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People → Singapore → Samuel Lai (赖文辉)

People · Singapore

Samuel Lai (赖文辉)

4×4 · top 7.1% of 85,040 all-time · competing since February 2015 · 2015LAIS01

Samuel Lai (赖文辉) has been competing for 12 years. His best event is the 4×4: a personal-best single of 35.35, set at Singapore Aug Even 2026, puts him in the top 7.1% of the 85,040 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 64th in Singapore. Until October 2010, no official 4×4 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 48 competitions since February 2015, he has put 689 official solves on the record across eight events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, steadier than 82% of the 36,406 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 5×5 best has come down from 2:39.96 in February 2015 to 1:04.02, a 60% improvement. Samuel has entered 48 competitions, more competitions than 99% of everyone who has ever competed.

4×4
best event — top 7.1% of 85,040 all-time
35.35
signature single · Singapore Aug Even 2026
689
official solves on the record
11%
solve-to-solve spread · steadier than 82% of the field

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingSingapore
4×435.3540.01
top 7.1%64 / 466
6×61:50.321:57.74
top 7.4%22 / 127
7×72:48.362:52.52
top 7.4%21 / 96
5×51:04.021:09.71
top 7.9%39 / 254
3×311.6914.61
top 12.9%320 / 1,559
2×24.356.08
top 31.1%419 / 1,064
Megaminx1:38.881:44.66
top 34.1%96 / 199
3×3 blindfolded5:09.33—
early days — 2 solves72 / 82

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

Singapore Rubik's Cube Competition 2015: 2:39.96Singapore Rubik's Cube Competition 2016: 1:47.43Singapore Rubik's Cube Competition 2017: 1:43.02Singapore Cube Championship 2018: 1:19.97Singapore Cube Championship 2019: 1:23.08NTU Open 2019: 1:19.09Singapore Mofun & FIS Cubing 2022: 1:08.19NTU Big Cube Open 2022: 1:10.75Johor Big Cube Challenge 2022: 1:05.22Singapore Championship 2023: 1:08.56UoSM Cube Day 2023: 1:07.81Singapore Special 2023: 1:05.25Singapore Max 2023: 1:08.39Johor Big Cube Challenge 2023: 1:09.97Singapore Masters 2023: 1:14.94MYHM Singapore Championship 2024: 1:04.02Please Don't Pop Austin 2024: 1:05.75Singapore Special 2024: 1:08.86Singapore Max 2024: 1:07.78Singapore NxNxN 2024: 1:09.73Singapore Championship 2025: 1:09.60OH My March Singapore 2025: 1:10.62No Parity Mayhem Singapore 2025: 1:06.92Coping in July Singapore 2025: 1:12.80Singapore Championship 2026: 1:13.79Mid March Singapore 2026: 1:12.37Singapore Skewby March 2026: 1:06.26NUS Masters 2026: 1:09.20NUS Clock Clash 2026: 1:10.39NUS Mini 2026: 1:06.42Odd July Singapore 2026: 1:12.09Singapore Polytechnic September Showdown 2026: 1:07.931:04.022:39.9614 Feb 201519 Sep 2026

Best single per competition, 5×5. 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-30 4×4 single — 2,465 people have one; it is 5.35 away.
  • A sub-1:30 6×6 single — 346 people have one; it is 20.32 away.

Targets move as he improves.