Dakshansh Chawda

Why I started cubing

Dakshansh Chawda (15, India)

Since childhood I am fascinated by puzzles and brain games and Rubik’s cube is one of those puzzles which was at the pinnacle of my fascination until I learned how to solve it.

I bought my first Rubik’s cube when I was in kindergarten. In about five days I could solve one layer. Then I aimed at solving the whole cube but I didn’t know the method; I didn’t have the faintest idea about how to proceed after one layer. I asked to my teachers and father about its solution. They said that it can be solved color by color. I tried a lot but I could never solve it so I came to the conclusion that it must be solved layer by layer. I tried to solve it layer by layer but I couldn’t, so I gave up.

In 8th grade one of my friends brought a Rubik’s cube in the classroom and asked me if I could solve it. I solved one layer in about ten seconds. The whole class was amazed and they all gathered around me and asked if I could solve the whole cube. I said no so they all went back to their seats, disappointed. That day I realized that if I learn to solve the Rubik’s cube then everyone will respect me more. People think that solving a Rubik’s cube is very difficult and only those people can solve it who are excellent in mathematics. They consider cubers as genius and respect them a lot after they have watched them solving the cube. And being a human we all want respect from others. Moreover, if I could solve the Rubik’s cube then I will have more friends and I will be known in the whole school as there were only a few students who could solve the Rubik’s cube. So apart from my interest in puzzles, I started cubing for respect and fame. Now I can solve many more cubes and puzzles and I am truly passionate about cubing; now I don’t solve them for respect or fame, rather I solve them for my passion.

Now, when I look back for how I started cubing I laugh at myself for my childish motivation of cubing for ‘respect’ and ‘fame’.