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The Middle Three
People → China → Zhiyuan Chen (陈智源)

People · China

Zhiyuan Chen (陈智源)

3×3 · top 3.8% of 284,439 all-time · competing since December 2015 · 2015CHEZ01

Zhiyuan Chen (陈智源) has been competing for 11 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 8.54, set at Xuzhou Zenith 2026, puts him in the top 3.8% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 1,447th in China. Until July 2008, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 30 competitions since December 2015, he has put 562 official solves on the record across eleven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 13% around a typical one, steadier than 51% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 16.52 in December 2015 to 8.54, a 48% improvement. Zhiyuan has entered 30 competitions, more competitions than 98% of everyone who has ever competed.

3×3
best event — top 3.8% of 284,439 all-time
8.54
signature single · Xuzhou Zenith 2026
562
official solves on the record
13%
solve-to-solve spread · steadier than 51% of the field

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingChina
3×38.5410.99
top 3.8%1,447 / 28,153
4×432.4237.87
top 4.5%439 / 5,926
3×3 one-handed15.2118.88
top 8.6%814 / 5,922
5×51:11.301:15.99
top 12.5%616 / 2,816
6×62:29.082:30.89
top 25.2%540 / 1,349
Clock11.2913.58
top 31.5%745 / 1,843
7×74:30.337:04.79
top 41.2%768 / 1,261
Pyraminx9.2414.15
top 46.9%4,965 / 10,224
2×26.289.32
top 53.7%9,136 / 15,796
3×3 Fewest Moves43 moves—
early days — 2 solves691 / 1,058
Skewb29.96—
early days — 1 solve4,846 / 5,004

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

Nanchang Winter 2015: 16.52Nanjing Spring 2016: 12.94Jinhua Open 2016: 15.23Asian Championship 2016: 11.49Hangzhou Autumn 2016: 11.08Xi'an New Year 2017: 12.58Shanghai Love In ECNU 2017: 11.70Hefei Open 2017: 11.68HDU Open 2017: 10.32Hangzhou Spring 2018: 11.92Hangzhou Open 2018: 10.74SJTU Winter Open 2018: 10.21Hefei Spring 2019: 11.26Hefei Summer 2019: 12.25China Championship 2019: 10.00Taizhou Open 2019: 10.28Nanchang Good Afternoon 2021: 10.35Hangzhou Open PM 2021: 9.20Kunshan Open 2024: 11.67Xi'an Cherry Blossom 2025: 9.83Lishui Open 2025: 9.73Ningbo Autumn 2025: 11.01Xianju Special 2026: 10.42Yancheng Spring Open 2026: 10.38Xuzhou Zenith 2026: 8.548.5416.5227 Dec 201511 Apr 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-8 3×3 single — 7,931 people have one; it is 0.54 away.
  • A sub-30 4×4 single — 2,388 people have one; it is 2.42 away.

Targets move as he improves.