Budapest Back to School 2023

Róbert Maróti delivered an emphatic 7.65 winning average to seize the classic 3x3x3 Cube title, setting the tone for an action-packed weekend as the autumn speedcubing calendar kicked off in style. Hosted at the Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, Budapest Back to School 2023 gathered 79 competitors across September 2 and September 3 for two intense days of solving. The Hungarian tournament marked a fresh chapter in the 2023 season, welcoming seasoned contenders and developing talent alike to test their speed against the clock over 26 rounds of puzzle action.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of the meet in Budapest, Hungary, where Maróti held off a persistent field of 75 competitors over three stages. Maróti posted a best single of 7.50 during his run to the top step, edging out Bálint Csengő who took second place with an average of 8.01. Gábor Slezák secured third place on the podium with an 8.27 average. The traditional Rubik's Cube division lived up to expectations, demonstrating the high standard of regional talent as the season transitioned into its busy autumn stretch.

Beyond his runner-up finish in the main event, Bálint Csengő produced an extraordinary multi-event showcase throughout the weekend. Csengő claimed four individual titles across the 13 disciplines staged at Budapest Back to School 2023. He dominated the larger layers by winning the 4x4x4 Cube with a 27.49 average, taking the 5x5x5 Cube in 56.29, and topping the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:47.28 ahead of Bence Barát. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded category, which relies on absolute spatial memorisation, Csengő also triumphed with a decisive single of 20.29 seconds.

The competition provided plenty of variety across mechanical formats, from rotating pyramids to asymmetric challenges. Roy Tamir captured two victories, claiming first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.00 average and taking the Megaminx title in 53.10. Bence Kiácz claimed top honours in Skewb with an average of 2.79, while Benedek Szepesi-Réder solved his way to victory in Clock with a mark of 4.94. Ábris Galler conquered the 3x3x3 One-Handed event in 11.27, Szabolcs Szántai won Square-1 in 10.41, Bence Pető earned the Pyraminx title in 2.90, and Bence Barát clinched the 7x7x7 Cube in 2:39.04.

Away from the top of the podiums, the event highlighted significant personal milestones for competitors pushing their limits in new territories. Mátyás Ondok took on 11 events, achieving a Clock personal best of 14.29 seconds that was 66.5 percent faster than his prior mark, alongside his first ever attempts at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 59.25 and 5x5x5 Cube in 2:21.99, while earning 7th place in Square-1. Richárd Kapás slashed his Clock personal best by 62.8 percent to 20.99, improved his Square-1 best to 22.21, made his first 5x5x5 Cube attempt at 2:20.13, and took 12th place in Pyraminx. Bence Fazekas cut his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 55.3 percent to 18.64, improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 43.8 percent to 9.42, and recorded a first Skewb attempt of 4.35.

That same drive was evident across every discipline at this WCA competition. Tamás Marsi took on all 13 events, recording his first attempts at Megaminx in 1:39.20 and 7x7x7 Cube in 5:09.24, improving his 5x5x5 Cube best by 19.4 percent to 1:26.68, and finishing 13th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Alexander Olar tackled 10 events, logging first attempts at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:15.90, Clock in 24.31, and Square-1 in 59.48, reaching 21st place in Megaminx. Tamás Horváth Deák finished 5th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded while logging first attempts in Pyraminx at 6.23, Skewb at 3.66, and Square-1 at 44.09. Eszter Orbán placed 15th in Clock with an initial attempt of 11.82 alongside first marks in Skewb and Pyraminx, while Dóra Adrienn Abermann registered first attempts in the 3x3x3 Cube, Skewb, and Pyraminx, finishing 33rd in Clock.

The broad international gathering saw Hungarian solvers secure 33 podium places across the weekend, alongside four podium positions for Israel and two for Germany. The variety of formats challenged every skillset, from lightning-fast turns in short formats to intense focus in multi-layered puzzles. The structured rounds at Budapest Back to School 2023 offered every entrant the stage to test their practice under official tournament conditions, providing a benchmark for the months of competitive speed cubing ahead.

With 13 events completed and scores of new individual milestones established, Budapest Back to School 2023 served as a fitting launchpad for the autumn season. The performances across all 26 rounds demonstrated the depth of the regional scene, as both seasoned finalists and ambitious solvers found their rhythm on the competitive stage. As the speedcubing community looks ahead to future meets on the calendar, the standard set in the Hungarian capital establishes high momentum for the challenges that lie ahead.