NxN Rīgā 2025

Ten rounds of intense speedcubing delivered high drama across the table, but nowhere was the margin for error slimmer than in the big cube formats. Unlike standard five-solve rounds where competitors drop their fastest and slowest attempts, mean-of-three events offer no safety net. Every single turn counts directly toward the final average, turning a slight lockup or miscalculated lookahead into a podium-altering setback. At the NVO nams venue in Rīga, Latvia, 41 competitors gathered on March 1, 2025, to test their nerve across six distinct cubic events where consistency dictated the standings.

The 7x7x7 Cube final proved to be the ultimate showcase of this unforgiving format. Max Kwok U Sam of Macau took top honours with a winning average of 2:44.65, bolstered by a best single of 2:35.01 across 16 competitors. Lithuania's Mantas Urbanavičius pushed him all the way to the wire, registering a 2:44.95 average to miss the title by three tenths of a second. Malaysia's Nevins Chan Pak Hoong secured third place with an average of 3:20.45, highlighting how three unbroken solves in massive layers reward unflinching stamina.

Urbanavičius found his redemption in the 6x6x6 Cube, capturing victory with a 1:39.89 mean of three and the round's best single of 1:30.22 among 21 competitors. Kwok U Sam followed in second place with a 1:46.06 average, while Mikus Lembergs took third for the home nation with 2:05.04. The long, multi-minute solves left no room for hesitation, as any slip in layer alignment would instantly inflate the three-solve average beyond recovery.

In the 5x5x5 Cube, Kwok U Sam and Urbanavičius resumed their razor-thin rivalry over two rounds. Kwok U Sam claimed the gold with a winning average of 58.56 and a 53.20 single, edging Urbanavičius whose 58.73 average fell short by seventeen hundredths of a second. Mikus Lembergs rounded out the podium in third with an average of 1:10.49. The event demonstrated the rapid transitions and turning precision required as puzzle sizes drop toward the mid-tier cubes.

Urbanavičius stamped his authority on the 4x4x4 Cube, producing a winning average of 28.41 and a best single of 23.67 across two rounds and 28 competitors. Kwok U Sam took second place with a 33.02 average, followed by Latvia's Vladislavs Baranovs in third at 38.32. Urbanavičius carried that momentum into the premier 3x3x3 Cube, dominating the 39-competitor field to win with a 6.74 average and a 6.11 single, well clear of Lembergs at 9.25 and Kwok U Sam at 9.29 in the final 3x3 results for the classic Rubik's Cube.

Away from the top steps, several competitors marked significant personal milestones. Atis Ivanovs took on his first WCA competition, tackling three events and posting a 4.71 single in the 2x2x2 Cube alongside a 16.68 in the 3x3x3 Cube and a 1:46.57 first attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube. Jokūbas Levanavičius also made his speed cubing debut, registering a 6.18 on the 2x2x2 Cube and 30.54 on the 3x3x3 Cube. Alise Undīne Heidemane made her official debut as well, recording 39.25 on 2x2x2 and 58.04 on 3x3x3, while Alexandre Logut tackled his first tournament with 16.22 on 2x2x2 and 37.36 on the 3x3x3 Cube.

Massive progress highlighted the scorecards for returning competitors as well. Raivo Rodrigo Heidemanis dropped his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 32.4 percent down to 1:25.91, alongside a 30.9 percent improvement on the 3x3x3 Cube with 16.59. Gints Mazurs took on his first ever attempt at the 6x6x6 Cube in 7:07.27, while slashing his 2x2x2 Cube best by 29.4 percent to 2.42. Gustavs Rudzitis logged a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:37.51 and cut his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 24.3 percent to 4.20. Nojus Radionovas took on all six disciplines, logging a first 7x7x7 Cube attempt of 5:15.84 and dropping his 6x6x6 Cube best by 27.3 percent to 3:35.52.

The 2x2x2 Cube brought high-speed resolution to the weekend, with Oskars Kaminskis earning victory on home soil with a 3.25 average and a 2.61 single across 34 competitors. Mikus Lembergs took second place with 3.30, while Matteo Provasi claimed third with 3.58. The first round saw a flurry of fast times, including a 1.67 single and 2.52 average from Urbanavičius, a 2.18 single and 2.78 average from Kaminskis, and a 1.81 single from Kwok U Sam. In all, NxN Rīgā 2025 showcased how technical mastery across the full cubic spectrum rewards poise under pressure, from the fastest sprint to the longest solve.