Georgia May Open 2026

Fourteen rounds of tournament play ran without a hitch on May 2, 2026, as the Caucasus Culture Exchange hosted an intense single-day showcase of puzzle solving. Behind every smooth bracket stood the dedicated organizing team, WCA delegates, and station volunteers who kept stations moving and timers resetting across twelve official disciplines. Their meticulous staging allowed a compact field of 28 competitors to push through a demanding timetable without missing a beat, turning Tbilisi, Georgia into a lively hub of competitive energy.

The Georgia May Open 2026 spotlighted a wide variety of events, from pocket puzzles to sprawling big cubes and specialty twisty challenges. With tables turning over efficiently from morning to evening, competitors had the structure they needed to focus entirely on precision. The staff ensured that judging, scrambling, and result entry remained seamless throughout every phase, providing the ideal platform for both established contenders and newcomers to put their training to the test.

Leading the way on the main stage was Giorgi Minasiani, who claimed four victories across the schedule. Minasiani secured the top spot in the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube with a 7.73 winning average and a best single of 6.92 across two rounds of play. He was flanked on the podium by Vako Marchilashvili, who posted an 8.65 average, and Andro Gvaramadze, who finished third with an 8.93 average. The final 3x3 results capped a dominant showing from the Georgian trio in the centerpiece discipline of the day.

Minasiani extended his command across several other categories, taking first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 37.46 average, the 3x3x3 One-Handed event with a 14.19 mark, and the Pyraminx with a 2.87 average. His consistency across varied formats demonstrated remarkable versatility throughout the day. In One-Handed, Gvaramadze followed in second with 17.51, while Mikhail Nikitin took third at 17.57. In the 4x4x4 event, Ilya Anishchanka earned the runner-up position with 38.09, closely pursued by Gvaramadze at 38.56.

Record-setting performances also highlighted the day, led by Vako Marchilashvili, who captured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title with a Georgian national record single of 1:19.98. Marchilashvili also claimed first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid 1.53 average, finishing ahead of Nikitin at 2.53 and Minasiani at 3.27. Meanwhile, Dachi Tevdorashvili broke the Georgian national record average in Megaminx, recording a winning mark of 47.95 alongside a best single solve of 44.63.

Mikhail Nikitin controlled the upper reaches of the big-cube roster, securing a triple crown in the heavy hardware. Nikitin captured the 5x5x5 Cube with an average of 1:06.48, edged ahead in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 2:07.21 average, and took top honors in the 7x7x7 Cube at 3:08.19. Tevdorashvili collected second place in both 6x6x6 and 7x7x7, posting averages of 2:29.52 and 4:06.90 respectively, while Gvaramadze added a victory in Skewb with a 4.50 average and Nikoloz Korganashvili won Square-1 in 15.06.

Away from the top steps of the podium, Georgia May Open 2026 proved to be a breakthrough event for many participants who delivered significant leaps in performance. Giorgi Miladze tackled four disciplines, logging a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 3.73, a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 58.81, and dropping their 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best to 23.03, which was 24.9 percent faster than their previous mark. Andria Gogiashvili improved their 2x2x2 Cube best to 5.13, a 32.1 percent cut, while also setting a new 4x4x4 Cube best of 1:20.09. Giorgi Leshkasheli took fifth in 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best average of 2.75, improving by 22.3 percent, while Alexey Nikitin competed in seven events and lowered their 2x2x2 Cube mark to 9.52, an improvement of 9 percent.

The tournament also welcomed several cubers taking their initial strides at an official WCA competition. Nikoloz Anchabadze made their debut with a best finish of 13th in 4x4x4 Cube, logging a first mark of 1:58.66 along with first attempts of 28.41 in 3x3x3 Cube and 7.87 in 2x2x2 Cube. Aiden Sanders recorded initial marks of 5.16 in 2x2x2 Cube and 25.21 in 3x3x3 Cube. Dachi Mirotadze registered first attempts of 8.20 in 2x2x2 Cube and 20.20 in 3x3x3 Cube, while Andrey Yakubovski improved their 3x3x3 Cube mark to 14.08, a 7.2 percent reduction, and finished fifth in Skewb.

The collaborative effort between officials, runners, and entrants generated a total of 23 podium finishes for Georgia, 12 for Russia, and three for Belarus. As the final scrambles cleared the tables at the Caucasus Culture Exchange, the smooth execution of Georgia May Open 2026 stood as a testament to the local speedcubing community and its capable event crew, leaving speed cubing competitors ready for their next tournament challenge.