Bolton: Lostock boy, 9, to enter Rubik's cube tournament

Zachary Gold Hanif, a pupil at Clevelands Preparatory School, has been practising for months to be ready for the World Cub Association tournament which is being held in Bolton School Boys’ Division’s Great Hall on March 18 and 19.

Zachary has only been mastering the Rubik’s cube since last summer, and will soon line up as one of, if not the youngest competitor to face off against people several times his age.

He said: “I had a Rubik’s cube, but it was all mixed up and I had no idea how to solve it.

“So, I bought a new one because I wanted to know how to solve it because it’s a good talent to have – not many people can do it.

READ MORE: World champion says Rubik’s Cube and violin go hand in hand

“I managed to figure it out and then I kept practicing and getting quicker and quicker.

“When I started I could do it in four minutes and I managed to get it down to 30 seconds. The fastest I’ve ever done it is 18 seconds.”

There are 10 different types of Rubik’s cube, and Zachary is entering the tournament in five different categories where he compete to solve a 2x2, 3x3, Skewn, Pyraminx, and his favourite, the Megaminx.

“I like the way you have to solve it layer by layer,” he said. “It’s the one of the hardest ones.

“I think I’ll do pretty well but there are people from all over the world taking part, but my attitude is even if I lose at least I got to go.”

So much is his passion for the cube, Zachary has been helping his friends to solve their own, and he is also trying to teach his seven-year-old sister, Talia.

Zachary’s mum, Tasneem Patwa, says she has been impressed by her son’s perseverance.

READ MORE: Rubik’s Cube loses court bid for EU trademark protection

She added: “I’m really, really proud of him.

“We couldn’t believe it when he did it in 30 seconds. He kept trying to get better and better.

“We were looking for a competition to enter him in for a while and by chance we found the one in Bolton.”