Yu Nakajima of Japan won the main event at the 2007 Rubik's Cube world championship Sunday, October 7.Nakajima, 16, was able to solve the classic 3x3 cube — which has six sides of a different color with nine tiles each on each side — in an average time of 12.46 seconds over five attempts.
He earned the top award of €5,000 (US$7,000), from total prize money of €20,000 (US$28,000) distributed at the three-day, which began Friday.
Andrew Kang of the United States was second and Mitsuki Gunji of Japan third.
Kang set the best time for a single attempt at the championship — 10.88 seconds. The world record is 9.86 seconds, held since May by Thibaut Jacquinot of France.
More than 250 competitors from 33 countries took part in the event, the fourth world championship overall and the first to be held in Hungary — where the game was invented by Erno Rubik in 1974 — since competition began in 1982.
Others showed their skill at solving the cube blindfolded, with one hand or with their feet.
Finland's Anssi Vanhala was fastest with his feet at 49.33 seconds, although his favorite cube — which players customize with everything from silicon lubricants to talcum powder — was stolen during the competition.
"I am very happy with the victory because I had set myself a target of 50 seconds, which I bettered," said Vanhala, 15, who also was a finalist in the 3x3 category won by Nakajima.
Ryan Patricio, 18, a high school senior from Temecula, California, defended his world title in the one-hand category with a new world record, averaging 21.13 seconds in five attempts.
"Definitely there is room improvement and I expect a sub-20 (second) average at the next world championship in two years," said Patricio, who competed in an anorak.
Hungary's Matyas Kuti was fastest solving the 4x4 and 5x5 cubes and also won several of the blindfold events, which seemed to draw the biggest respect from his peers.
Blindfold contestants try to solve the game by memorizing the position of key cubes before covering their eyes. Kuti's best blindfolded time for the 3x3 cube was just over 1 minute, 7 seconds.
Electronic timers were used and players solved the cubes set to a certain position — which varied by category and were determined with the help of computers.
Rubik, an engineer who developed several other mechanical games after the cube, made a rare public appearance at the medal ceremony, helping to hand out the main awards.
"I'm glad the cube is reaching new generations, who face it with fresh wonder, curiosity and enthusiasm," the game's creator said.
World championships were also held in Canada in 2003 and in the United States in 2005.(AP)
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