Georgia Open 2023

Inside the historic halls of the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, solving mats unrolled and stopwatches rested ready for a high-stakes day of speedcubing. Forty-six competitors gathered on May 7, 2023, filling the Tbilisi venue with focused anticipation. As the spring campaign reached full momentum, this gathering represented a critical mid-season proving ground for the region. Solving stations buzzed with energy as contenders prepared to test their months of training across four official events.

This crucial stop on the 2023 calendar provided a complete stage across six rounds of competition. The Georgia Open 2023 brought together both seasoned veterans and rising newcomers to battle through the brackets. From lightning-fast sprints on smaller rotation puzzles to meticulous main-event contests, every participant sought to leave their mark on the season standings in Tbilisi, Georgia, under official World Cube Association regulations.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest, universally regarded as the headline draw in any cubing competition, featured a full field of 46 entrants across two competitive rounds. Tamar Dolenjishvili delivered a masterclass on the traditional Rubik's Cube, capturing first place with a winning average of 7.67 seconds and securing the event's best single time at 6.61 seconds. Giorgi Minasiani secured second place on the podium with an 8.22 average, while Vako Marchilashvili finished third at 8.45 in the 3x3 results.

Tamar Dolenjishvili was far from finished after claiming the 3x3 crown, adding a second gold medal in Pyraminx. Across a single round of 32 competitors, Dolenjishvili secured victory with an average of 3.98 seconds and a best single of 3.45 seconds. Giorgi Minasiani followed closely in second place with an average of 4.36 seconds, while Andro Gvaramadze placed third with a mark of 4.75 seconds.

The 2x2x2 Cube event delivered blistering pace across two rounds, where Vako Marchilashvili took top honors among 38 entrants. Marchilashvili recorded a phenomenal 1.29 winning average alongside a tournament-best single solve of 1.20 seconds. Nino Zguladze placed second with an average of 3.01 seconds, while Tamar Dolenjishvili added another podium finish to the tally by taking third in 3.17 seconds.

In the Skewb division, 21 competitors took to the tables for a fast single-round shootout. Giorgi Minasiani ascended to the top step with a winning average of 3.66 seconds and a best single solve of 3.17 seconds. Nikolozi Kobakhidze took the runner-up position with a 4.67 average, while Tamar Dolenjishvili earned yet another podium spot, finishing third with a mark of 4.71 seconds to cap an exceptional all-around day.

Beyond the championship battles at the Georgia Open 2023, the scorecards revealed incredible progress from athletes making massive breakthroughs. Samvel Shahverdyan of Armenia slashed their Pyraminx personal best down to 4.70 seconds, which was 49.2 percent faster than their previous mark, while also posting a 2x2x2 personal best of 7.88 seconds across three events. Nicholas Mkrtichyan of the USA took on three events, delivering a first ever attempt at Skewb with a 7.72 and shaving 33.2 percent off their 3x3x3 personal best with a 19.74. Mariami Narchemashvili took tenth place in 3x3x3 and achieved a Pyraminx personal best of 8.80, improving by 33 percent. Sandro Benashvili took ninth in 3x3x3 with a personal best of 9.80 and logged a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 with a swift 2.79 single.

The depth of improvement continued as Sandro Daushvili logged a first ever attempt at Skewb of 10.69 and posted an 8.71 personal best in Pyraminx across four events. Ilia Jalal improved their 2x2x2 personal best by 28.7 percent with a 4.09 time and set a 3x3x3 personal best of 17.27. Zurab Kakhiani entered four events and finished sixth in Skewb with a personal best of 6.83, an 18.7 percent improvement, while also lowering their 3x3x3 personal best to 16.10. Gagik Gevorgyan tackled four events, claiming seventh place in Skewb with a first ever attempt of 7.50 and recording a 3x3x3 personal best of 19.18.

Every single one of the twelve available podium positions across the four disciplines went to Georgian competitors, establishing a dominant home-country sweep. The precision and dedication on display throughout the WCA competition demonstrated how high the regional bar has risen. From tactical speed cubing maneuvers to pure turning tempo, the action delivered dramatic finishes across every bracket.

As the equipment was packed away at the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, the Georgia Open 2023 concluded as a memorable mid-season showcase. The tournament provided competitors with valuable momentum and unforgettable milestones that will fuel their preparation as the wider cubing calendar advances toward the next slate of regional and national championships.