Blindfold teen sets Rubik record

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Puzzle whiz Joey Gouly in action

Solving the Rubik's cube is impossible for many people, but one Leeds teenager has set a new record for cracking the puzzle - blindfolded.

Joey Gouly, 17, found it such a doddle to solve the cube with his eyes open that he set himself a new challenge.

His quick-handed technique has now earned him the national record for performing the feat blindfolded in two minutes and 27 seconds.

Joey said: "A lot of people do it one handed, but I'm better blindfolded."

But despite his new record set at a contest in Birmingham, it is not Joey's personal best. With his eyes open, he can crack the cube in just 15 seconds.

The puzzle champion has dedicated daily practice to perfecting his technique since he bought his first cube when he was 16.

'Logical mind'

"I'd seen people do it on the internet and I thought, I can do that," said Joey, a pupil at Roundhay School.

"It was just a bit of fun at first but then it grew and it became my main hobby. Once I'd solved it, I just kept setting myself new times and getting faster and faster."

Joey's flair for solving the puzzle has been fuelled by his mathematical ability.

"There is a lot of maths involved in solving the cube and that really interests me.

"I think having a logical mind helps, but a lot of it is down to practice and natural ability."

Hungarian architect Erno Rubik invented the cube in Hungary in 1974. More than 300 million cubes have been sold since.