Kaunas KTU Open 2025

Inside the halls of Kaunas University of Technology, the steady rhythm of turning puzzles set the tone for an intense weekend of competition. Tables were lined with timers, mats, and inspection covers as competitors from across the region gathered in Kaunas, Lithuania. The atmosphere across October 25 and October 26 captured the focused energy of modern speedcubing, where newcomers stood shoulder to shoulder with experienced solvers across 13 events and 20 rounds of action.

A major storyline throughout Kaunas KTU Open 2025 was the influx of fresh talent entering official play. Out of the 38 competitors who registered, several took their very first steps into a World Cube Association environment. First-timers stepped up to the tables alongside seasoned competitors, bringing an ambitious spirit to both classic twists and specialised puzzles during a lively two days of speed cubing in 2025.

The spotlight shone brightest on the headline 3x3x3 Cube event, where 37 solvers took part across three rounds of play. When the final 3x3 results were tallied, Roberts Dreijers emerged on top with a winning average of 9.29 seconds, complemented by a best single of 7.10 seconds. The classic Rubik's Cube remains the ultimate proving ground at any cubing competition, and Dreijers maintained control under the lights to secure the weekend's marquee title.

Roberts Dreijers added further titles to his resume across the weekend. In Square-1, he topped the podium with a 12.05 average, finishing ahead of Mikus Lembergs and Kristiāns Pietkuns in a Latvian podium sweep. Dreijers also demonstrated stamina in the big cubes, winning the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 3:09.60. Lembergs took second in 3:19.33, while Wojciech Szatanowski finished third in 3:30.12.

Beyond the podiums, the heart of Kaunas KTU Open 2025 belonged to competitors testing their limits across massive event loads and conquering personal milestones. Bernardas Bakėjus delivered one of the weekend's biggest breakthroughs, dropping his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best down to 47.63 seconds, which was 51.6 percent faster than his previous mark of 1:38.39, while also making his first official attempts in Clock at 22.70 seconds and Megaminx at 3:21.29. Deividas Burniauskas took 40.7 percent off his Pyraminx personal best with a 5.03 single, while taking on his first attempts at Square-1 and Skewb. Julius Dobilas produced a 34.7 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.07 single alongside a 6.19 in Pyraminx, and Artūrs Jakovļevs cut his Pyraminx personal best by 32.3 percent to 7.77 seconds and his 3x3x3 Cube single by 30.3 percent to 13.16 seconds.

The drive to branch out was visible everywhere on the floor as competitors tackled unfamiliar territory. Rojus Galinauskas entered 10 events, taking on his first attempts at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:42.07 and Square-1 in 32.69 seconds while improving his 2x2x2 Cube single by 29.5 percent to 3.49 seconds. Kasparas Norvila also contested 10 events, recording debut solves in Skewb at 9.16 seconds, 7x7x7 Cube at 4:59.97, and 6x6x6 Cube at 3:20.23, reaching a weekend-best 7th place in 4x4x4 Cube. Dovydas Kirbutas tackled seven events, logging first attempts in Skewb, Megaminx, and Clock, while Denis Gasparavičius recorded his first official solves in Square-1 and Pyraminx while cutting his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 22.5 percent down to 6.45 seconds.

Four competitors marked their entire WCA competition debuts this weekend. Majus Udrėnas recorded opening marks of 53.57 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube and 16.71 seconds in 2x2x2 Cube. Dovydas Lopšaitis completed his first attempts with 46.05 in 3x3x3 Cube and 16.31 in 2x2x2 Cube. Lauris Šimkus posted a swift 12.67 single in 3x3x3 Cube and a 1:35.14 in 4x4x4 Cube, while Deividas Smirnovas made his debut with a 44.81 in 3x3x3 Cube.

Multi-event specialist Mikus Lembergs produced commanding performances across shorter and longer formats alike. Lembergs captured the 2x2x2 Cube title with a 2.88 average, claimed the 6x6x6 Cube crown with an average of 2:05.85, and won 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:08.35 single. Kasparas Lienys followed closely in blindfolded solving at 1:08.54, while Wojciech Szatanowski finished third in 2:09.40. Poland's Szatanowski also took gold in 4x4x4 Cube with a 33.84 average and 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:07.15 average.

Local Lithuanian competitors claimed victories across several fast-paced formats. Mikas Motiejuitis swept two events, winning Pyraminx with a 3.73 average and Skewb with a 5.13 average. Ugnius Lesnik claimed the Clock title with a 5.72 average, while Viltė Klioštoraitytė won Megaminx with a 56.11 average. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Kristiāns Pietkuns of Latvia took top honours with a 17.00 average.

Across the entire weekend, Latvia led the medal count with 21 podium places, Lithuania secured 11, Poland earned 6, and France claimed 1. As the timers stopped and the equipment was packed away, Kaunas KTU Open 2025 demonstrated the continuous development of the sport, blending elite consistency at the top with a vibrant wave of new competitors finding their footing on the official stage.