From AIS with L♥ve | Inspiring Successful Futures

Ken is in Grade 6 at AIS and at age 12, this self-determined student has a very special talent. He can solve the Rubik’s Cube in under 20 seconds! Watch him solve the puzzle in just 17.7 seconds in the video below and then read what Ken has to say about it, in his own words.

I’ve been speedcubing for a year or less. In the beginning, I wasn’t really into speedcubing, I just wanted to solve it. So, I was solving it in one minute and 30 seconds or a minute. You have to memorize algorithms and every single case the Rubik’s Cube can have. Then, you just look at the cube and do the algorithms. It’s not really hard, it just takes some time to memorize the algorithms. For the Rubik’s Cube, the easiest ones, there’s only a few algorithms. But then when you want to get faster, the method I use has, I think, over 100 algorithms you have to memorize. My mom was impressed.  

An organisation called the WCA or “The World Cube Association” hosts speedcubing competitions all around the globe. You can do the 3×3 Rubik’s Cube – like the normal one, the 2×2, the 4×4 and there are also other special ones called Megaminx which is just a different shape (and more complex) than a regular Rubik’s Cube. There’s also the Pyramid Rubik’s Cube, there’s the 7×7, the 6×6, just a lot in competition. Competition is a really good place to practice and socialize overall because everyone is more accepting. It’s just a really fun experience.

I started with the Rubik’s Cube because I was just kind of bored and I didn’t really have anything to do and I thought of the Rubik’s Cube and I decided to learn it. At first, I had a friend who could solve the Rubik’s Cube and I didn’t understand it at all. But then, once I learned how to solve it, I realized it’s not as hard as people think it is. 

When people see me solve the Rubik’s Cube, some people react normally, but some people act surprised. It’s just kind of different for every single person. When Grade 5 watched me and then cheered, it was kind of cool because often no one does that in competitions unless it’s for a world record.