BANGKOK, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Will an American become the next Rubik's Cube world champion?  16 competitors from the U.S. are preparing to make the trip to Bangkok, Thailand October 14-16, 2011 to earn their places in Speedcubing history as they go up against 350 competitors from nearly 40 countries in 19 hard-fought events at the bi-annual World Rubik's Cube Championship.  The three-day event taking place at the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Thailand's tallest building, culminates with the crowning of the "World Rubik's Cube Champion" with the 3x3 Rubik's Cube event.  The last American to hold this title was Dan Knights in 2003.

This year, Breandan Vallance of the United Kingdom will be defending his title that he won in 2009 in Dusseldorf, Germany with an average solve time of 10.74 seconds.  Glory, however, isn't the only motivating factor for competitors – U.S. competitor Chris Hardwick cites the fun and friendly nature of the Rubik's Cube community as a major draw.

"I find all of the people who go to cubing competitions to be amazing and fun to be around," said 27-year-old competitor Chris Hardwick from Raleigh, NC.  "The community of Rubik's Cube solvers is very eclectic and interesting, and the most fun part of any competition is always the informal dinner after the award ceremony where everyone 'crashes' a random restaurant for dinner and conversation."

While solving a Rubik's Cube in a matter of seconds may seem daunting to some, competitors heading to the 2011 World Rubik's Cube Championship reveal that time, patience, practice, and setting goals are crucial to success.  According to Shelley Chang, a 26-year-old competitor from Redwood City, CA, "The Rubik's Cube really isn't a mystery or purely the domain of mathematical geniuses anymore.  Anyone can learn to solve it – it just requires a little patience and the willingness to learn a few simple move sequences. Now, when you start trying to solve it faster for time, that's when it gets addictive."

U.S. fans of the Rubik's Cube can get in on the action through a new grassroots initiative dubbed "You CAN Do The Rubik's Cube," which aims to teach youth how to unlock the secret and hone 21^st Century skills like perseverance and following directions.  The program offers a free Rubik's Cube Solution Guide for those interested in learning how to solve the puzzle, available free for download via YouCanDoTheCube.com.  Once the Cube's algorithms have been learned and memorized, fans can test their wits and dexterity in new and even strange ways – speedcubing and solving the Rubik's Cube with feet or blindfolded are just some of the talents showcased at the 2011 World Rubik's Cube Championship.

The World Rubik's Cube Championship is comprised of 19 official events, including the following speedsolving events:  2x2 Rubik's Cube, 4x4 Rubik's Cube, 5x5 Rubik's Cube, one-handed 3x3 Rubik's Cube, 3x3 Rubik's Cube (fewest moves), 3x3 Rubik's Cube with feet, Pyraminx, Square-1, Megaminx, Rubik's Clock, Rubik's Magic, Master Magic, 3x3 Rubik's Cube blindfolded, 4x4 Rubik's Cube blindfolded, 5x5 Rubik's Cube blindfolded, and Lucky Draw.  Each of the events have varying cash prizes for the winners.

For additional details about the 2011 World Rubik's Cube Championship, visit the official website.  For more information about the Rubik's Cube, including fun facts, visit www.Rubiks.com or visit the official Rubik's Facebook page.

About The Rubik's Cube

The fiendishly difficult, but entrancing Rubik's Cube (350 million have been sold since its launch in 1980) may have 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 – that's 43 quintillion - possible combinations on its six coloured faces – but it has only ONE solution.  Once it has been 'scrambled' you solve The Cube by twisting its fifty-four squares around the ingenious central axis - until all six faces consist of solid blocks of color.

Now once again enjoying enormous popularity worldwide, the iconic Rubik's Cube's fascination and fun factor is undiminished.  Rather, it is magnified by the power of the web's social networking possibilities, providing super-celebrity status for the 'wonder boy' Speedcubers – some of whom solve the puzzle in less than 10 seconds, or just over a half a minute - blindfolded.  

Rubik's Cube® is a registered trademark of Seven Towns Ltd.

SOURCE Rubik's Cube