He may be a 17-year-old student but Yi Wei is a master already—a master of the famous Rubik’s Cube. He can solve a 3x3 puzzle in just 12 seconds and is so good that he recently represented Hong Kong in the 2008 Asian Rubik’s Championship. He talks to June Ng.

HK Magazine: When did you start playing with Rubik’s Cubes? 
Yi Wei: When I was 13, I saw a classmate playing with one and he couldn’t solve it, and neither could I when I tried. Later I realized there were formulas for it, so I started to research them online and I finally solved one. So I just kept practicing day after day and began teaching other classmates what I’ve learned.

HK: Does your talent make you popular in school?
YW: No, not really. But when my classmates or even just random people see me playing with a cube and show an interest, I won’t hesitate to teach them. I really like promoting the game.

HK: What’s your fastest record?
YW: The record I have in the official Rubik’s competition is 12.18 seconds. But I once finished one in 9.12 seconds when I was playing on my own. The world record is 7.08 seconds.

HK: How does one become a master? Do you have to be smart to begin with?
YW: You just have to know all the formulas by heart and apply them by reflex. This is achieved through training, so you just have to keep practicing over and over again. I train whenever I have time—it’s the handiest game in the world. You can carry it anywhere.

HK: When would you say one should start training to be a Rubik’s master?
YW: I would say around 14, as this is the time when you can progress and advance the quickest. But of course there are no age restrictions; it’s a game for everyone.

HK: Most people your age are busy with online games—do those interest you?
YW: Playing online games kills time, but you hardly learn anything from them. Playing with a Rubik’s Cube, on the other hand, is much more constructive—it trains your reflexes, it improves your problem-solving skills and yes, I think you become smarter by playing it.

HK: Fair enough. What else?
YW: I’ve become less timid since I started playing. I was quite an introvert in the past but I’ve opened up. I talk to more people because I like to teach them how to play, and I also exchange tips with other players. I’ve also gotten to travel more since I started to join official competitions. I think it’s even made me braver. But the most important thing it taught me is how to see things from different angles—there are a million ways to handle a problem.