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Irving Middle School eighth grader Sai Charan Kintali solved 50 puzzle cubes in 6 minutes and 50 seconds, earning recognition from the America Book of Records—and sharpening skills he says helped him earn all A’s.

Sai discovered cubing about four years ago after finding a puzzle cube at home and watching online tutorials. He now practices for one to two hours each day.

That practice has improved more than his speed, Sai said. His concentration during lessons and tests has grown significantly, along with his listening skills and grades.

Cubing also taught him to break ambitious goals into manageable deadlines. When he began, solving one cube took him about a minute. He challenged himself to reduce that time to 10 seconds by the end of the month. He now uses a similar approach for school assignments, setting personal deadlines and working to meet them.

Sai set both American and Indian cubing records in late 2024. In November, he completed 50 cubes in 8 minutes and 24 seconds for recognition from the India Book of Records, surpassing a previous mark of 35 cubes.

The challenge included puzzles with different shapes and patterns. Alongside traditional cubes were pyramid-shaped designs and puzzles resembling fruit.

Sai hopes his achievement encourages classmates to pursue goals tied to their own interests. He said success requires passion, steady effort and an understanding of the steps needed to reach the target.

His next ambition is recognition from Guinness World Records. Sai hopes to succeed within five attempts and is considering a more elaborate challenge: solving 15 cubes in succession while riding a hoverboard, with the attempt recorded on video.

Sai also recently met Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid and showed her several cubing techniques.