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The Middle Three
People → China → Yawen Liao (廖雅文)

People · China

Yawen Liao (廖雅文)

3×3 blindfolded · top 5.0% of 12,178 all-time · competing since May 2014 · 2014LIAO01

Yawen Liao (廖雅文) has been competing for 12 years. His best event is the 3×3 blindfolded: a personal-best single of 33.26, set at Xi'an Open 2024, puts him in the top 5.0% of the 12,178 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 86th in China. Until February 2010, no official 3×3 blindfolded solve in the world had been that fast. Across 6 competitions since May 2014, he has put 79 official solves on the record across three events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 13% around a typical one, an early reading from 8 counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 13.11 in May 2014 to 11.76, a 10% improvement. Yawen has entered six competitions, more competitions than 86% of everyone who has ever competed.

3×3 blindfolded
best event — top 5.0% of 12,178 all-time
33.26
signature single · Xi'an Open 2024
79
official solves on the record

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingChina
3×3 blindfolded33.26
top 5.0%86 / 1,183
3×3 one-handed13.9819.99
top 6.1%577 / 5,922
3×311.7612.40
top 13.1%5,161 / 28,153

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

Zhengzhou Open 2014: 13.11Wuhan Open 2015: 13.73Changsha Open 2023: 11.76Kunshan Open 2024: 11.90Xi'an Open 2024: 12.39Xi'an Cherry Blossom 2025: 11.8611.7613.7325 May 20144 Apr 2025

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-30 3×3 blindfolded single — 501 people have one; it is 3.26 away.
  • A sub-12 3×3 one-handed single — 2,187 people have one; it is 1.98 away.

Targets move as he improves.