Arraiolos Open 2025

Inside Cine-Teatro Arraiolos, the atmosphere combined deliberate calculation and intense manual speed. While events requiring methodical study like 3x3x3 Blindfolded rewarded silence and complete memorisation, the auditorium was primarily alive with the sound of turning plastic. Fifty-six competitors gathered for the Arraiolos Open 2025, taking their places across eleven rounds of play on March 29, 2025. The historic setting in Arraiolos, Portugal provided a fitting stage for a packed one-day cubing competition that tested every facet of solver precision and quick dexterity.

The focal point of any WCA competition remains the classic 3x3x3 Cube, and the 3x3 results delivered fine margins right down to the final round. Pedro Azevedo earned the victory for Portugal, recording a winning average of 9.12 seconds and capturing the best single solve of the event at 8.29 seconds across three rounds of 56 competitors. He was pushed hard by Afonso Carapeto, who took second place with an average of 9.41 seconds, while Marta Fernandes Cid secured third on the podium with a 9.53 mark, completing an all-Portuguese sweep on the main stage.

Pedro Azevedo did not stop with the main event, appearing across multiple podiums throughout the weekend. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Azevedo matched Belgium solver Kobe Lutjeharms with a 2.54 final average, but Lutjeharms claimed first place on the strength of a 2.14 single solve. Azevedo took second place, and Diogo Miguel Alves Guerreiro joined them on the podium in third place with a 3.17 average. The competition across 54 competitors featured three rounds of lightning-fast turns on the smaller puzzle.

In the Pyraminx event, Miguel Duarte Afonso Pais led the 46-competitor field over two rounds to seize top honours with a winning average of 5.17 seconds and a best single solve of 3.91 seconds. Diogo Miguel Alves Guerreiro claimed the second spot on the podium with a 6.15 average, while Pedro Azevedo added yet another medal to his tally by finishing third with 6.20. The dynamic tetrahedral puzzle demanded fast pattern recognition, rewarding Pais for a consistently brisk pace.

The Skewb bracket brought international success for Spain as Mar Gallego Vicente achieved victory among 41 competitors. Finishing two rounds with a winning average of 4.04 seconds and a top single of 3.72 seconds, Gallego Vicente led the standings ahead of Portugal competitors Pedro Azevedo, who averaged 4.52, and Diogo Miguel Alves Guerreiro, who finished third with 4.68. Meanwhile, 3x3x3 Blindfolded demanded absolute concentration over a single round of 14 solvers, where Inês Picado earned first place for Portugal with a 1:20.05 average and a 1:11.23 single, followed by Spain competitor Jesús Lindo García at 1:29.71 and Miguel Duarte Afonso Pais at 1:50.74.

Beyond the podium battles, several participants celebrated standout progress throughout the day. Salvador Moreira Leal e Henriques Coelho delivered significant improvements in four events, dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 2.48 seconds, which was 75.8 percent faster than his prior mark of 10.24, alongside a 24.04 in 3x3x3 Cube and 10.96 in Skewb. Miguel Cabrita also unlocked major personal milestones across four events, slashing his 3x3x3 Cube best by 50.3 percent down to 27.33 seconds and his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 47.6 percent to 5.34 seconds. Tomé Rebelo da Costa Gaspar Andrade entered three events, logging his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.29 single, cutting his Pyraminx best by 45.7 percent to 5.55, and improving his 3x3x3 Cube time by 24.7 percent to 24.25.

First-time event attempts and sharp time drops continued across the roster. Duarte Matos took on three events, achieving an 8th-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a first attempt of 7:51.03, while lowering his 2x2x2 Cube best by 36.7 percent to 3.61 and setting a 13.21 in 3x3x3 Cube. João Pedro Paias Pardal made his first ever attempt at Skewb with a 13.37, cut his Pyraminx time by 31.8 percent to 9.08, and improved his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 18.9 percent to 25.21. Damián Chitcan took on four events, recording his first attempts in Pyraminx at 16.06 and Skewb at 14.63 alongside a 25.8 percent personal best cut in 2x2x2 Cube to 7.74. Diogo Sarmento rounded out four events with a first attempt at Skewb in 31.78, a 25.6 percent cut in Pyraminx to 10.56, and a 17.2 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube to 8.29.

