Expert Rubik's Cube Trainer Teaching All WCA Events, Including Advanced Blindfold Solving Techniques for All Ages

Find out more about Saiyam

• Tell us more about your subject. How did you develop an interest in this field?

  I teach Rubik’s Cube solving, which for me is much more than just learning a few algorithms. It is a beautiful combination of logic, memory, patience, observation, and creativity. Many people look at a scrambled cube and feel that it is impossible to solve, but with the right guidance, it becomes a very enjoyable and confidence-building activity.
  
  My journey with cubing started around 10 years ago. One of my neighbours had met with an accident, and his father gave him a Rubik’s Cube to keep him engaged. He asked me whether I knew how to solve it. At that time, I did not, but his question made me curious. I started researching, learning, and practising until I was able to solve it. After that, I taught him, and he really liked the way I explained the steps.
  
  Soon, I started teaching other people in my society as well. Students, children, adults, and even older learners enjoyed it. Many of them encouraged me to continue teaching because they found my method simple, patient, and easy to follow. That is how cubing slowly became not just a hobby, but a passion and a subject I love to teach.

• What or who is the motivation behind you choosing to teach and why?

  My biggest motivation is the happiness and confidence I see on a student’s face when they solve the cube for the first time. For many students, the Rubik’s Cube feels like something impossible. But when they finally solve it with their own hands, their expression is priceless.
  
  That moment motivates me a lot. It reminds me that teaching is not only about sharing knowledge, but also about helping someone believe in themselves. I also received a lot of encouragement from people around me who appreciated my teaching style and suggested that I should take it seriously.
  
  Another motivation is seeing how cubing positively affects students. Many parents have told me that their children’s screen time reduced after they started cubing. Some students became more focused, more patient, and more interested in problem-solving. These small changes make teaching very meaningful for me.

• How does your work help society?

  I believe cubing helps society by encouraging people, especially children, to spend time on something productive, creative, and mentally stimulating. In today’s world, many children spend a lot of time on phones, tablets, and screens. Rubik’s Cube gives them an exciting offline activity that improves concentration, memory, patience, and problem-solving skills.
  
  It also teaches an important life lesson: even something that looks impossible can be solved step by step with the right method and consistent practice. This mindset is useful not only for cubing, but also for studies, work, and life in general.
  
  I have seen students become more confident after learning the cube. Some begin with fear or hesitation, but once they solve it, they feel proud of themselves. That confidence can inspire them to try more challenging things in life.

• If you had to think of a role model for your work, who do you think of and why?

  One of my role models is Andrej Karpathy, also known in the cubing world through his YouTube channel “badmephisto.” He is a Slovak-Canadian computer scientist and researcher, and he has also worked in the field of artificial intelligence and Autopilot Vision at Tesla.
  
  I learned blindfold cubing from his YouTube channel, and that changed my cubing journey in a big way. His way of explaining complex things in a simple and structured manner inspired me a lot. I admire how he combines deep technical knowledge with clear teaching.
  
  A big credit for my growth in cubing goes to him because his content helped me see cubing from a new perspective. He made me realize that a good teacher can completely change the way a student understands a subject.

• Tell us about your hobbies outside teaching.

  Outside teaching, I enjoy automation coding, playing chess, and exploring different logical and creative challenges. Automation coding interests me because I like building systems that make tasks easier and smarter. Chess helps me improve my planning, patience, and decision-making.
  
  Rubik’s Cube is also something I do outside teaching, but I would not call it just a hobby anymore. For me, it is a passion. I enjoy learning new methods, improving my speed, exploring different cubes, and finding better ways to explain concepts to my students.

• Do you have an anecdote to tell us about your student or professional life?

  One of my favourite teaching experiences is when a student came to me believing that solving a Rubik’s Cube was impossible for them. They had tried many times before and had almost given up. Instead of directly teaching algorithms, I first explained the cube like a story, layer by layer, so they could understand what was happening rather than just memorising moves.
  
  At first, they were nervous and kept saying, “I don’t think I can do this.” But step by step, they started gaining confidence. When they finally solved the cube for the first time, their faces lit up with happiness. That moment stayed with me.
  
  Later, they told me that they had shown it to their family and even tried teaching the first few steps to someone else. For me, that was very special because it showed that learning the cube had not only given them a skill, but also confidence and excitement to share it with others.
  
  This is why I love teaching cubing. It is not just about solving a puzzle; it is about helping people discover that they are capable of solving something they once thought was impossible.