Central Asian Tour Tashkent 2025

Eight competitors lined up for the blindfolded discipline as the action got underway in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, demanding absolute quiet and flawless memorisation before a single turn was made. Central Asian Tour Tashkent 2025 brought 49 competitors to Interhouse school on February 22 and 23, 2025, offering a testing 12-event programme across 19 rounds. Solving without sight requires athletes to commit the entire puzzle layout to memory before donning an eye covering to execute precise algorithms. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final, Akram Usarov of Uzbekistan delivered the winning average of 53.54 seconds alongside a best single of 42.86 to secure top honours ahead of countryman Igor Aipkin.

Aipkin found his own moment at the very top of the standings in the gruelling 4x4x4 Blindfolded event. Tracking piece cycles on a larger Rubik's Cube without visual feedback multiplies the mental strain, leading four of the five entrants to record DNF results in the final round. Aipkin stayed composed through every stage of memorisation and execution, logging a winning average of 7:30.51 and a single of 6:50.34 to stand as the lone finisher. His double appearance on the blindfolded podiums highlighted the precision required in modern speedcubing, giving the host nation two major victories in the memory categories.

The standard events brought an overwhelming display of dominance from Umidjon Zafarov, who captured six gold medals over the course of the cubing competition. Zafarov led the blue-ribbon 3x3x3 Cube field across three rounds featuring 46 contenders, clinching the title with an average of 7.84 seconds and a best single of 6.35. In the 3x3 results, Uzbek compatriot Muhammadyusuf Abdumalikov took second place with an 8.25 average, while Kazakhstan's Damir Zhanataev claimed the bronze step on 8.57. Zafarov matched that pace in 3x3x3 One-Handed, taking gold in 14.31 seconds over Zhanataev and Asset Agabekov.

Zafarov's weekend continued with first-place finishes across multiple formats at Central Asian Tour Tashkent 2025. He took the 4x4x4 Cube crown with a 29.47 winning average, outperforming Agabekov and Zhanataev. In the Pyraminx final, Zafarov posted a 3.85 average to best Kamronbek Bolikulov and Nazir Xodiyev in an all-Uzbek podium sweep. He also secured victory in Megaminx with a mark of 39.91 seconds, proving his versatility across varied mechanisms. To cap his run, Zafarov claimed the 2x2x2 Cube title in 2.17 seconds, highlighted by a national record single of 1.26 seconds in an earlier round.

Kazakhstan's contingent made significant inroads in the heavier puzzles, capturing 16 podium places overall across the weekend compared to Uzbekistan's 22. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Diasbek Zhuraev spearheaded a complete podium sweep for Kazakhstan, capturing gold with a 58.77 average and a 51.18 single. Agabekov followed in second with 1:01.96, while Zhanataev earned third with 1:02.56. Elsewhere in the arena, Jasur Beknazov took the Skewb crown with a 4.38 average, Kamronbek Bolikulov claimed the Clock title averaging 8.62, and Aipkin collected another triumph by winning 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a 28-move single.

Away from the title battles, the tournament floor hummed with personal milestones and breakthrough attempts across both days of speed cubing. Nazokat Azamqulova tackled five events and recorded a personal best of 7.14 seconds on Skewb, which was 71.2 percent faster than her prior mark, alongside a first Clock attempt of 21.89 seconds. Behruz Egemberdiev entered five events, cutting his 2x2x2 best by 63.9 percent to 5.18 seconds while posting first official attempts of 2:43.66 on the 4x4x4 Cube and 1:36.55 in one-handed solving. Saidhuja Sultonov registered a 6.46 Pyraminx personal best, a 41.1 percent reduction, while Milena Khen dropped her Pyraminx mark by 35.2 percent to 11.12 seconds and completed her first official 2x2x2 and Skewb attempts.

The progress continued across all experience levels as competitors expanded their repertoires at this WCA competition. Usmon Botirov logged a personal best of 12.33 seconds on the 3x3x3 Cube, improving by 37.1 percent while taking on Pyraminx for the first time. Aleksey Xusnutdinov entered seven events and shaved 33.6 percent off his 4x4x4 best with a 1:02.41 finish, additionally logging an 11.07 personal best in the 3x3x3. Debutant Ulugbek Bakhodirov opened his tournament account across five events, completing inaugural marks of 31.02 on the 3x3x3 Cube, 12.24 on Pyraminx, and 8.46 on 2x2x2. Yusuf Karimov also made his first appearance, setting marks of 19.79 in 3x3x3, 9.42 on Pyraminx, and 7.07 on 2x2x2.

When the final timers reset at Central Asian Tour Tashkent 2025, the tournament had demonstrated the complete spectrum of solving, from intense blindfolded concentration to blistering sprint turns. The host nation collected the lion's share of silverware, led by Zafarov's six gold medals and Usarov and Aipkin's blindfolded triumphs, while Kazakh solvers proved formidable across the larger cubes. With dozens of individual bests logged across 19 rounds, the regional circuit closed its Tashkent stop having raised the competitive bar across Central Asia.