SINGAPORE — Some struggle for hours to solve a Rubik's Cube, others take minutes to do so.
Daryl Tan is able to work out the puzzle in seconds — with one hand, no less — while being suspended upside down or submerged underwater.
The 22-year-old Singaporean holds 11 Guinness World Records titles for his speedcubing feats, which in itself is another achievement. No other cubing aficionado globally holds as many records.
His feats have made it to the Guinness World Records 2025 book. Released on Sept 12, the latest edition marks the 70th anniversary of the series, which has sold more than 150 million copies in more than 100 countries.
The Singapore Institute of Technology second-year undergraduate, who is pursuing an honours degree in physiotherapy, picked up cubing when he was in Primary 6.
"My friend brought a Rubik's Cube to school and solved it in 50 seconds. I was impressed," recalls the St Andrew's Junior School alumnus.
The puzzle toy, which has been around for 50 years, was invented by Hungarian sculptor-architect Erno Rubik. Beyond the classic 3x3 cube, it now comes in many variants.
Tan learnt basic cubing techniques on YouTube after the PSLE, and, within a month, improved his timing from four minutes to under 30 seconds.
As he became more adept, he started juggling balls while unscrambling the puzzle.
In 2020, he broke the Guinness World Record set by a fellow Singaporean for "fastest time to solve a Rubik's Cube whilst juggling", with a timing of 17.16 seconds.
"That was the only record that I wanted to break initially. Then I got curious about other existing speedcubing record titles," recalls Tan, then a 19-year-old student at Republic Polytechnic's Sports and Exercise Sciences diploma course.
"Some were quite easy to break, such as solving a cube while hanging upside down on a monkey bar. I thought: 'Why not give it a shot?'"
His 56-year-old father, an engineer, and 64-year-old mother, a financial adviser, have always been supportive of their younger son’s pursuit of record-breaking feats. They have an elder son aged 25, who is also an undergraduate.
Tan, who is also a national sprinter, claimed the title of “fastest 100m solving a 3x3x3 rotating puzzle cube” in May 2023 with a timing of 13.61 seconds.
“But my parents were worried about some challenges, especially the underwater ones which could be quite risky. I had to hold my breath for as long as possible, so it put me at risk of passing out.”
Six of his record titles, achieved between April 2021 and February 2024, involved him cubing while submerged underwater. Today, he can hold his breath underwater for 3½ minutes.
“When I did the underwater training in a tub at home, I made sure my brother was at home so he could save me in case anything went wrong,” he adds with a laugh.
Since 2020, he has picked up 17 Guinness World Records titles but lays claim to only 11 now. The rest have been broken by other cubers.
“I’m happy for them,” he says. “Obviously, I hope to hold a record for as long as I can. But I understand that I’m not the only competitive guy out there.”
What remains on his bucket list is to complete a Rubik’s Cube while in free fall. He approached a few skydiving companies when he was on a family holiday in California in 2023.
“They rejected my request because they were concerned that I’d accidentally drop the cube and cause safety issues,” he says.
Recently, he applied to Guinness World Records to attempt another 14 challenges and is awaiting the organisation's go-ahead.
Through this, he hopes to inspire children to put down their phones and pick up a Rubik's Cube.
"A cube, which costs from about $5, can be a fun toy and help train cognitive skills and critical thinking," says Tan, who does cubing coaching as a side hustle on weekends. His youngest student is a seven-year-old boy.
Contrary to popular belief, he says one does not have to be a maths genius to solve the cube.
He adds: "There are algorithms that you have to learn, but just like any other skill, such as riding a bicycle, you just need to practise. Don't get intimidated by it."
• Guinness World Records 2025 annual book is available at major bookstores for $42.01.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
