marouxn's Progression Thread | Top 1k in all events* (2/17)

[Puzzle Maniac]

Excellent comp!!
3x3 I used CFOP the entire time, about what I was expecting. Of course one day after the comp I realise if I turn as fast as I possibly can, I am able to average Low 8...
2x2... well... yeah, I finished EG-1 for this comp... yeah I one look most solves... yeah I got nervous and choked. Oh well, my best choke was on +2 out of 2.67 in second round, and I think I'm fine with this as I know I can easily destroy PR once I stop caring about this event.
4x4 had okay results. Nothing special.
One Handed, while still bad, I'm happy with PR and SOMEHOW WINNING R1 .
Clock had some cooked scrambles, I managed to pull a 4.92 Flip NR average in round 1, then unfortunately choked finals with a 3.51 AUF DNF single and a 7 average but I'm happy Lachie got a 1.53 WR Single.
Megaminx was supposed to be one round but we were ahead so a delegate asked everyone on the podium if we were fine with adding another round. I don't really mind that much that I dropped to third from second, it's more solves and competiton experience.
Pyra was nice and consistent, first in every round but final where I tied Levi.
Skewb, finally Sub 5 but it means Clock PR average is faster than Skewb lmao

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

Okay, so the next event I'm going for Top 1k in is 3x3. My PRs are 7.44/9.11 and I need 5.93/7.62, which I think is doable within the next few comps (even if my current PRs don't look it). Mega strike across the country today, 9ts currently 3:58 pm and yet I've only just done my first solves.

Generated By csTimer on 2025-10-23
avg of 5: 6.50

Time List:
536. (5.75) B' U2 L B2 R U2 L D2 F2 L D2 B2 R2 D' B2 F' L2 D R2 U R
537. (8.85[pop]) B2 R L U2 F D2 R U2 B2 U B2 L2 U R2 D' L2 B' R'
538. 7.40 R' F B L2 U2 B2 L B' R2 D F2 R2 U' F2 U' R2 D' F2 R2
539. 5.97 R2 B2 U R2 F2 D R2 U L2 R2 D' L U' B2 R' F2 U' F' U L2
540. 6.12 B' R' F2 U2 B2 D2 R2 F2 L' F2 L' U2 F2 D F' U' L D' L' U' R

Somehow, it's PB.

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

Generated By csTimer on 2025-11-08
single: 3.97

Time List:
816. 3.97 L' D2 B U2 F' U2 L2 U2 L2 B2 U2 B' D F2 U' L B R2 U B2

Scram of a lifetime, 3 free pairs, 11 move LL, 9+ TPS...

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

Generated By csTimer on 2025-12-15
avg of 5: 6.49

Time List:
1100. (7.68[maki]) R D2 L U2 F2 L D2 U2 B2 U2 R' U' L' D2 L2 B L B2 U' L'
1101. 6.17[oll skip] U' D' R' U2 D2 F' U R' D' U2 R' L' F2 R' B2 R' F2 R U2 F2
1102. 6.91 L2 D2 F R2 B' L2 B' D2 B R' D' F2 D' L B2 F' U2 F2 U'
1103. 6.40 R2 D B' R U F' L F2 U2 F D2 L2 F' U2 B' L2 F2 D2 R U2
1104. (5.69) F B2 U2 L2 U' B2 L2 U F2 R2 D L2 U2 R' D' R D B' F' U2

Beginning to do a massive derust over the summer holidays, 104 solves done so far and one PB average.

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

Fullstep PB potentially
Generated By csTimer on 2025-12-21
single: 4.61

Time List:
1561. 4.61 U' B2 U' R' F D' R U B' R2 B2 R2 F2 U L2 U2 D' R2 U2 F2

PB4 mo3 + 2 PLL skips in a row
Generated By csTimer on 2025-12-21
mean of 3: 5.96

Time List:
1533. 5.50[pll skip] U' F U2 F' R2 F' L2 R2 F U2 L' F2 R D' L2 F' R2 D2 L'
1534. 4.99[2x pll skip] L D' B R2 F' L F2 L D L2 D L2 D B2 D' F2 D' B2 D' B'
1535. 7.39 R U B' D2 B' L2 B' D2 U2 R2 B' D2 U2 R F D2 F2 U' R F R2

