Frequently Asked Questions

First time at our competitions?

Q: How do I register?
A: Please see the information and links on the competiton's front page and follow the instructions fully and carefully. This competition's registration is run fully by Mind Sports Olympiad.

Q: I have a question specifically regarding Registration.
A: This competition's registration is run fully by Mind Sports Olympiad, please contact them for any queries regarding registration.

Q: Can I come only to spectate?
A: Yes! There is no need to book - you can just turn up on the day

Q: Are there different age categories?
A: No, all competitors compete on the same level and all ages are welcome.

Q: Am I allowed to bring a guest?
A: Yes, you can bring as many guests as you want.

Q: How fast do I have to be to compete?
A: Check out the Events tab - if you can make the time limit for the events you want to compete in, then you're fast enough!

Q: When can I leave the competition?
A: You are welcome to leave whenever you are not competing. If you have no more events left then you are not required to stay.

Q: Do I use my own cubes to compete?
A: Yes!

Q: How do I find live results?
A: You can see live results as soon as they're entered at WCA Live.

Q: What happens to my results after the competition?
A: Within a couple of days, they will all be posted to this page and if this is your first competition you will automatically have your very own WCA ID assigned.

Q: Do you have a mailing list?
A: Why yes, we do have a mailing list! Sign up here for announcements of future competitions and more.

Need to unregister?

Q: What do I do if I can no longer attend?
A: This competition's registration is run fully by Mind Sports Olympiad, please contact them for any queries regarding registration.

Something else you'd like to know?

We have a detailed Parents' Guide that covers the answers to many more questions, free from cubing jargon! Whilst primarily aimed at the parents of younger competitors, there is useful information for everyone to find within it.
Check it out here!

New Competitors

To register, make sure you have created a WCA account by going to the sign-up page and creating an account. Once you have created the account and confirmed your email address, follow the menu bar to the Register page and carefully follow the instructions.

If you are a new competitor, please make sure to:

• Familiarise yourself with the WCA Regulations by watching this tutorial for new competitors video. We will also be holding a live tutorial on both mornings of the competition.

• Bring some form of ID with you such as your passport, driver's licence, or birth certificate. Expired ID or photos of ID are both accepted.

Information for All Competitors

• Schedule Changes: Please note that the schedule is subject to change up until the Wednesday before the competition. Any major changes should be communicated in the precompetition email.

• Please help judge! As a competitor, your judging assignments are the absolute minimum you should be doing to help out. Since second rounds, third rounds and finals have no assigned judges, we really need people to help out whenever available for these. If you're a parent you can also get involved with running and juging, it's really easy! We will have a judging tutorial in the mornings as well, which will run through the process and will be tailored towards parents who want to get involved.

• No flash photography anywhere in the venue.

• If you are a spectator, please never stand further forward than the front row of spectator chairs.

• We will be taking videos and photographs of the competition and the environment for our social media pages and website. By attending the competition as a competitor or a guest, you are accepting that you may be filmed or photographed for these purposes.

Disclaimer

• There may be a photographer present at our events and by attending you give us permission to use any photos or videos you appear in on our website, our social media, or for other marketing purposes.
• The UKCA does not accept responsibility and expressly excludes liability to the fullest extent permitted by law for any loss or damage to any personal property; or for personal injury or illness suffered by you at a UKCA event.
• The UKCA is not responsible for any accommodation, travel or associated costs you might incur in the unlikely event that a competition has to be cancelled, rescheduled or relocated.
• Children under 18 years old should be accompanied by an adult.

Venue

The venue for MSO is the JW3 Community Centre
what3words: hang.fines.stays
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9AzXtZYtX4CBFWa96

Travel

Car: The postcode for the venuye is NW3 6ET.
Train: Finchley Road & Frognal station is served by London Overground and is a 1 minute walk from the venue. West Hampstead Stations (served by Thameslink and London Overground) are an 8 minute walk.
Plane: Any of the London airports will provide good connections to the venue using the Transport for London network. The closest airports would be London City Airport and London Heathrow.
Coach: Finchley Road Bus Station is served by Flixbus and BlaBlaBus and provide domestic and international connections (via Victoria Coach Station). This is located a 7 minute walk away from the venue.
Bus: Langland Gardens bus stop is located next to the venue, and is served by the 13 Bus and 113 Bus routes, which provide direct connections to central london.
Metro: West Hampstead station is served by the Jubilee line, and is located a 10m walk away.
Finchley Road station is served by the Jubilee Line and Metropolitan Line and is located a 8 minute walk away.
Hampstead Station is served by the Northern Line and is a 16 minute walk away.

Accommodation

• Holiday Inn Express - Swiss Cottage
• Premier Inn - Hampstead
• Quality Hotel - Hampstead

Disabled Access

The main entrance is fully accessible, and there are lifts within the centre for public use.

The Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO) is an annual week-long event that takes place in London. The MSO features over 80 tournaments in many disciplines.

Board games such as Catan and Carcassonne share the schedule with Chess, Backgammon and Poker, and there are also some non-game events with mental competitions and exam based events.

The MSO's most prestigious competition is the Pentamind World Championship, which is awarded to the player with the top 5 scores from different disciplines. It is a unique meta-event, which celebrates the best all-around game player in the world. The 2024 event takes place in London in August.

This year, in collaboration with the UKCA, the MSO is showcasing speedcubing for the second time!

Hello! We are the UK Cube Association and we are a completely volunteer-run organisation that hosts all cubing competitions in the UK. We are made up of a team of WCA delegates and staff, and we're passionate about giving people as many opportunities to compete in the UK as we can. We have organised over 100 competitions up and down the country with many more on the horizon and are always trying to find new locations to make cubing competitions as accessible as possible.

Make sure to follow our social media pages to keep up to date with the latest content and media!

UKCA is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 who attend our activities. Please read our Safeguarding Policy for more information about this. If you have any concerns, please contact us at SafeguardingUKCA@gmail.com.

Each event is run in groups, determined by how many people are competing in that event. Your scrambling and judging assignments are the minimum amount you should be helping out as it only is for first rounds. We always appreciate extra help!

Please note down which groups you are competing and scrambling in before arriving at the competition!

Groups

The groups will be generated a few days before the competition, so make sure to check back later to find out which groups you are in!