Eagle of the East Azerbaijan 2024

Fazil Quliyev secured the premier title of the day in Baku, Azerbaijan, laying down a 10.07 winning average to claim victory in the 3x3x3 Cube event. The contest at ADA Universiteti brought together 42 competitors for a fast-paced single-day tournament on February 17, 2024. Across eight rounds spanning five classic puzzles, local contenders defended their home tables against visiting talent, setting the tempo from the opening solves. The premier division drew a packed field of 40 entrants across two rounds, where Quliyev set the benchmark with a sharp single of 9.58.

The 3x3 results encapsulated a spirited regional showdown on the main stage. Elmir Mirzəyev pressed the winner closely throughout the final round, taking second place with an average of 10.73. International challenger Hwamok Cho from Korea mounted a formidable campaign to break into the top three, securing third place with an average of 11.98. Cho represented the lone international podium appearance of the day, as local speedcubing talent captured 14 of the 15 available top-three places across the tournament roster.

The 2x2x2 Cube competition featured some of the tightest margins of the tournament as 34 entrants battled through two rounds. Sabir Mammedzade emerged victorious with a winning average of 3.79 and a best single of 3.15, leading an all-Azerbaijani podium sweep. Ali Aliyev pressed hard right behind in second place with an average of 3.86, while Amin Aliyev locked up third place with a 4.54 mark. The depth of the field was on full display in the smaller puzzle, setting up fierce rivalries across the opening heats.

Beyond the standard Rubik's Cube formats, Mehemmed Hasanov dominated the Pyraminx bracket with a commanding 4.02 winning average. Facing 27 competitors over two rounds, Hasanov turned in a swift 2.47 single on his way to the top step. Sabir Mammedzade claimed his second podium of the weekend by taking runner-up honors with an average of 5.92, while Royal Shabanov earned third place with an average of 6.41 to round out another sweep for the host country.

The single-round events tested nerves under direct final pressure. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Ali Mehdizade claimed first place from a field of 21 solvers with an average of 52.29 and the round best single of 48.11. Elmir Mirzəyev took second place with 53.37, closely followed by Mirza Mursalov in third at 1:00.78. Meanwhile, Skewb featured 23 entrants in a standalone battle where Aslan Kazimov won gold with a 7.13 average, edging out Tamerlan Afandiyev at 7.45 and Ali Aliyev at 7.69.

Away from the podium battles at Eagle of the East Azerbaijan 2024, significant personal milestones unfolded across the tables. Naim Qoçuyev made substantial strides in the classic puzzle, notching a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 15.84, which was 50.7 percent faster than his previous mark of 32.10, alongside first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:33.51 and 2x2x2 Cube at 5.00. Huseyn Pirizade recorded a Skewb personal best of 11.13, improving by 56.4 percent from 25.54, while tackling Pyraminx for the first time with a 4.28 mark. Cavid Həsənzadə achieved an eighth-place finish in Skewb with a personal best of 7.65, taking 53.6 percent off his previous 16.49, and logged a first Pyraminx solve of 8.18. Əli Nəsirli cut his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 21.32 from 46.12, a 53.8 percent reduction, and tackled Skewb for the first time with a 19.45 effort.

The spirit of growth continued through several other determined campaigns at Eagle of the East Azerbaijan 2024. Ibrahim Farzullayev took on five events, earning a best finish of sixth in Pyraminx while lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.34 from 6.91, an improvement of 51.7 percent. Mehemmed Melikov tackled five disciplines, setting a 2x2x2 Cube best of 5.16, which was 49.9 percent faster than his previous 10.30, while making first attempts in Skewb at 22.25 and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:02.93. Onyu Cho contested five events and advanced to fifth in Pyraminx, logging a Skewb personal best of 5.58 that was 48.7 percent faster than their prior 10.87. Ilkin Karimli completed their first WCA competition by entering five events, achieving a 13th-place best finish in 2x2x2 Cube and recording first attempts in Skewb at 14.16, 2x2x2 Cube at 4.29, and Pyraminx at 8.48.

The one-day cubing competition demonstrated the impressive breadth of speed cubing talent in the region. Organizers managed eight full rounds of action seamlessly across the day at ADA Universiteti, providing seasoned title contenders and newcomers alike a platform to test their solve execution against strong regional peers. With national standouts claiming four individual titles and an international podium earned by Korea, the event delivered high-caliber head-to-head racing from the morning scrambles through the evening awards.

As the final timers clicked off, the overall medal count underlined the current strength of the local contingent on their home turf. Capturing 14 podium spots across five puzzle disciplines, the local roster set a high standard for future meets in Baku. Competitors now look ahead to building upon their personal bests and sharpening their hardware setups as the season continues to unfold.