All competitors must read the WCA Regulations, paying particular attention to Article B: Blindfolded Solving. The WCA Delegates will be glad to answer questions about regulations during the competition.

The competition will take place in room M345 of the Technological Institute at Northwestern University. 3x3x3 Multi-Blind will be held next door in room M349. For each attempt, please submit your puzzles to the side room at the designated time and write how many cubes you are attempting in the left margin of your scorecard (to the left of the attempt number). Do not enter the side room while cubes are being scrambled without a delegate's permission.

During blindfolded events, everyone in the room must be silent so that competitors can concentrate. If you wish to socialize, please move to the hallway until the end of the round and talk quietly. If you are competing or judging in blindfolded events for the first time, here are a few important things to know:

1. For blindfolded events, the competitor lifts the cover off the cube, not the judge!
2. If you're judging a blindfolded event, don't hold the paper between the competitor and the cube until after the competitor applies a turn to the cube. This is because a competitor is allowed to remove their blindfold and look at the cube again if they haven't applied any turns.
3. In rounds with cumulative time limits, the judge writes how much time the competitor uses during a DNF attempt on the score card, e.g. DNF (1:23.45).
4. A stopwatch must be used for timing if the time limit is over 10 minutes; this includes cumulative time limits when the competitor has over 10 minutes remaining. If the competitor is not sure whether the solve will take longer than 10 minutes, a Speed Stacks timer and stopwatch should be used simultaneously.

Registration

To register for the competition, go to the Register tab on the left side of the page. We recommend registering as soon as registration opens to secure a spot. Note that your registration is not considered complete until payment has been made. Contact the organization team if you wish to add or remove events.

Waitlist

When the competition fills up, subsequent registrations will be placed on a waitlist. If a competitor withdraws their registration, they are replaced by the first competitor on the waitlist. You must pay the registration fee to join the waitlist, but the fee will be refunded in full if you do not make it off the waitlist by the time registration closes.

Refunds

Registrations may be cancelled by contacting the organization team. If you have been accepted into the competition, 80% of your fee will be refunded. If you are on the waitlist, 100% of your fee will be refunded. Refunds will only be issued if the request is made before the refund deadline on the General Info tab.

Students

Current students of Northwestern University may register for free. When registering, specify that you are a Northwestern student in the registration comments. Instead of paying the registration fee, send proof of your student status to dtong@worldcubeassociation.org within 24 hours. For example, this can be a picture of your Wildcard, enrollment verification, or unofficial transcript. You may redact your student ID number and any other sensitive information. If you do not provide proof of your student status within 24 hours, you will be removed from the registration list until proof is provided.

Directions

Warning: the building is large and difficult to navigate, so please allow at least 15 extra minutes to find the competition room. An interior map of the venue can be found here.

Parking

Parking at Northwestern is free on weekends. This map illustrates where you can park. We recommend parking in lot 132, which is a relatively large parking lot across the street from the venue. Lot 111 is smaller and adjacent to the venue.

Transit

The CTA Purple Line stops at Noyes, which is located 0.4 miles (a 10-minute walk) from the venue. CTA bus 201 has a stop right outside the venue. Metra line UP-N as well as Pace buses 208, 213, and 250 stop one mile away from the venue on Davis Street. For detailed transit directions, consult Google Maps.

Venue

The competition is located in the Technological Institute of Northwestern University; the building is often called "Tech" for short. From parking lot 132, cross Sheridan Road and enter through the main doors at the end of the patio. Once inside the building, use this map to locate room M345 on the third floor. Restroom locations are also marked on the map. Please enter and exit through the room's back entrance to avoid disturbing competitors at the front.

Food

The nearest food is 0.4 miles away from the venue on Noyes Street next to Noyes Station. Restaurants there include D&D Dogs, Tomate, Al's Deli, and Stacked & Folded. Downtown Evanston (about 1 mile away) has many more options. If you need something quick to eat, vending machines and microwaves are available on the first floor of Tech in a cafeteria area called Tech Express.

FAQ
Who can compete?
Everyone is welcome to compete. All you need to do is register for the events you are interested in.

Is there a competitor limit?
Yes, it is 25 competitors. We recommend registering right when registration opens to increase your chances of securing a spot.

How do I register?
Click on the registration tab on the competition website and follow the instructions. Note that your registration is not complete until payment is provided.

I registered and paid, but my name isn't on the competitor list. What is the status of my registration?
When the competition fills up, all competitors who register will be placed on the waitlist in order of payment. If a competitor drops from the competition, the first person on the waitlist will be admitted. When registration opens, we will post a link where you can check your position on the waitlist. All competitors who do not make it off the waitlist will receive a 100% refund after registration closes.

Do I use my own cube to compete?
Yes! You are responsible for your own hardware as stated in regulation 3a. Cubes will not be provided or sold at the competition.

Where can I find my WCA ID?
If you have never competed before, you do not have a WCA ID. You will automatically be assigned one when the results for your first competition are posted. If you have competed before, you can find your WCA ID and profile by searching for yourself on the WCA website.

Do spectators have to pay to attend?
Nope! Spectators may attend free of charge. However, we ask that competitors avoid bringing more than one or two guests due to space limitations.

I can only attend for part of the competition. Can I do my solves early or late?
Unfortunately, this is usually not possible due to schedule constraints. If you have an extenuating circumstance, feel free to notify the organization team, but we cannot guarantee that any special requests will be granted.

When do I need to show up?
Look at the Schedule tab on the competition page. You must be present and ready to compete during all events that you are registered for. The schedule is subject to change. We recommend coming at least 10 minutes before the start of your first event.

Where can I see the results for the competition?
During the competition, live results will be posted on WCA Live. These results are unofficial. A few days after the competition, official results will be posted on the WCA website.

More FAQs

Social Media

Get notified of upcoming competitions and other cubing events by joining the Midwest cubing community online!

Wisconsin & Illinois Speedcubing Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2382471798653473

In addition, if you are interested in organizing a competition, reach out to one of the Wisconsin or Illinois Delegates and we'll help you get started!