Battle for Belgrade 2025

Fifty-five competitors gathered across twenty rounds of intense action as the Mathematical Grammar School hosted Battle for Belgrade 2025 on January 25 and 26. The weekend in Belgrade, Serbia, showcased exceptional depth across ten official events, highlighting both world-class speedcubing talent and rapid individual progress. The two-day cubing competition served as a masterclass in precision, delivering rapid marks and fiercely contested podiums from the opening scrambles all the way to the final stages of the main Rubik's Cube category.

A relentless cascade of milestones defined the 2x2x2 Cube event, where competitors set a remarkable series of fast benchmarks. Alexey Tsvetkov spearheaded the charge with a 1.25 single and a 1.61 average, while Gergő Zalán Molnár posted a 1.70 single and 2.14 average. Reuven Michaely logged a 2.15 single alongside a 2.57 average, and Zénó Vitale delivered a 2.04 single and 2.72 average. Nenad Bišćić added a 2.34 single and 3.01 average, while Gergely Novotni recorded marks of 2.81 and 3.26.

The 2x2x2 Cube records continued to fall through every round, as Oskar Vidićek achieved a 2.44 single and 3.42 average. Matej Marčok logged marks of 3.02 and 3.48, followed by Bogdan Čumić with a 2.83 single and 3.59 average, and Viktor Nedeljković with a 2.52 single and 3.73 average. When the final round concluded, Tsvetkov took the gold with an average of 1.55, trailed by Novotni at 2.30 and Vitale at 2.62 in a thrilling contest.

Tsvetkov proved unstoppable in the shorter formats, claiming six event titles throughout the WCA competition. In the classic 3x3x3 Cube, the premier test of speed cubing, he dominated the 3x3 results by securing victory with an average of 6.59 and a tournament-best single of 5.41 across three rounds of 54 entrants. Vitale claimed the silver step with a 7.18 average, while Damir Zhanataev took third place with 8.14.

Expanding his dominance, Tsvetkov captured the 4x4x4 Cube crown in a razor-thin final, averaging 29.38 to edge out Novotni at 29.48, with Zhanataev finishing third at 34.51. Tsvetkov also topped 3x3x3 One-Handed with a winning average of 9.40 ahead of Marčok and Molnár. His versatility extended to the side events, where he claimed the Pyraminx title with a 1.89 average and won Skewb with an average of 2.88.

Behind the headline battles, the tournament saw massive individual leaps across the scoreboard. Petar Stefanović produced one of the weekend's sharpest breakthroughs, trimming his 2x2x2 Cube best to 4.32, a 71.7 percent drop from 15.29, alongside a 53.5 percent improvement in Skewb to 11.58 and a 16.34 Pyraminx mark. Aćim Stokić slashed his 3x3x3 One-Handed time by 41.6 percent down to 26.86 while entering six events, and Jovan Dimitrovski cut his 5x5x5 Cube best by 39.4 percent to 1:26.17 while tackling his first official Megaminx solve in 2:06.76.

Dimitrije Dobrodolac took on eight events, lowering his 2x2x2 Cube best by 38.4 percent to 6.49, improving his Megaminx mark by 29.6 percent to 1:40.31, and recording a first 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt of 44.48. Milan Jović improved his 3x3x3 Cube time by 29.8 percent to 27.09 and registered his first 2x2x2 Cube solve at 17.86. Milutin Andrić logged a 27.4 percent improvement in Pyraminx to 9.58 alongside a first 4x4x4 Cube result of 1:33.21. Martin Alan Marinković dropped his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 22.9 percent to 17.07 with a first One-Handed solve of 1:54.64, while Vladimir Kuznetsov tackled nine events, posting maiden marks of 4:21.27 in 6x6x6 Cube and 7:03.75 in 7x7x7 Cube.

The big cube categories belonged entirely to Gergely Novotni, who assembled an impressive haul of four gold medals across the weekend. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Novotni took top honors with a 52.39 average, leading Vidićek at 56.77 and Aleksa Radovanović at 1:00.59. Novotni repeated his mastery in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:40.22 average, while Radovanović and Vidićek completed the podium.

Novotni maintained his command in the marathon solving disciplines, capturing the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 2:37.39 over Vidićek and Aleksandar D. Siljanoski. In Megaminx, Novotni edged out local favorite Bogdan Čumić, averaging 40.55 against Čumić's 41.19, with Vidićek securing third. The international spread saw Hungary collect nine podium places, Serbia earn eight, Russia claim six, Slovenia take five, and Kazakhstan gain two.

With all ten disciplines concluded, Battle for Belgrade 2025 cemented its place as a standout fixture on the 2025 calendar. The shared supremacy between Tsvetkov and Novotni delivered high drama, while personal milestones across every level proved the vitality of the local scene. Competitors departed Belgrade with renewed benchmarks, setting a high standard for the upcoming season of European competition.

Ukupno 55 takmičara okupilo se u Matematičkoj gimnaziji tokom vikenda, od 25. do 26. januara 2025. godine, čime je Battle for Belgrade 2025 doneo vrhunski speedcubing program u Beograd. Kroz 20 rundi i 10 različitih disciplina, ljubitelji slaganja zagonetki imali su priliku da prate okršaje u rešavanju predmeta kao što je Rubikova kocka. Takmičenje u prestonici pružilo je idealnu priliku za one koji su se po prvi put oprobali pred zvaničnim štopericama, donoseći jedinstvenu energiju na samim stolovima.

