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The Middle Three
People → China → Tao Zhu (朱韬)

People · China

Tao Zhu (朱韬)

3×3 blindfolded · top 3.5% of 12,178 all-time · competing since December 2023 · 2023ZHUT01

Tao Zhu (朱韬) has been competing for 3 years. His best event is the 3×3 blindfolded: a personal-best single of 27.43, set at Yancheng Open 2025, puts him in the top 3.5% of the 12,178 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 57th in China. Until October 2012, no official 3×3 blindfolded solve in the world had been that fast. Across 28 competitions since December 2023, he has put 442 official solves on the record across twelve events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 14% around a typical one; 72% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. His 3×3 best has come down from 11.99 in December 2023 to 10.36, a 14% improvement. Tao has entered 28 competitions, more competitions than 98% of everyone who has ever competed.

3×3 blindfolded
best event — top 3.5% of 12,178 all-time
27.43
signature single · Yancheng Open 2025
442
official solves on the record
14%
solve-to-solve spread · wider than 72% of the field

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingChina
3×3 blindfolded27.4353.21
top 3.5%57 / 1,183
3×310.3612.96
top 8.5%3,338 / 28,153
Clock6.479.05
top 9.0%193 / 1,843
Pyraminx5.266.94
top 14.8%1,747 / 10,224
2×23.184.63
top 16.4%2,628 / 15,796
Megaminx1:12.841:33.60
top 17.3%520 / 1,678
4×449.4952.81
top 24.1%2,564 / 5,926
Square-118.4124.38
top 24.4%410 / 1,362
3×3 one-handed23.3027.28
top 29.6%2,870 / 5,922
Skewb7.088.26
top 34.3%2,087 / 5,004
3×3 Fewest Moves40 moves—
early days — 3 solves560 / 1,058
5×52:01.59—
top 50.2%2,104 / 2,816

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

Shenyang Open 2023: 11.99Hangzhou Spring 2024: 12.82Luoyang Spring 2024: 14.43Shenyang Spring 2024: 13.46Kunshan Open 2024: 12.09Tianjin Open 2024: 12.56Xi'an Open 2024: 13.90Xuzhou Autumn 2024: 12.48Hangzhou Open 2024: 14.23Yancheng Open 2024: 12.60Cube n' Chill in Chiang Mai 2025: 13.25Xuzhou Newcomers 2025: 10.87Yancheng Open 2025: 12.47Taizhou Open 2025: 13.23Beijing Only 3x3 2025: 12.39Hangzhou Winter 2025: 12.05Yancheng Spring Open 2026: 12.05Hangzhou Open 2026: 14.28Huanggang Open 2026: 10.3610.3614.4317 Dec 20237 Jun 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-25 3×3 blindfolded single — 355 people have one; it is 2.43 away.
  • A sub-10 3×3 single — 21,172 people have one; it is 0.36 away.

Targets move as he improves.