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People · United States

Alvin Liu

3×3 · top 1.9% of 284,439 all-time · competing since July 2021 · 2021LIUA02

Alvin Liu has been competing for 5 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 7.41, set at Husky Pride Seattle 2024, puts him in the top 1.9% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 1,113th in the United States. Until July 2008, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 35 competitions since July 2021, he has put 735 official solves on the record across 15 events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 15% around a typical one; 80% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. His 3×3 best has come down from 12.52 in July 2021 to 7.41, a 41% improvement. Alvin has entered 35 competitions, more competitions than 99% of everyone who has ever competed.

3×3
best event — top 1.9% of 284,439 all-time
7.41
signature single · Husky Pride Seattle 2024
735
official solves on the record
15%
solve-to-solve spread · wider than 80% of the field

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingUnited States
3×37.419.37
top 1.9%1,113 / 59,724
3×3 blindfolded25.9342.65
top 3.2%63 / 2,092
3×3 one-handed14.1118.28
top 6.3%874 / 15,683
3×3 Multi-Blind15 of 16 cubes · 52:09—
top 9.3%65 / 731
2×22.544.38
top 9.3%3,669 / 40,951
4×4 blindfolded3:29.66—
top 10.9%45 / 440
3×3 Fewest Moves35 moves37.33
top 30.0%652 / 2,040
4×457.571:07.20
top 33.8%5,406 / 19,072
Pyraminx7.7313.18
top 34.0%9,587 / 28,708
5×5 blindfolded15:21.00—
early days — 1 solve94 / 218
Megaminx2:05.672:25.81
top 49.0%3,645 / 7,841
Skewb9.5616.34
top 52.2%9,391 / 18,907
Clock17.1420.14
top 55.9%4,644 / 8,927
5×52:59.07—
top 77.8%7,027 / 9,401
Square-11:58.54—
early days — 2 solves6,689 / 6,743

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

Wyoming Summer 2021: 12.52Let's Try Again Spokane 2022: 11.71Bellevue Cubing for Children's 2022: 9.15New Kent On The Block 2022: 11.53SnoCo Veteran's Weekend A 2022: 10.39Bothell Spring Open 2023: 9.46Washington Championship 2023: 10.96Lakewood Spring 2023: 8.49Kent Spring 2023: 8.61Mill Creek 2023: 9.18Bothell Summer 2023: 9.86Maltby Mega Special 2023: 8.84Canadian Championship 2023: 7.90SnoCo Has Too Much 3x3 2023: 9.01Kent Summer 2023: 8.69SnoCo Veterans Day Weekend 2023: 8.09Kent Spring 2024: 8.53Husky Pride Seattle 2024: 7.41CubingUSA Northwest Championship 2024: 8.21Nub Open Mission Viejo Summer 2024: 8.80Panhandle Lake Cube & Camp 2024: 7.57Tacoma Summer 2024: 8.30BC Championship 2024: 8.61Kent Summer 2024: 9.00Oregon Championship 2024: 7.787.4112.5231 Jul 202113 Sep 2024

Best single per competition, 3×3. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.

The story so far

Competitions

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.

  • Ethan Ekstrom — met in 101 rounds, finished ahead 58 times
  • Anishk Arora — met in 97 rounds, finished ahead 37 times
  • Ash Black — met in 96 rounds, finished ahead 7 times

Next targets

  • A sub-6 3×3 single — 1,376 people have one; it is 1.41 away.
  • A sub-25 3×3 blindfolded single — 355 people have one; it is 0.93 away.

Targets move as he improves.