NxNxN in Astana 2026

A single hundredth of a second decided the premier big cube duel at Ivy catering studio on April 5, 2026, delivering the most dramatic moment of the entire meeting. Damir Zhanataev captured the 5x5x5 Cube title with a winning average of 1:03.69, edging Danil Zuev who logged a 1:03.70 average. Diasbek Zhuraev rounded out the exceptionally close podium in third at 1:04.36. Zhanataev also registered the best single of the event at 57.06 seconds during the single-round showdown.

The one-day WCA competition brought 18 competitors together in Astana, Kazakhstan, for a packed schedule of classic NxN events spanning 8 rounds across 7 disciplines. Organizers and participants gathered for NxNxN in Astana 2026 to test their precision on puzzles ranging from the pocket-sized 2x2x2 Cube all the way to the massive 7x7x7 Cube. By the end of the day, host country competitors claimed 17 podium positions, while visiting Russian solvers earned 4 podium places across the board.

Beyond his photo-finish 5x5x5 victory, Damir Zhanataev secured two additional gold medals during the busy cubing competition. In the 2x2x2 Cube final, Zhanataev topped a 15-competitor field with a 3.17 average and a 2.53 single, outpacing Abzal Amirgali who took second with 3.95 and Maksat Amantaev in third at 4.21. Zhanataev then added the 3x3x3 One-Handed crown, posting a 14.35 average to beat Damir Issakov who recorded 14.49, while Diasbek Zhuraev secured third place at 16.58.

Diasbek Zhuraev proved equally dominant across the heavier puzzles, securing three titles of his own. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Zhuraev earned victory with a 33.04 average, followed closely by Danil Zuev with 33.57 and Damir Issakov with 33.70. Zhuraev carried that momentum into the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:52.06 average ahead of Zuev and Zhanataev. He finished his sweep on the 7x7x7 Cube, posting a 2:34.38 winning average ahead of Zuev at 3:04.93 and Amirgali at 5:04.92.

The flagship Rubik's Cube event stood as the only discipline featuring multiple stages, beginning with 18 competitors and culminating in a tense final round. Damir Issakov took top honors with an 8.08 winning average, powered by a tournament-best 7.07 single solve. Zhanataev took the second spot on the podium with an 8.54 mark, while Zhuraev secured third position at 9.85. The 3x3 results confirmed Issakov as the standard-bearer for traditional speedcubing at the tournament.

Behind the podium sweeps, several athletes delivered remarkable breakthroughs on the competition floor. Arlan Nurakhan achieved a 59.7 percent reduction in his 2x2x2 Cube personal best with a 3.93 single, while tackling the 4x4x4 Cube for the very first time with a 1:51.99 mark. Dias Toregeldin branched out into fresh territory by taking on five events, registering his first official attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 35.08 and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:32.37, where he secured an 8th-place finish. Anton Kulyukin lowered his 2x2x2 Cube single to 4.19, improving his previous best by 39 percent.

Timur Beksultan impressed across five events, dropping his 2x2x2 Cube single by 19.6 percent to 3.56 and cutting his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 14.5 percent to 2:26.16 alongside a 48.86 personal best in 4x4x4 Cube. Kamil Zhunissov earned a 4th-place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an 18.29 single, a 17.1 percent improvement, while also improving his 2x2x2 Cube single by 13.3 percent to 4.75 and 4x4x4 Cube by 12 percent to 1:33.31. Aisultan Turganbay set a 45.77 personal best in 4x4x4 Cube to finish 7th, while Lev Golaev improved his 3x3x3 Cube single to 11.89 and Emil Elegenov cut his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 9.6 percent down to 1:03.03.

The action at NxNxN in Astana 2026 demonstrated the depth and focus present in the regional speed cubing community across all levels of experience. From nail-biting finishes decided on the final turn of the timer to massive personal bests across the bigger layers, the single-day gathering provided an intense showcase of puzzle solving in the capital city.