People · Hong Kong, China
Cheng Yat Lai (鄭日禮)
3×3 · top 7.1% of 284,439 all-time · competing since May 2023 · 2023LAIC02
Cheng Yat Lai (鄭日禮) has been competing for 3 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 9.86, set at HKRCU 20th Anniversary 2025, puts him in the top 7.1% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 176th in Hong Kong, China. Until May 2007, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 7 competitions since May 2023, he has put 96 official solves on the record across seven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, an early reading from 8 counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 24.75 in May 2023 to 9.86, a 60% improvement. Cheng has entered seven competitions, more competitions than 88% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | Hong Kong, China | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 9.86 | 12.17 | top 7.1% | 176 / 1,347 | |
| 2×2 | 3.44 | 5.11 | top 19.4% | 228 / 855 | |
| Pyraminx | 6.35 | 8.48 | top 22.6% | 145 / 431 | |
| 4×4 | 54.53 | — | top 30.2% | 199 / 423 | |
| 5×5 | 1:57.99 | — | early days — 2 solves | 128 / 192 | |
| Megaminx | 2:15.01 | — | early days — 2 solves | 112 / 154 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 33.69 | — | early days — 2 solves | 264 / 361 |
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
- 20 Sep 2025First sub-10 3×3: 9.86 at HKRCU 20th Anniversary 2025.
- 16 Nov 2024Four personal bests in one day at Hong Kong Championship 2024.
- 31 Aug 2024Three personal bests in one day at Hong Kong Cube Day 2024.
- 31 Mar 2024First sub-15 3×3: 13.62 at Welcome Back Hong Kong 2024.
- 21 Oct 2023First sub-20 3×3: 16.59 at Hong Kong Championship 2023.
- 26 May 2023First competition: Hong Kong Small Cube Day 2023. A 24.75 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- HKRCU 20th Anniversary 2025 · 20 Sep 2025 — 1 personal best set
- Hong Kong Cube Day 2025 · 7 Jun 2025 — 1 personal best set
- Hong Kong Championship 2024 · 16 Nov 2024 — 4 personal bests set
- Hong Kong Cube Day 2024 · 31 Aug 2024 — 3 personal bests set
- Welcome Back Hong Kong 2024 · 31 Mar 2024 — 1 personal best set
- Hong Kong Championship 2023 · 21 Oct 2023 — 1 personal best set
- Hong Kong Small Cube Day 2023 · 26 May 2023
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.
- Timothy Kong Wing Sum (江永琛) — met in 24 rounds, never finished ahead
- Andy Mok Man Cheuk (莫文卓) — met in 24 rounds, never finished ahead
- Rinji Chan Pak Hei (陳柏熹) — met in 24 rounds, never finished ahead
Next targets
- A sub-8 3×3 single — 7,931 people have one; it is 1.86 away.
- A sub-3 2×2 single — 26,570 people have one; it is 0.44 away.
Targets move as he improves.