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People · Philippines

James Benedict Cañares

3×3 · top 5.6% of 288,433 all-time · competing since August 2007 · 2007CANA01

James Benedict Cañares has been competing for 19 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 9.28, set at Clash Of Cubers Davao 2015, puts him in the top 5.6% of the 288,433 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 568th in the Philippines. Until February 2008, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 34 competitions since August 2007, he has put 1,163 official solves on the record across ten events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, steadier than 85% of the 36,406 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 14.00 in August 2007 to 9.28, a 34% improvement. James has entered 34 competitions, more competitions than 98% of everyone who has ever competed.

3×3
best event — top 5.6% of 288,433 all-time
9.28
signature single · Clash Of Cubers Davao 2015
1,163
official solves on the record
11%
solve-to-solve spread · steadier than 85% of the field

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingPhilippines
3×39.2811.80
top 5.6%568 / 6,429
2×23.495.71
top 20.2%965 / 4,353
3×3 one-handed20.3726.85
top 21.5%577 / 2,491
4×453.041:04.06
top 28.5%783 / 2,174
Pyraminx8.4616.03
top 40.2%1,177 / 2,661
Megaminx2:09.562:41.19
top 51.1%383 / 700
5×52:35.272:50.39
top 68.3%730 / 943
3×3 blindfolded6:59.69—
early days — 2 solves265 / 280
Clock1:12.781:21.68
top 99.3%542 / 543
Square-12:56.70—
early days — 2 solves380 / 382

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

Philippines Open 2007: 14.00Cebu Open 2008: 10.68Philippines Open 2008: 11.46Iligan Open 2008: 12.11Cebu Open 2009: 11.55Rizal Open 2009: 12.63Bulacan Open 2009: 10.63Cebu Masters 2009: 11.00Cebu Open 2010: 11.00Cube Ta Bai 2011: 10.61Philippine Open 2011: 9.33Cebu Open 2011: 10.31Cagayan de Oro Open 2012: 10.88Cebu Open 2015: 12.05Clash Of Cubers Davao 2015: 9.28Cubing for a Cause 2015: 11.64Rise of Cubers Tagum 2016: 10.13Cebu Masters 2016: 10.91Western Visayas Open 2016: 10.75Cebu Open 2016: 12.23Visayas Championship 2016: 11.57Philippine Championship 2016: 11.82Speedcubing Year End 2016: 10.95Iligan Open 2016: 12.26Cebu Open 2017: 12.08Visayas Championship 2017: 11.23Philippine Championship 2017: 11.87Cebu Masters 2017: 11.45Cebu Speedcubing Year End 2017: 10.93Iligan Open 2017: 10.59Visayas Championship 2018: 11.22Cebu Masters 2018: 11.78Philippine Championship 2024: 13.09Manchester September 2026: 11.479.2814.0025 Aug 200719 Sep 2026

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-8 3×3 single — 8,101 people have one; it is 1.28 away.
  • A sub-3 2×2 single — 27,049 people have one; it is 0.49 away.

Targets move as he improves.