Chen Zhen at a Rubik's Cube competition. [Photo/Yongpai App]

Fourteen-year-old Ningbo student Chen Zhen has made his mark on the world of speedcubing, setting a new World Cube Association (WCA) world record for the average single-handed solve of a 3x3 Rubik's Cube.

At the 2026 WCA Wuhu Open on July 25, Chen recorded an average time of 6.99 seconds across five solves, breaking the former world record and setting a new Chinese single-solve record of 6.12 seconds.

Chen first learned to solve a Rubik's Cube at age seven, but he did not become seriously interested in speedcubing until 2020. After his time improved from more than a minute to around 13 seconds, he began training for about 90 minutes every day.

In early 2024, Chen switched from two-handed to one-handed speedcubing, a more technically demanding discipline that requires precise finger movements and exceptional control. After nearly a year of training, he broke the Chinese single-handed average record in January 2025.

Today, China has five WCA world-record holders. As Rubik's Cube grows more popular among young people, Chen's achievement highlights the country's growing speedcubing community and the rising enthusiasm for intellectual sports among Chinese youth.