Vikend je doneo izuzetne nastupe iskusnih takmičara, gde su se posebno istakla dva imena u borbi za vrh tabele. Alexey Tsvetkov iz Rusije osvojio je prvo mesto u čak šest disciplina, uključujući najprestižnije nadmetanje u klasičnoj 3x3x3 kocki sa pobedničkim prosekom od 6.59 sekundi i najboljim pojedinačnim vremenom od 5.41 sekundi. Sa druge strane, Gergely Novotni iz Mađarske trijumfovao je u preostala četiri nadmetanja na programu, potpuno dominirajući u većim kockama i na Megaminx slagalici.

U glavnoj disciplini 3x3x3 Kocka, Alexey Tsvetkov je sa prosekom 6.59 došao do pobede ispred drugoplasiranog takmičara Zénó Vitale iz Mađarske koji je zabeležio 7.18 sekundi. Treće mesto na postolju zauzeo je Damir Zhanataev iz Kazahstana sa prosečnim vremenom od 8.14 sekundi u konkurenciji od 54 takmičara kroz tri runde. U disciplini 2x2x2 Kocka, Alexey Tsvetkov je uknjižio prosek od 1.55 sekundi i najbolji pojedinačni rezultat 1.10, dok su Gergely Novotni sa 2.30 i Zénó Vitale sa 2.62 popunili podijum.

Takmičenje jednom rukom, 3x3x3 One-Handed, donelo je još jedno zlato za takmičara Alexey Tsvetkov sa pobedničkim prosekom od 9.40 sekundi i najboljim vremenom 8.87. Domaći predstavnik Matej Marčok stigao je do drugog mesta sa rezultatom 13.32, dok je Gergő Zalán Molnár bio treći sa 13.59 sekundi. U 4x4x4 kocki viđena je izuzetno tesna završnica, gde je Alexey Tsvetkov slavio sa prosekom 29.38 sekundi, nadmašivši takmičara Gergely Novotni koji je ostvario 29.48 sekundi, dok je Damir Zhanataev bio treći sa 34.51.

U delu programa posvećenom velikim slagalicama, Gergely Novotni je demonstrirao vrhunsku formu. Pobedio je u 5x5x5 kocki sa prosekom 52.39 ispred takmičara Oskar Vidiček iz Slovenije sa 56.77 i domaćeg takmičara Aleksa Radovanović sa 1:00.59. Na 6x6x6 kocki Novotni je zabeležio prosek 1:40.22, dok su Oskar Vidiček sa 1:50.24 i Aleksa Radovanović sa 1:59.91 ponovo zauzeli drugo i treće mesto. U 7x7x7 kocki Novotni je bio prvi sa 2:37.39, Oskar Vidiček drugi sa 2:58.48, a Aleksandar D. Siljanoski treći sa 3:07.00. Megaminx je pripao takmičaru Gergely Novotni uz prosek 40.55, ispred takmičara Bogdan Čumić sa 41.19 i Oskar Vidiček sa 43.27.

Pored borbi za pehare, zvanična WCA takmičenja uvek donose lične priče o napretku i prvim nastupima. Nikola Simić je na Pyraminxu ostvario lični rekord od 5.08 sekundi, što je čak 41.5 odsto brže od njegovog ranijeg rezultata, a zabeležio je i rekord na 6x6x6 kocki sa 4:28.66. Katarina Krasnići je popravila lični rekord na 2x2x2 kocki na 4.91 sekundi, što je 20 odsto brže, i na 4x4x4 kocki na 1:27.01. Vuk Krivokapić je na Megaminxu popravio svoje vreme za 19.4 odsto na 2:37.57, na 3x3x3 One-Handed na 41.00 i na 3x3x3 kocki na 13.57. Tomislav Dinic je ostvario svoj prvi zvanični pokušaj na 6x6x6 kocki sa vremenom 3:34.71, uz lični rekord na 4x4x4 kocki od 41.87 sekundi.

Za mnoge je ovaj vikend u Beogradu doneo i vatreno krštenje pred sudijama i štopericama. Veljko Milošević je zabeležio svoje prvo WCA takmičenje prijavivši čak 8 disciplina, ostvarivši 20. mesto u 2x2x2 kocki, kao i prve pokušaje na 4x4x4 kocki sa 2:02.16, Pyraminxu sa 14.50 i 3x3x3 kocki sa 17.35. Mateja Mijatov je takođe debitovao nastupivši u 7 disciplina, uz prve rezultate na 3x3x3 kocki od 11.41 sekundi, 3x3x3 One-Handed sa 27.81 i Skewb sa 17.17. Ante Sučić je imao svoj takmičarski debi u tri discipline, sa vremenima 5.23 na 2x2x2, 21.19 na 3x3x3 i 1:57.26 na 4x4x4 kocki, dok je Đorđe Vuković uspešno zabeležio svoj prvi takmičarski pokušaj na 3x3x3 kocki sa 1:09.36.

Raspodela odličja pokazala je veliku međunarodnu raznolikost, jer su takmičari iz Mađarske osvojili devet postolja, domaći predstavnici iz Srbije osam, Rusija šest, Slovenija pet, a Kazahstan dva podijuma. U disciplini Pyraminx Alexey Tsvetkov je pobedio sa prosekom 1.89, dok je u Skewbu takođe trijumfovao sa 2.88 sekundi. Dvodnevni Battle for Belgrade 2025 zaokružio je uspešan vikend u gradu Belgrade, Serbia, ponudivši takmičarima svih nivoa priliku za nova iskustva i obaranje sopstvenih granica na početku sezone 2025.