People · United States
Samuel Nichols
2×2 · top 4.0% of 186,767 all-time · competing since April 2019 · 2019NICH03
Samuel Nichols has been competing for 7 years. His best event is the 2×2: a personal-best single of 1.88, set at Fitchburg Spring 2026, puts him in the top 4.0% of the 186,767 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 1,585th in the United States. Until February 2008, no official 2×2 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 5 competitions since April 2019, he has put 167 official solves on the record across seven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 13% around a typical one, steadier than 54% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 2×2 best has come down from 5.29 in April 2019 to 1.88, a 64% improvement. Samuel has entered five competitions, more competitions than 83% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2×2 | 1.88 | 3.72 | top 4.0% | 1,585 / 40,951 | |
| 3×3 | 8.76 | 11.17 | top 4.3% | 2,403 / 59,724 | |
| Pyraminx | 5.64 | 6.82 | top 17.4% | 4,601 / 28,708 | |
| Skewb | 5.03 | 7.66 | top 18.4% | 2,924 / 18,907 | |
| 4×4 | 46.02 | 50.66 | top 19.6% | 2,976 / 19,072 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 20.82 | 25.76 | top 22.8% | 2,922 / 15,683 | |
| 5×5 | 1:27.83 | 1:47.02 | top 25.6% | 1,998 / 9,401 |
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, 2×2. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.
The story so far
- 25 Apr 2026Three personal bests in one day at Fitchburg Spring 2026.
- 18 May 2024First sub-10 3×3: 8.76 at Upper Valley Cube Day 2024.
- 18 May 2024Six personal bests in one day at Upper Valley Cube Day 2024.
- 19 Nov 2023First sub-15 3×3: 10.37 at Loon Cubikon 2023.
- 13 Apr 2019First competition: Burke Mountain Cubing 2019. A 19.31 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Wells Dual 2026 · 6 Jun 2026 — 2 personal bests set
- Fitchburg Spring 2026 · 25 Apr 2026 — 3 personal bests set
- Upper Valley Cube Day 2024 · 18 May 2024 — 6 personal bests set
- Loon Cubikon 2023 · 19 Nov 2023 — 2 personal bests set
- Burke Mountain Cubing 2019 · 13 Apr 2019
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.
- Ryan Durette — met in 30 rounds, finished ahead 8 times
- Ethan Zhuang — met in 25 rounds, finished ahead 3 times
- Derek White — met in 25 rounds, never finished ahead
Next targets
- A sub-1 2×2 single — 1,032 people have one; it is 0.88 away.
- A sub-8 3×3 single — 7,931 people have one; it is 0.76 away.
Targets move as he improves.