Montreal teen breaks a national Rubik’s cube record
Posted May 16, 2022 11:02 pm.
Last Updated May 17, 2022 3:27 pm.
Can you solve the Rubik’s cube… blindfolded?
The answer is ‘yes’ for 17-year-old Montrealer Elliott Kobelansky, who set a new national record for the fastest time to solve a Rubik’s cube while blindfolded. At a competition hosted by the World Cube Association on Saturday, he did this in just 15.86 seconds.
“I felt very great,” said Kobelansky. “It’s something I’ve been working towards for a long time.”
#WATCH: 15.86 seconds – the new national record for the fastest time to solve a Rubik's cube while wearing a blindfold.
The record was set by 17-year-old Montrealer, Elliott Kobelansky, at a competition hosted by the World Cube Association.@theWCAofficial @PamelaPaganoMTL pic.twitter.com/SRF0fnhEgi
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) May 17, 2022
The previous record was 16.56 seconds, set by Alberta’s Jake Klassen.
But all these quick twists and turns didn’t come overnight for Kobelansky, its passion mixed with a lot of practice.
“It takes a bit of perseverance, but if you just stay committed and you follow some tutorials online… and you just don’t give up, you’ll be able to do it,” he said.
“After that, it becomes really easy, and you’ll probably get hooked as well.”
Elliott Kobelansky with Rubik’s cube when he was a young boy, he started learning how to solve the cube at six years old. (Credit: Elliott Kobelansky)
It was at just six years old when Kobelansky picked up the cube-shaped puzzle and decided to learn how to solve it.
Today, he is a five-time Canadian record holder.
And with more than 43 quintillion possible configurations, just how does he solve the cube blindfolded?
“The method I use blindfolded is, in very simple terms, I have a way to convert the cube into around 20 letters,” said Kobelansky. “Then if I remember those letters, I have a method to convert the letters into moves.”
Elliott Kobelansky and his father, Allan Kobelansky, at the World Cube Association competition in Montreal on Saturday, May 14, 2022. (Credit: Elliott Kobelansky)
The Rubik’s cube instantaneously became a sensation when released onto the world market in 1980.
More than 450 million have been sold to date – making it the best-selling toy in history.
And the cubing community that’s come out of it is what inspires Kobelansky.
“I have so many friends from all around the world,” he said. “I really like talking with them and hanging out with them, and I just I enjoy it.”
“I enjoy being in the (Rubik’s cube) community.”
