People · United States
Eric Pfaffenbach
3×3 · top 6.3% of 284,439 all-time · competing since June 2016 · 2016PFAF01
Eric Pfaffenbach has been competing for 10 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 9.57, set at Minnesota Championship 2025, puts him in the top 6.3% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 3,472nd in the United States. Until November 2007, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 18 competitions since June 2016, he has put 529 official solves on the record across 16 events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 13% around a typical one, steadier than 58% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 27.62 in June 2016 to 9.57, a 65% improvement. Eric has entered 18 competitions, more competitions than 96% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 9.57 | 13.52 | top 6.3% | 3,472 / 59,724 | |
| Clock | 7.48 | 8.69 | top 12.9% | 979 / 8,927 | |
| 2×2 | 2.99 | 4.87 | top 14.1% | 5,541 / 40,951 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 18.37 | 23.63 | top 16.1% | 2,072 / 15,683 | |
| Pyraminx | 5.47 | 10.02 | top 16.2% | 4,309 / 28,708 | |
| Skewb | 5.68 | 8.03 | top 23.3% | 3,740 / 18,907 | |
| 3×3 blindfolded | 1:46.12 | — | top 28.7% | 595 / 2,092 | |
| 4×4 | 55.92 | 1:02.06 | top 31.9% | 5,051 / 19,072 | |
| 5×5 | 1:36.84 | 1:49.71 | top 32.9% | 2,612 / 9,401 | |
| Megaminx | 1:47.30 | 2:00.13 | top 38.8% | 2,787 / 7,841 | |
| 3×3 Fewest Moves | 38 moves | — | top 40.9% | 879 / 2,040 | |
| 7×7 | 4:46.42 | 4:55.83 | top 46.6% | 1,351 / 3,184 | |
| 6×6 | 3:12.67 | 3:22.99 | top 47.1% | 1,762 / 4,196 | |
| 3×3 Multi-Blind | 5 of 6 cubes · 54:43 | — | early days — 3 solves | 363 / 731 | |
| Square-1 | 42.35 | 1:01.53 | top 68.2% | 4,487 / 6,743 | |
| 4×4 blindfolded | 18:30.00 | — | early days — 2 solves | 367 / 440 |
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
- 29 Nov 2025First sub-10 3×3: 9.57 at Minnesota Championship 2025.
- 29 Nov 2025Eight personal bests in one day at Minnesota Championship 2025.
- 6 Jan 2024Six personal bests in one day at Milwaukee Cubing Mania 2024.
- 1 Jul 2023Four personal bests in one day at Mini Minnesota Summer 2023.
- 5 Feb 2023Five personal bests in one day at Dubuque Winter 2023.
- 20 Aug 2022Three personal bests in one day at Side Events Minnesota 2022.
Competitions
- Minnesota Championship 2025 · 29 Nov 2025 — 8 personal bests set
- Corny Cubers Iowa Classic 2025 · 13 Sep 2025 — 2 personal bests set
- Milwaukee Cubing Mania 2024 · 6 Jan 2024 — 6 personal bests set
- OH in a Madison Ballroom 2023 · 8 Jul 2023 — 2 personal bests set
- Mini Minnesota Summer 2023 · 1 Jul 2023 — 4 personal bests set
- Fitchburg FMC 2023 · 27 Jun 2023 — 2 personal bests set
- Minnesota Cube Melt 2023 · 27 May 2023 — 2 personal bests set
- Door County Cube Challenge 2023 · 20 May 2023 — 1 personal best set
- Dubuque Winter 2023 · 5 Feb 2023 — 5 personal bests set
- Mental Breakdown Minnesota 2022 · 21 Aug 2022 — 1 personal best set
- Side Events Minnesota 2022 · 20 Aug 2022 — 3 personal bests set
- Milwaukee First 2022 · 6 Aug 2022 — 3 personal bests set
- Puzzles at Wisconsin Spring 2022 · 28 May 2022 — 3 personal bests set
- UIUC Fall 2019 · 1 Dec 2019 — 3 personal bests set
- North Liberty 2019 · 19 Oct 2019 — 5 personal bests set
- Iowa State Spring 2017 · 18 Mar 2017 — 1 personal best set
- Wisconsin Winter 2017 · 12 Feb 2017
- Indiana 2016 · 25 Jun 2016
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.
- Carter Kucala — met in 104 rounds, finished ahead once
- Walker Welch — met in 83 rounds, never finished ahead
- Simon Kellum — met in 73 rounds, finished ahead 4 times
Next targets
- A sub-8 3×3 single — 7,931 people have one; it is 1.57 away.
- A sub-6 Clock single — 2,324 people have one; it is 1.48 away.
Targets move as he improves.