Back to Bishkek 2024

6.40 seconds on the final average decided the main event at Intellect Pro School as the weekend drew to a dramatic close. When the final round of the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube reached its decisive moments, Chyngyz Sultanbekov delivered a standout series of solves capped by a best single of 5.89 seconds. The victory anchored a massive multi-event performance on home soil across February 3 to February 4 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, highlighting an intense battle for the top spot on the podium against Sardar Bakiev and Damir Zhanataev.

The 2024 cubing competition, officially hosted as Back to Bishkek 2024, welcomed 14 competitors contesting 12 official events over 17 distinct rounds. Across both days of fast-paced speedcubing, Sultanbekov and Zhanataev went head-to-head across several finals. Zhanataev captured first place in the 3x3x3 One-Handed final by averaging 14.47 seconds, edging out Bakiev at 14.71 and Sultanbekov at 14.83 in one of the tightest podium finishes of the entire gathering.

The 3x3 results formed only a portion of the extensive program. Sultanbekov established command across the intermediate and big cube disciplines, claiming the 4x4x4 Cube with an average of 33.88 seconds ahead of Bakiev's 34.96. Sultanbekov also took gold in the 5x5x5 Cube with a mark of 1:02.10 and completed a sweep of the larger puzzles by winning the 6x6x6 Cube final in 2:11.48, besting Finland's Niko Ronkainen who finished second in 2:19.50.

Ronkainen made his presence felt at Back to Bishkek 2024 with a dominant display in the largest puzzle on the schedule, securing the 7x7x7 Cube title with an average of 3:32.47 and a single of 3:24.96. Ronkainen also claimed victories in both the Clock and Skewb events, registering winning averages of 6.91 and 5.50 seconds respectively. The variety of formats gave competitors from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Finland, and Russia ample opportunity to test their skills at this international WCA competition.

Beyond the top podium steps, the weekend provided meaningful milestones and fresh starts for several competitors tackling challenging events. Artem Yagolkovsky attended his first official competition, entering five disciplines and recording an official debut of 1:46.46 in the 4x4x4 Cube, 12.94 in Skewb, and 23.61 in 3x3x3. Max Poulson also experienced his very first tournament, taking on three events and completing initial marks of 45.44 in the 3x3x3 Cube, 10.81 in Pyraminx, and 11.27 in Skewb.

Atai Bakataev achieved an official single of 22.75 seconds in his debut 3x3x3 appearance, while Ilyas Derkenbaev opened his competitive journey with a 5.79 single in the 2x2x2 Cube. Atai Aldashev brought down his personal best in Megaminx to 1:27.05, an improvement of 3.6 percent compared to his previous benchmark of 1:30.32, and achieved a sixth-place result in Skewb across six events entered. Timofey Pastrevich contested three categories, securing a fourth-place finish in Clock with a personal best of 10.56 seconds.

Short-format puzzles also delivered great excitement during the weekend in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Sultanbekov took the 2x2x2 Cube title with a swift average of 2.37 seconds, while Zhanataev secured the Pyraminx crown with an average of 4.44 seconds and a best single of 2.48. In the Megaminx final, Sultanbekov demonstrated remarkable versatility, solving his way to first place with an average of 54.03 seconds and a best single of 45.60.

Zhanataev showed his mastery of memory and tactile execution in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, claiming victory as the lone competitor to secure a successful single in the final with a time of 1:17.41. Aleksandr Korotenko took the second podium spot with a single solve of 2:37.50, demonstrating the patience required for unassisted memory solves. The contest wrapped up two days of dedicated speed cubing excellence in the Kyrgyz capital.

By the conclusion of Back to Bishkek 2024, the host nation of Kyrgyzstan topped the medal counts with 16 total podium placements, followed by Kazakhstan with 12 and Finland with 6. With dramatic finishes across all 17 rounds and memorable personal milestones for emerging solvers, the competition delivered a memorable chapter for speedcubing in the region.