Mastering the Cube

This youngster first made a name for himself by holding the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to solve five Rubik’s Cubes one-handed at 1:23 minutes. Ever since that achievement, Bhargav Narasimhan has gone from strength to strength and even represented India at the World Rubik’s Cube Championship 2017 in Paris — and is set to participate at the Asian Championship in Taiwan next year. 

In a chat with us, he speaks about his achievements, on the opportunities cube solvers have and about his future goals. “I was born and brought up in Chennai. I completed my Doctor of Pharmacy degree in the city and I’m now pursuing Healthcare Management at the Goa Institute of Management,” Bhargav introduces himself. 

Speaking about how he first got exposed to the Rubik’s Cube and developed an interest towards it, he says, “After my 12th exams, I had been to Bengaluru to meet my cousin, who taught me the basics of solving the Rubik’s Cube. Later, when I knew there were international competitions governed by the World Cube Association, I started to focus a lot more on this and practice harder.” 

For a layman, solving Rubik’s Cube might seem more as a hobby rather than as a serious activity to pursue. So, when we ask Bhargav to explain the scope and opportunities in this field, he says, “World Cube Association, the governing body of Rubik’s Cube competitions, offers as much as 17 events in which one can take part — such as the 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, 6x6, 7x7 and different other shapes such as the megaminx and pyraminx; it will also help you work on your spatial intelligence, lateral thinking, decision making, analytical skills, etc. in the process. It also includes blindfolded solving, wherein you are supposed to memorise the entire Rubik’s Cube and solve it blind-folded, which further tests your long-term and short-term memory.” 

When we ask him on what he considers as his first taste of success and about his biggest achievements till date, the 24-year-old replies, “The first success I experienced was when I broke the first national record for one handed 3x3 solving in February, 2012. I would also consider being able to represent India at World Rubik’s Cube Championship 2017, at Paris, and finishing fourth place among the best in the world as one of my biggest achievements.” 

Sharing with us about his training regime, Bhargav reveals, “I practice every day for an hour and have been doing so for seven years now. Once I hit a plateau, I try learning new methods or try filming my solves to figure out areas of improvement.” Bhargav is now prepping to take part in the Asian Championship in Taiwan next year and will also be participating and representing India at World Championship 2019, once he meets the requirements. 

Opening up about his thoughts on the scene for cube solvers, he says, “I think the sport requires a lot more recognition as it is very similar to the game of chess, in which India has been good at. With more recognition and sponsors trying to support athletes, India can win a lot of medals at the world stage in no time at all! On a concluding note, he ambitiously says, “To bring home India’s first 3x3 one-handed gold medal is my biggest aspiration.”