summer grind

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

Generated By csTimer on 2026-02-15
single: 3:40.13

Time List:
497. 3:40.13

pb7 7x7 solve while wearing 7 layers

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

Generated By csTimer on 2026-08-18
single: 2:35.18

Time List:
210. 2:35.18[79] 3Dw' 3Uw' Rw' 3Dw' 3Rw2 B F D2 3Bw 3Rw' 3Dw' 3Uw Uw Rw' U' Fw R' 3Uw2 L' Rw 3Bw2 3Uw Rw L2 Bw Dw' Lw2 F2 Bw' 3Uw2 R' U2 B2 3Dw' R 3Uw2 B2 F Dw2 3Lw' F2 Rw2 R D' Rw' Dw2 3Rw2 R' Rw' Fw 3Fw Lw Fw2 U2 3Rw2 3Lw' L 3Uw Bw' D2 3Dw Fw' D2 R' B' Bw D2 3Fw2 B F2 Rw' D' Bw' R Fw2 Rw 3Rw Fw D2 3Uw 3Bw2 Lw2 L' D2 3Uw2 3Fw2 L F 3Lw' Fw L2 3Uw2 3Bw2 U2 3Fw2 3Bw Dw Lw 3Rw 3Lw

@Jared Burkhart

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

Full comp update tomorrow after it finishes in a few hours. Happy to have won 7x7 (mostly the reason I organised this comp with it) but lowk annoyed. Second should be 3:02, giving me a 2:53ish mean. Need to start giving in to paranoia and check every time that the judge is written the correct time down.

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

View attachment 51576
Crazy comp, so glad I organised again. First sub-9 average after almost 3 years since I broke sub-10. I don't know why I randomly performed so well in this round; my other two 3x3 averages were sub-par, but I pulled off a fullstep 7.20 PR single, down from 7.38. Next solve was a 9.26, still on good pace for PR. Then on third I somehow almost had my second PR single in one average, fullstep yet again. Unfortunately, I plus twoed, and it ended up being a 9.07. Fourth solve I didn't think I was going to be pull off PR average anymore after the adrenaline from third, but I clutched up an 8.17 with a PLL skip. By this point I knew I had already locked in sub-9 despite the 7.07 + 2, and perhaps it was this that finished me off on a 10.18 WPA.
This could've been an 8.21 average as my first ever sub-9, but I was only momentarily mad, because I know once I begin to actually pracitce 3x3 I'll get a better average.
The single ranks me WR4508, and the average WR3943 (~2350 if it were 8.21).
Looking back I realised an interesting statistic that the last time I broke 3x3 PR average, it also included the single. Then, the PR average before that, I broke PR single one round before. And the time before that, again, PR single one round before PR average.



2x2



2x2 first round was pretty nice, always glad to get a well sub-3 average given I don't use EG-1 anymore (I did learn it for a comp, but quit immediately after and forgot every single alg). Second round I don't remember at all what happened so I'm guessing I got hit in the head by a cube, but I didn't care because it would make it into finals. Last round I started off with two decent solves, then I got an 8 mover or something. I can't check the solution right now, but it should be pretty obvious given the scramble: U' R' F U2 R U R U' R' U2 R' (it's either this or the next scramble I paste, I don't remember what group I was but I'm guessing it might be the second scram because the notation looks like it could be an easier scramble: U R' U' R U F' U2 F' R U R. By now I began to get nervous from the three good solves, just kidding, 2x2 sucks, why I would I be worried about it? Anyway, fourth scramble looked horrible to me, a CLL user, so I just did the best EG-1 face I could solve and iirc it ended up giving me the one really good Pi case, clutching up the average with a 2.23 for a 2.51 WPA. Last solve, like my 3x3 average, I choked and got a 4.57. Pretty sure the scramble was trash anyway so I'm not annoyed; it's still PR down from 2.60 after a year.

More of the comp summary coming later.

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

Exactly one year update!

 

[Puzzle Maniac]

Generated By csTimer on 2026-10-03
single: 52.84

Time List:
366. 52.84 D2 U2 R' Uw Rw2 U Dw2 Uw Fw' Rw U' R Lw' U F Fw Dw F2 U' R' U2 Lw B2 U Dw' Fw' Dw' U' Lw2 B' Uw D' B2 Fw2 F Bw' L Rw' B' Dw2 Uw R F' L2 F Dw Fw' Rw2 F' B Lw' U2 F Bw' D B' U B' Lw' U'



I (43M) just got a 52.84 5x5 single this morning. I said goodbye to my 5 honor-roll student children and 10/10 supermodel wife before heading off to my work as an MIT professor. while I was in my car, I looked back to what led to this monumental moment in my life. Being awarded the Medal of Honor in Afghanistan, representing New Zealand in the 2004 Olympics and getting my PhD in Quantum Electrodynamix. All culminating to the event of getting a 21.16 FTO single. Thank you Erno Rubik.