Georgia Spring Open 2023

Inside College Barakoni on a bustling Saturday in Tbilisi, Georgia, the tournament hall filled with the steady rhythm of twisting plastic, clicking timers, and quiet concentration. The one-day gathering on March 4, 2023, brought together 21 competitors for a packed schedule of six official events across eleven rounds. Stepping into a speedcubing arena for the very first time brings an unmistakable rush, where official inspection timers replace casual practice and every solve goes directly into the record books. For many in attendance, the day marked their initial taste of an official cubing competition.

The Georgia Spring Open 2023 provided a classic Rubik's Cube battleground across multiple formats. While veteran hands managed the pressure of three rounds of classic solving, several athletes were making their opening appearances on the official stage. Stepping up to the solving mat as a debutant requires nerves of steel, as competitors adjust to running schedules, station judges, and the strict rules governing every single attempt. That blend of newcomer determination and experienced pace set a vivid tone from the morning openers through the evening finals.

Among those taking their initial steps at a WCA competition, Aleksandre Kharazi embraced a busy debut schedule by tackling four separate events, recording an opening mark of 10.54 seconds in the 2x2x2 Cube, 16.99 seconds on Pyraminx, and a best finish of 12th in 3x3x3 One-Handed with 1:35.94. Fellow first-timer Dachi Tchatchia entered two events, delivering an initial mark of 20.47 seconds in the classic 3x3x3 Cube and finishing 10th in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 43.73 seconds. Sandro Daushvili also made his first appearance, placing 8th in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:55.44 effort alongside an initial 24.22-second mark on the 3x3x3. Giorgi Nikoleishvili focused purely on the Pyraminx during his debut, securing 5th place with a strong 4.99 single.

The broader field also produced dramatic leaps and milestone attempts that the main podium standings rarely capture in full. Andrey Yakubovski logged a standout 65.3 percent drop to record a 2.70 personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube, improved his 3x3x3 best to 25.00 seconds by 19.6 percent, and took 7th in his first official Skewb run at 10.77 seconds. Lali Amiranashvili delivered sweeping gains, cutting 48.1 percent off her Pyraminx mark down to 10.97, chopping 40.4 percent from her 2x2x2 mark to reach 7.04, and trimming her 3x3x3 single to 22.02. Saba Jikia took on four disciplines, completing his first 3x3x3 One-Handed solve at 43.58 and setting an 18.49 personal best on the 3x3x3 Cube. Luka Subari advanced his 3x3x3 personal best by 47.5 percent to 10.72 seconds, while trying the 2x2x2 Cube for the first time with a 4.01 result.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube event, 20 competitors advanced through three demanding rounds of speed cubing. Andrey Che set the benchmark throughout the day, claiming the title with a winning average of 7.19 seconds and posting the day's best single solve of 5.71 seconds. Vako Marchilashvili secured second place on the podium with an 8.26-second average, while Tamar Dolenjishvili locked down third place with an average of 9.01 seconds. The overall 3x3 results demonstrated strong depth across the region, with Georgia capturing nine podium spots throughout the day alongside seven for Russia and two for Ukraine.

The 2x2x2 Cube event saw lightning-fast action over three rounds among 17 competitors. Vako Marchilashvili took the top step of the podium, capturing victory with a 1.69-second winning average and a best single solve of 1.38 seconds. Andrey Che followed closely behind in second place with a 2.19-second average, while Mykhailo Lagoida earned third place with an average of 2.69 seconds. The compact puzzle delivered some of the tightest margins of the tournament, demanding instantaneous execution from the opening turn.

The Skewb final concluded in a single decisive round among nine competitors, where Mykhailo Lagoida captured first place with an impressive 3.07-second winning average and a 2.50 best single. Tamar Dolenjishvili earned second place with an average of 5.36 seconds, and Andrey Che took third place with a 5.82-second average. In the 4x4x4 Cube, eight competitors tested their skill on the larger hardware over one round, where Andrey Che emerged victorious with an average of 29.83 seconds and a best single of 25.64, ahead of Tamar Dolenjishvili at 31.01 and Andro Gvaramadze at 43.32.

One-handed solving pushed dexterity to the limit, as twelve competitors tackled the 3x3x3 One-Handed event in a single round. Andrey Che took his third individual gold with a winning average of 10.29 seconds and a single of 8.21 seconds. Tamar Dolenjishvili finished second with an average of 17.04 seconds, while Erik Shakirov rounded out the podium in third at 17.10 seconds. In Pyraminx, Andrey Che capped his dominant tournament across two rounds, averaging 3.22 seconds to win over Andro Gvaramadze at 3.62 seconds and Tamar Dolenjishvili at 3.77 seconds.

With eleven rounds completed across six diverse events, the Georgia Spring Open 2023 wrapped up having showcased both high-level mastery and the infectious enthusiasm of emerging talents. The competition highlighted how quickly new entrants can settle into the rhythm of official solving while seasoned regulars push the standards higher. As equipment packed away and competitors compared their newest official times, the day stood as a memorable chapter of progress in Tbilisi.