People · United States
William Niu
3×3 one-handed · top 2.3% of 73,695 all-time · competing since October 2015 · 2015NIUW01
William Niu has been competing for 11 years. His best event is the 3×3 one-handed: a personal-best single of 11.45, set at Massachusetts Championship 2019, puts him in the top 2.3% of the 73,695 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 375th in the United States. Until August 2010, no official 3×3 one-handed solve in the world had been that fast. Across 9 competitions since October 2015, he has put 376 official solves on the record across nine events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, steadier than 87% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 21.89 in October 2015 to 9.70, a 56% improvement. William has entered nine competitions, more competitions than 91% 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 one-handed | 11.45 | 17.48 | top 2.3% | 375 / 15,683 | |
| 2×2 | 2.10 | 3.79 | top 5.4% | 2,170 / 40,951 | |
| 3×3 | 9.70 | 11.35 | top 6.6% | 3,642 / 59,724 | |
| Pyraminx | 4.11 | 4.97 | top 8.2% | 2,103 / 28,708 | |
| 4×4 | 44.63 | 55.27 | top 17.8% | 2,712 / 19,072 | |
| Megaminx | 1:28.99 | 1:44.69 | top 27.5% | 1,904 / 7,841 | |
| Square-1 | 22.58 | 39.24 | top 33.7% | 2,197 / 6,743 | |
| 5×5 | 1:45.39 | 1:51.98 | top 39.5% | 3,175 / 9,401 | |
| Skewb | 8.80 | 11.51 | top 47.1% | 8,335 / 18,907 |
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
- 26 Jul 2019Eight personal bests in one day at Massachusetts Championship 2019.
- 1 Oct 2017Three personal bests in one day at WPI Fall Cube Fest 2017.
- 5 Nov 2016First sub-10 3×3: 9.70 at Phillips Exeter Cube Day 2016.
- 5 Nov 2016Five personal bests in one day at Phillips Exeter Cube Day 2016.
- 25 Jun 2016Four personal bests in one day at Lexington Summer 2016.
- 28 May 2016Four personal bests in one day at Northeastern Spring 2016.
Competitions
- Massachusetts Championship 2019 · 26 Jul 2019 — 8 personal bests set
- WPI Fall Cube Fest 2017 · 1 Oct 2017 — 3 personal bests set
- Phillips Exeter Cube Day 2016 · 5 Nov 2016 — 5 personal bests set
- Lexington Summer 2016 · 25 Jun 2016 — 4 personal bests set
- Northeastern Spring 2016 · 28 May 2016 — 4 personal bests set
- MIT Spring 2016 · 30 Apr 2016 — 6 personal bests set
- Melrose Winter 2016 · 20 Feb 2016 — 3 personal bests set
- MIT Fall 2015 · 12 Dec 2015 — 3 personal bests set
- Phillips Exeter Cube Day 2015 · 3 Oct 2015
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.
- Will Russo — met in 65 rounds, finished ahead 25 times
- Alex Cohen — met in 63 rounds, finished ahead 35 times
- Samuel Brenner — met in 62 rounds, never finished ahead
Next targets
- A sub-10 3×3 one-handed single — 779 people have one; it is 1.45 away.
- A sub-2 2×2 single — 8,848 people have one; it is 0.10 away.
Targets move as he improves.