Nauryz Almaty 2026

A mere 0.07 seconds separated first and second place in the 3x3x3 One-Handed final, setting the tone for an intense weekend of competition. Across 18 rounds and 10 distinct events, 60 competitors gathered at the Samgay educational center for Nauryz Almaty 2026. The two-day gathering in Almaty, Kazakhstan, running from March 23 to March 24, showcased dramatic conclusions and tight margins. Chyngyz Sultanbekov of Kyrgyzstan rose to the challenge throughout the tournament, locking down multiple event titles amidst fierce international pressure on the solving tables.

The 3x3x3 Cube event drew a headline field of 55 competitors battling across three intense stages. Sultanbekov delivered when the pressure was highest, securing the victory with a 7.61 winning average and a best single time of 6.28 seconds. China's Jiayu Wang pushed the contest to the wire, earning the runner-up spot with a 7.98 average, while Alisher Kurmash of Kazakhstan completed the podium with an 8.06 mark. These standout 3x3 results capped off an impressive display of Rubik's Cube mastery in the main event.

Sultanbekov extended his dominance into several other formats, taking top honours in four events overall. In the 2x2x2 Cube, he claimed first place with a 2.29 average, finishing ahead of Kurmash at 3.05 and Yeskendir Kenzhebolat at 3.15. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Sultanbekov averaged 12.60 to narrowly edge Wang's 12.67, with Damir Zhanataev finishing third at 12.93. Sultanbekov also took gold in Megaminx with a 42.56 average, leading Kurmash at 47.30 and Adelina Adibaeva at 54.87.

Big cubes belonged to Xuming Wang of China, who demonstrated remarkable command on the larger hardware. Wang secured first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 29.14 winning average, besting Sultanbekov who took second with 30.26 and Zhanataev who posted 30.77. In the single-round 5x5x5 Cube contest featuring 22 entrants, Wang claimed another gold by logging a 52.33 average. Kurmash took the silver medal with a 55.89 average, while Sultanbekov claimed bronze with 57.02.

The side events delivered equally competitive matchups, led by double-winner Adelina Adibaeva. In Pyraminx, Adibaeva took the gold with an average of 4.39 seconds, holding off Russia's Grigoriy Pachin at 4.41 and Kenzhebolat at 4.75. Adibaeva also topped the podium in Skewb with a 4.40 average. In the Clock event, Kenzhebolat claimed victory with a 5.62 average over Alan Suslov at 5.68 and Adibaeva at 7.71. Square-1 went to Damir Issakov with a winning average of 13.36.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the schedule. Ilkham Abaydullaev delivered a stunning improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube, logging a 1.56 single that was 56.3 percent faster than his previous best. Almas Bolatov dropped his 2x2x2 single to 1.69, a 55.3 percent reduction, while also improving his 3x3x3 single to 11.62. Aibek Akshabayev sliced 53.3 percent off his 3x3x3 mark to reach 11.35, and Dalel Zhanataev cut his Pyraminx best by 50.8 percent down to 6.43.

The tournament also served as an exciting launchpad for new puzzle journeys across the venue. Tursunali Amurlaev tackled ten events over the weekend, recording his first official attempts in Square-1 with 1:55.15, 5x5x5 Cube with 5:09.22, and 4x4x4 Cube with 1:02.04, alongside an eighth-place finish in Clock. Aigerim Telguziyeva took on five events, making her debut in Clock at 36.93, Pyraminx at 11.44, and Skewb at 31.47. Magzhan Munaidarov made his speedcubing debut here across eight events, logging a 10.23 single in 3x3x3, a 10.83 in Clock, and a 17th-place Megaminx finish. Eva Gonenko also attended her first official WCA competition, recording initial marks of 7.80 in Pyraminx and 11.08 in 2x2x2.

The host nation dominated the overall podium count, with Kazakhstan competitors claiming 19 top-three spots, followed by Kyrgyzstan with six, China with four, and Russia with one. Fast solves and narrow margins characterized the lively speed cubing gathering in the 2026 season. As the final puzzles were locked away at the Samgay educational center, Nauryz Almaty 2026 proved to be a vibrant and memorable cubing competition for every participant involved.