People · New Zealand
Adam Chen
Pyraminx · top 5.7% of 129,321 all-time · competing since August 2021 · 2021CHEN52
Adam Chen has been competing for 5 years. His best event is the Pyraminx: a personal-best single of 3.55, set at Auckland Matariki Open 2024, puts him in the top 5.7% of the 129,321 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 94th in New Zealand. Until February 2008, no official Pyraminx solve in the world had been that fast. Across 10 competitions since August 2021, he has put 267 official solves on the record across ten events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 14% around a typical one; 65% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. His 3×3 best has come down from 46.59 in August 2021 to 13.96, a 70% improvement. Adam has entered ten competitions, more competitions than 92% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | New Zealand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyraminx | 3.55 | 6.63 | top 5.7% | 94 / 1,141 | |
| 2×2 | 2.27 | 5.15 | top 6.8% | 149 / 1,615 | |
| 3×3 | 13.96 | 15.10 | top 20.8% | 434 / 2,095 | |
| Skewb | 5.56 | 8.58 | top 22.4% | 177 / 666 | |
| Square-1 | 18.77 | 30.96 | top 25.2% | 76 / 251 | |
| Clock | 11.54 | 14.63 | top 32.8% | 122 / 303 | |
| 4×4 | 1:06.75 | 1:27.74 | top 43.7% | 289 / 722 | |
| Megaminx | 2:03.90 | — | top 47.9% | 150 / 283 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 42.50 | 1:04.62 | top 68.7% | 385 / 600 | |
| 5×5 | 3:49.34 | — | early days — 3 solves | 317 / 355 |
Percentile against all competitors ever ranked in each event, a fairer measure than raw rank, because the pools differ by a factor of ten.
The line so far
Best single per competition, 3×3. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.
The story so far
- 12 Dec 2025Three personal bests in one day at New Zealand Nationals 2025.
- 16 Aug 2025First sub-15 3×3: 14.93 at 2x2 in Tāmaki Makaurau 2025.
- 28 Sep 2024Five personal bests in one day at New Zealand Cubing Decathlon 2024.
- 19 Jul 2024First sub-20 3×3: 19.05 at NZ North Island Championship 2024.
- 19 Jul 2024Three personal bests in one day at NZ North Island Championship 2024.
- 28 Jun 2024Four personal bests in one day at Auckland Matariki Open 2024.
Competitions
- New Zealand Nationals 2025 · 12 Dec 2025 — 3 personal bests set
- Beachside Auckland 2025 · 20 Sep 2025 — 1 personal best set
- 2x2 in Tāmaki Makaurau 2025 · 16 Aug 2025 — 2 personal bests set
- Coping in Auckland 2025 · 5 Jul 2025 — 2 personal bests set
- New Zealand Cubing Decathlon 2024 · 28 Sep 2024 — 5 personal bests set
- NZ North Island Championship 2024 · 19 Jul 2024 — 3 personal bests set
- Auckland Matariki Open 2024 · 28 Jun 2024 — 4 personal bests set
- NZ North Island Championship 2023 · 27 Oct 2023
- New Zealand Nationals 2022 · 9 Dec 2022 — 2 personal bests set
- NZ North Island Championship 2021 · 13 Aug 2021
Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · top X% compares against everyone ever ranked in that event, which is fairer than raw rank because event pools differ tenfold.
The circuit
The people whose scorecards keep turning up next to his.
- Brandon Harris — met in 61 rounds, finished ahead once
- Richard Yiheng Tao — met in 57 rounds, never finished ahead
- Xavier Courteau-Laing — met in 55 rounds, finished ahead once
Next targets
- A sub-3 Pyraminx single — 4,700 people have one; it is 0.55 away.
- A sub-2 2×2 single — 8,848 people have one; it is 0.27 away.
Targets move as he improves.