People · China
Zhichen Yao (姚知辰)
3×3 · top 3.3% of 288,433 all-time · competing since November 2025 · 2025YAOZ01
Zhichen Yao (姚知辰) has been competing for 11 months. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 8.26, set at Foshan Open 2026, puts him in the top 3.3% of the 288,433 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 1,253rd in China. Until July 2008, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 3 competitions since November 2025, he has put 133 official solves on the record across seven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 15% around a typical one, an early reading from 5 counted rounds. Zhichen has entered three competitions, more competitions than 69% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | China | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 8.26 | 9.51 | top 3.3% | 1,253 / 28,499 | |
| Pyraminx | 2.98 | 5.20 | top 3.6% | 441 / 10,269 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 15.00 | 18.87 | top 8.2% | 808 / 5,994 | |
| 2×2 | 2.68 | 3.19 | top 10.8% | 1,671 / 15,939 | |
| 4×4 | 41.26 | 44.85 | top 13.6% | 1,508 / 5,999 | |
| Clock | 9.90 | 12.35 | top 24.4% | 575 / 1,887 | |
| Skewb | 8.12 | 11.93 | top 42.3% | 2,507 / 5,030 |
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
- 2 May 2026First sub-10 3×3: 8.26 at Foshan Open 2026.
- 2 May 2026Four personal bests in one day at Foshan Open 2026.
- 9 Nov 2025First competition: Guangzhou Small Cubes 2025. A 10.08 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Guangzhou Grand Open 2026 · 5 Oct 2026 — 1 personal best set
- Foshan Open 2026 · 2 May 2026 — 4 personal bests set
- Guangzhou Small Cubes 2025 · 9 Nov 2025 — 1 personal best set
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.
- Antonio Li Ka Ming (李家銘) — met in 26 rounds, finished ahead 12 times
- Zijian Cai (蔡子健) — met in 26 rounds, never finished ahead
- Zhiyuan Ma (马之元) — met in 26 rounds, never finished ahead
Next targets
- A sub-8 3×3 single — 8,101 people have one; it is 0.26 away.
- A sub-2 Pyraminx single — 1,497 people have one; it is 0.98 away.
Targets move as he improves.