Ruihang Xu: Playing football is a way to relax, and so is solving the Rubik’s Cube

But beyond the “genius” label — who is the real, down-to-earth Xu Ruihang?

When recalling his first impression of the Rubik’s Cube, Xu scratched his head. As far back as he could remember, there had always been a cube at home. He tried playing with it—from calm twisting to agonized thinking—but no matter what he did, he couldn’t return it to its original six-color state. He concluded: the Rubik’s Cube is impossible to solve.

Then in 2016, his family traveled to Cambodia. During the trip, he saw a young boy completely solve a scrambled cube, each face restored perfectly. He was stunned—and after a few moments of disbelief, he overturned his old conclusion.

 

 

After returning home, he thought long and hard: if that boy could do it, surely he could too. With support from his parents, he was enrolled in a nearby cube training center, embarking on his journey of cube-solving exploration.

 

At first, like many beginners, he twisted the cube clumsily, struggling just to break the 40-second mark. But with daily practice, his progress became visible, and the sense of accomplishment drove him to dive deeper—learning the advanced CFOP method and focusing on speed cubing.

 

 

He once said, “CFOP doesn’t require much skill—once I memorized the formulas, I went sub-7.” (Sub-X means achieving an average time under X seconds.) That wasn’t humblebragging—CFOP contains 119 algorithms, and mastering them is no easy feat.

 

In fact, Xu has blisteringly fast hands—he can turn a cube 16 times in a single second, a speed few in the world can match. Yet, he humbly acknowledges his weaknesses, like having less efficient solutions than some top cubers. He is actively learning from world-class cubers like Tymon.

 

*Ruihang Xu visited the University of Melbourne, where legendary speedcuber Feliks Zemdegs studied.

 

Despite a heavy academic load, he sets aside at least four hours every weekend to practice cubing. Even this interview was conducted to the sound of his cube turning rapidly.

 

When asked whether the daily repetition gets boring, he shook his head: “The process of exploring the cube makes me feel relaxed and at ease—that’s why I love it.”

 

And that sense of ease runs through all his hobbies.

 

 

Many people don’t know that Xu is also a huge sports fan. He enjoys badminton, table tennis, and soccer. He admits he’s not great at these sports compared to cubing, but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying playing and watching them.

 

During the interview, he excitedly brought up the April 1st match between Manchester City and Liverpool. “Man City beat Liverpool 4-1 despite missing Haaland due to injury, while Liverpool had all their main players. It was so dramatic!” he exclaimed.

 

 

Besides watching sports, his favorite pastime is listening to music—especially piano compositions that blend classical and modern styles. Richard Clayderman and Kevin Kern are his favorite pianists.

 

He says his love of music was influenced by his mother. Whenever he’s alone, he enjoys putting on his favorite tunes, meditating, or solving cubes—activities that bring him calm and joy.

 

“Life is about exploration and experience, not just outcomes. Mindset is everything,” he says. Whether he’s a pro or a beginner, he wants to enjoy each moment fully.

 

 

So go ahead—freely explore what you love. Just take it easy!