Sunday 6 September 2026 Rebuilt nightly from the WCA's official results · export of 6 September 2026 · About
The Middle Three
People → China → Chao Liu (刘超)

People · China

Chao Liu (刘超)

3×3 · top 15.7% of 284,439 all-time · competing since June 2009 · 2009CHAO03

Chao Liu (刘超) has been competing for 17 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 12.52, set at Xining Winter Open 2014, puts him in the top 15.7% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 6,165th in China. Across 13 competitions since June 2009, he has put 253 official solves on the record across five events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, steadier than 88% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 21.18 in June 2009 to 12.52, a 41% improvement. Chao has entered 13 competitions, more competitions than 94% of everyone who has ever competed.

3×3
best event — top 15.7% of 284,439 all-time
12.52
signature single · Xining Winter Open 2014
253
official solves on the record
11%
solve-to-solve spread · steadier than 88% of the field

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingChina
3×312.5214.31
top 15.7%6,165 / 28,153
2×23.436.74
top 19.3%3,169 / 15,796
3×3 blindfolded1:47.752:51.43
top 29.2%403 / 1,183
4×458.781:07.46
top 35.2%3,483 / 5,926
3×3 one-handed25.6328.61
top 35.9%3,390 / 5,922

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

Xi'an Open 2009: 21.18Hangzhou Open 2010: 14.66Xi'an Spring 2010: 15.40Henan Open 2010: 13.70Shanghai Open 2010: 15.36Shanghai Summer 2013: 17.94Wuxi Open 2013: 18.79Xi'an Winter 2013: 14.15Xining Winter Open 2014: 12.52LanZhou Winter 2014: 14.25Xi'an Cherry Blossom 2014: 13.08Yangling Open 2014: 13.81Xi'an Cherry Blossom 2015: 13.9312.5221.1828 Jun 20094 Apr 2015

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.

Next targets

  • A sub-12 3×3 single — 39,535 people have one; it is 0.52 away.
  • A sub-3 2×2 single — 26,570 people have one; it is 0.43 away.

Targets move as he improves.