen to get a sub 10 solve, I have been fixed on getting better. I now hold both 3x3 NARs and I hope to go even further up in the rankings as my cubing “career” progresses. What made you become interested in solving puzzles? Ever since I was little I’ve liked solving puzzles, but I didn’t get into twisty puzzles until my aunt bought me a cube on Christmas 2005, my freshman year of high school. At first I was just like “yay….cube..” with no immediate connection at all, but once my aunt showed me how to get one side, I had to learn how to solve the rest. I browsed the net and learned the Petrus Method, and got decently fast (sub20) with it within a year and a half. I competed in my first competition at Cornell Spring 2007, and switched to the Fridrich Method in the summer of that year. What, in your opinion, is your biggest "cubing" accomplishment? By far my biggest cubing accomplishment was my 2.45 2x2x2 average WR at Brown Cube Day 2009. I am very pleased with all of my official 2x2 results, and I now have the 5 fastest averages in official competition. Another great accomplishment of mine was my 52.27 BLD WR, back in 2008. I then knew that my blindfold cubing was over, and I then turned my complete attention to 3x3 and 2x2 speed. What are your other hobbies? I really enjoy baseball. I was a relief pitcher for my high school baseball team and made varsity in my junior year. Sadly, I hurt my back last season and lost all my chances of playing college ball. I am also a black belt in Isshinryu Karate. That’s pretty much it for hobbies, unless sitting on the couch watching movies with my girlfriend, Katie, counts as one. What is/are your pet peeve(s)? I have many. First of all: hair in my cubes. No matter how hard I try, a hair gets in my cube at least once a day. I also get irritated when more advanced cubers are nasty to others on the forums. How will they learn any better if you just shoot them down? Help them, don’t hurt them. Most importantly: cheating. How will that help you in cubing at all? It will always come back to haunt you one way or another. What will the future of cubing be like and how would you like cubing to progress? There is no knowing what the future of cubing would be like. When I first started, I didn’t think 7.08 seconds for a single solve was possible, but Erik pulled it off. Many people are getting into cubing, and eventually they will be catching up to everyone else. Cubing has a very loooonggggg way to go. As far as my cubing, I’m pretty happy with my results so far. Maybe being consistently sub 10 average at home would be nice, but once I get sub 11 in competition I will be completely satisfied. I don’t see my 2x2 results getting any faster though. So far, what has been your most enjoyable cubing experience? I’ve had so many enjoyable experiences in cubing, but I’d have to say WC2009 was the greatest ever. Meeting people from all over the world that I’ve only talked to on the computer was amazing. WC2007 was also a great competition, but that was back when I was slow. It felt nice to be a part of the friendly competition this time and seeing everyone again. Also, I was so happy to finally be crowned 2x2x2 world champion! I can’t wait for WC2011 so see all of my friends again.