CHENNAI: It is hard to see stress wrinkles on Krishna Sai’s face when he is solving the Rubik’s cube. Go a little closer and you’ll notice that the cringed lines on his forehead actually indicate focus. And it is precisely this concentration that won Krishna laurels. On Sunday, the 20-year-old broke the previous Guinness Book of World Record by solving the maximum number of cubes with one hand in just 24 hours. He went past the record mark of 2,176 around two and half hours before the stipulated time but continued to cube till he reached 2,474 solves. “It is not enough to break and make records. One should also try to set high benchmarks,” said Krishna, who is based in Chennai.
His family came out in full support throughout the event, and also provided food and drinks to the spectators.Krishna started to cube when he was in class 8. He started taking part in events only after 2014. “I took part in most of the Chennai-based events as it was not possible for me to travel much due to my hectic schedule,” he said. He learned to cube from his friends in school, and by watching YouTube videos to master the art and learn new algorithms. “I am inspired by a Canadian cuber, Antoine Cantin. He helped in solving the cubes and breaking the old record,” Krishna shares. He further explains that in Cantin’s method, you can skip steps like Orientation of last layer (OLL) and Permutation of last layer (PLL), which in turn will help you solve the cube faster.
Talking about his experience at the event, Krishna said that it is a physical drill and a thrilling experience to cube for so long. “I was drinking only juice and water so that I don’t fall asleep,” he said. Krishna came up with this idea when he saw Bharghav Narshima solve five cubes in one minute and 23 seconds. “I wanted to do something like him, but could not match his efficiency and speed. So I thought of breaking the previous record instead as I am better at one-hand solves,” he said.
The new Guinness record holder also loves to travel with his friends and family. He loves to sing, and is a trained Carnatic singer. “My father is a violinist and that’s where my brother and I learned music from,” he says. His most memorable performance is singing at a 24-hour temple concert.The cuber’s daily routine includes going to college, and practicing music for two hours after college. “I usually cube after my music practice. It has now become my hobby,” he added.