A RUBIK’S Cube champion is eyeing World Cup glory for the UK less than a year after moving to the country.
Chris Mills moved from New Zealand to East Hoathly, near Uckfield, in January.
Since then, the dual citizen has become the UK’s national record holder in the traditional three-by-three Rubik’s Cube solve and reigning world champion in the rescramble event.
The rescramble gives competitors a solved cube and asks them to match the pattern on a randomly scrambled one, which Chris managed in just 17.6 seconds to beat his German opponent Ricky Meiler in the 2020 tournament.
Speaking ahead of today's Red Bull Rubik’s Cube World Cup, the 19-year-old said he is relishing the opportunity to compete but admitted “there’s always more stuff to learn”.
“There’s more techniques, there’s more algorithms, there’s more tricks,” he said.
“At competitions, it’s not hostile at all. If you look at the top guys in speed-cubing, they’re all like great mates. They’ll chat to each other online, give each other tips.
“I think it’s great - it’s such a convenient sport. It’s pretty cheap and you can take it anywhere.
“I always have one in my bag with me. You can just get a timer on your phone and you’re good to go.”
Chris first became inspired to learn speed-cubing after watching a video of the 2013 World Championships as a 12-year-old.
“I just thought it was awesome. I saw a competition that was reasonably close to me that was just a few months away, so I signed up for that,” he said.
“I was the kind of kid who would pick up a hobby and do it for a few weeks and then drop it and move on to something new, but after my first competition I knew I really liked it, I was like ‘when’s the next one? I want to go to the next one’.”
The Red Bull Rubik’s Cube World Cup is due to take place virtually today.
The Rubik’s Cube was created by Hungarian inventor Erno Rubik in 1974.
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