The competitive action across the board highlighted the depth and variety of speed cubing, from intricate memory challenges to explosive, short-sequence sprints. Portugal led the final country standings with 12 podium positions, followed by Spain with two and Belgium with one. The community gathered in Arraiolos showcased immense dedication to the Rubik's Cube disciplines in 2025. As the Arraiolos Open 2025 concluded, every competitor departed Cine-Teatro Arraiolos with valuable stage experience and clear metrics to guide their training for the speedcubing calendar ahead.

Cinquenta e seis competidores reuniram-se no Cine-Teatro Arraiolos no dia 29 de março de 2025 para uma intensa jornada de speedcubing. No formato de média de 3 tentativas, característico das finais vendadas, a margem de erro desaparece por completo e cada resolução exige um rigor cirúrgico. Um único deslize na memorização ou na execução deita por terra qualquer aspiração ao topo, tornando a estabilidade mental o fator mais determinante de toda a prova.

Na categoria de 3x3x3 à venda, onde não há descartes de tempos ruins, Inês Picado demonstrou uma concentração exemplar para vencer com uma média de 1:20.05 e a melhor marca individual de 1:11.23 entre 14 concorrentes. A atleta de Portugal superou o espanhol Jesús Lindo García, segundo com 1:29.71, e Miguel Duarte Afonso Pais, terceiro com 1:50.74, provando a dureza de completar três resoluções bem-sucedidas consecutivas sem visão.

O torneio principal de cubo mágico clássico 3x3x3 mobilizou a totalidade dos participantes em três rondas eliminatórias. Pedro Azevedo conquistou a vitória com uma sólida média de 9.12 na final e o melhor tempo isolado de 8.29. O pódio nacional ficou completo com Afonso Carapeto no segundo lugar com 9.41 e Marta Fernandes Cid na terceira posição registando a média de 9.53.

A disputa no cubo 2x2x2 proporcionou um dos desfechos mais equilibrados da competição em Arraiolos, Portugal. O belga Kobe Lutjeharms assegurou o título com uma média de 2.54 e a melhor marca de 2.14, empatando na média final com Pedro Azevedo, que também rubricou 2.54. O terceiro posto pertenceu a Diogo Miguel Alves Guerreiro com a média de 3.17.

Nas restantes modalidades do Arraiolos Open 2025, a variedade de geometrias colocou desafios técnicos distintos ao longo de 11 rondas. No Pyraminx, Miguel Duarte Afonso Pais venceu com a média de 5.17 e o tempo mais rápido de 3.91, à frente de Diogo Miguel Alves Guerreiro com 6.15 e Pedro Azevedo com 6.20. No Skewb, Mar Gallego Vicente de Espanha triunfou com 4.04 de média e 3.72 de melhor tentativa, acompanhado no pódio por Pedro Azevedo com 4.52 e Diogo Miguel Alves Guerreiro com 4.68.

Para além dos troféus oficiais, o evento revelou evoluções notáveis de vários atletas dedicados. Martim Santos Azevedo cortou 40.6% no seu registo pessoal de Pyraminx para fixar 5.60, competindo em 4 eventos, enquanto Patrick Da Silva Henriques melhorou 34.3% na mesma prova para 12.38 e baixou o cubo 2x2x2 para 7.54 em 3 modalidades. Miguel Martins Pinto retirou 33.3% ao seu tempo no cubo 2x2x2 ao cravar 2.89. Samuel Eduardo Hernandez Araujo alcançou um 8º lugar no Pyraminx com 5.48 e baixou 31.1% no 2x2x2 para 6.06.

Outros concorrentes aproveitaram o palco para expandir o seu reportório competitivo com excelentes desempenhos. Pedro Pestana Moura Simão conquistou o 4º lugar no Pyraminx na sua primeira tentativa oficial com 3.57, além de bater marcas no Skewb com 5.40 e no 2x2x2 com 3.22 ao longo de 4 eventos. Tiago Botelho Ferreira Costa Viana disputou a sua primeira competição WCA, realizando estreias com 19.52 no 3x3x3, 15.62 no Pyraminx e 8.48 no Skewb. Pela Áustria, Konstantin Ebner viveu também a sua estreia absoluta em competições ao registar 16.70 no 2x2x2 e 39.57 no 3x3x3.

O encerramento do Arraiolos Open 2025 refletiu a vitalidade desta competição de cubo em território alentejano, totalizando 12 presenças no pódio para Portugal, duas para Espanha e uma para a Bélgica. A diversidade de provas e a busca permanente pelo segundo perfeito consolidam mais um capítulo marcante para a temporada de 2025.