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The Middle Three
Competitions → Japan → Kobe Open 2018

Competitions · Japan

Kobe Open 2018

Kobe, Hyogo · 25 February 2018 · 7 events · 52 competitors · 47 personal bests

Soichi Akamatsu (赤松聡一) won three of the seven events (3×3, 4×4, 5×5) and the closest final was the 3×3, won by Soichi Akamatsu (赤松聡一) by 0.23 seconds. 52 competitors produced 47 personal bests, 8 of which still stand today, and seven people held a competitor card for the first time.

The moment

A national record

Soichi Akamatsu (赤松聡一) set the 4×4 average national record: 28.73.

Three wins
Soichi Akamatsu (赤松聡一) — 3×3, 4×4, 5×5
0.23s
closest final — 3×3, Soichi Akamatsu (赤松聡一) over Makoto Takaoka (高岡誠)
47
personal bests set on the day

Winners & podiums

EventWinnerSingleAverage
3×3Soichi Akamatsu (赤松聡一)8.889.26
2×2Makoto Takaoka (高岡誠)1.702.46
4×4Soichi Akamatsu (赤松聡一)28.1830.15
5×5Soichi Akamatsu (赤松聡一)1:02.731:07.68
3×3 blindfoldedTeruki Tamura (田村旭輝)50.77
MegaminxMasayuki Hirai (平井雅之)47.5949.59
PyraminxTakayuki Ookusa (大艸尊之)3.244.95

The PB harvest

47 set · 8 still standing

First-timers

Seven people competed for the first time at this competition, joining the 26,076 people who made their debut in 2018. Start here explains what a first competition is like.

Records watch

1 regional record was set at this competition.

The field

52 competitors · 212 results · 7 events.

Solve this final yourself

how this works →

The 3×3 final here ran on one scramble group, so these five sequences are exactly what the finalists faced. Soichi Akamatsu (赤松聡一) won it with a 9.26 average. Hold your cube white centre up, green centre facing you, follow each sequence, and check against the pictures.

  1. 1F D2 B D2 U2 B L2 B' F' L' U F U2 L' R U2 B R' U R2
  2. 2F2 D' L2 D F2 D R2 D2 B2 D B F L' U F' R D F2 U' R B'
  3. 3F' B2 L U' D' R D F' B R D F2 R2 D' L2 U' L2 B2 R2 L2
  4. 4D2 F2 L2 R2 U' F2 D' F2 R2 U F L R U L' R2 U L' B2 F2
  5. 5L2 D R2 B2 D2 R2 U' R2 B2 U2 R' F2 U F L' D' F2 U' B U

solve 1

solve 2

solve 3

solve 4

solve 5

Race this final

Everyone who competed

52 competitors

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 final is a competition's last round; its order decides the podium · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · every solve starts from a computer-generated scramble, the same for every competitor in a round.