Osijek Open 2023

Alexey Tsvetkov authored an extraordinary weekend of speedcubing at the Ekonomski fakultet u Osijeku, claiming victory in six separate disciplines to headline the tournament. The standout performer swept through the short puzzles and side events with clinical precision, finishing atop the standings in everything from the 2x2x2 Cube to the 4x4x4 Cube, Pyraminx, Skewb, and 3x3x3 One-Handed. His individual showcase set a demanding standard across the two days of competition in Osijek, Croatia, while simultaneously sharing the stage with a large wave of fresh talent testing themselves on the official stage for the very first time.

Held across February 25 and February 26, the Osijek Open 2023 welcomed 57 competitors for 17 rounds of action across 10 distinct events. The tournament demonstrated the vibrant growth of the regional scene in 2023, drawing solvers from across Central and Eastern Europe to the university venue. A significant portion of the roster was composed of newer participants embarking on their early tournament journeys, turning each preliminary round into an energetic display of personal milestones. For many in attendance, the gathering served as an essential introduction to the structure and camaraderie of a major WCA competition.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 56 competitors across three hard-fought rounds, ultimately concluding with Tsvetkov securing the title with a winning average of 7.95 seconds alongside a tournament-best single of 6.35. The classic Rubik's Cube remains the centerpiece of any cubing competition, and the battle across the three phases demanded total consistency under pressure. In the 3x3 results, competitors navigated shifting cutoffs and tight margins, while Tsvetkov remained composed to lock down the main event trophy as part of his broader gold rush.

Beyond the main puzzle, Tsvetkov established a relentless pace in the shorter formats. He claimed the 2x2x2 Cube title with an exceptional average of 1.41 seconds, backed by a quick single solve of 1.12. In Pyraminx, he took top honors with an average of 1.96 seconds, adding a single of 1.43, before capturing the Skewb crown with a 3.52 average. His dominance extended smoothly to the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, where he posted a winning average of 12.46 seconds, finishing ahead of Serbia's Matej Marčok and Croatia's David Vujasić. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Tsvetkov edged Hungary's Róbert Maróti by less than half a second, averaging 31.33 to Maróti's 31.80.

While the top steps often belong to seasoned champions, the deeper story of the tournament emerged through remarkable personal breakthroughs across the scorecards. Filip Babić delivered an impressive leap in the 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best single of 3.56 seconds, slicing 61.1 percent off his prior mark, while also recording a 28 percent improvement in Pyraminx at 8.96 and taking on his first ever Skewb attempt at 9.95. Staša Petrović tackled five events, setting a 30.7 percent personal best in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 42.50 to finish 30th, alongside debut attempts in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:36.39 and the 2x2x2 Cube at 6.37. Danijel Bajsić took on eight disciplines, logging a 14.9 percent improvement on the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:03.00 while recording his first official attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 52.33 and the 6x6x6 Cube at 4:33.32. Vigo Pernar completed five events, achieving a 35.7 percent cut on his Skewb best at 11.10, a 32.6 percent drop in 2x2x2 Cube to 6.52, and his first 3x3x3 One-Handed solve at 1:09.00.

The personal milestones continued as Jakov Kudeljnjak posted huge gains across six events, highlighted by a 55.7 percent reduction on Skewb to 6.07 seconds, a 47.9 percent drop in 3x3x3 One-Handed to 24.91, and a 33.3 percent improvement on the 3x3x3 Cube at 13.08. Aleksandar Babić took on six events and lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best by 52.4 percent to 1.79 seconds, while also trimming 44.7 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube mark to 58.12 and 29.4 percent off his 5x5x5 Cube single to 2:19.81. Domagoj Vukosavljević made massive strides with a 55.3 percent Pyraminx personal best of 3.88 seconds alongside a 17.3 percent gain on the 4x4x4 Cube at 38.98. Sven Eder capped off a busy seven-event schedule with personal bests across three puzzles, improving by 32 percent in Pyraminx to 4.91, 14.7 percent in the 2x2x2 Cube to 3.76, and 8.1 percent in Skewb to 5.21.

The big cube categories brought a change of pace and a new set of winners to the tables. France's Firmin Brault captured the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 1:03.97, edging out David Vujasić and Róbert Maróti in a tightly contested final. Maróti asserted complete command over the largest puzzles, taking gold in the 6x6x6 Cube with an average of 1:57.00 and winning the 7x7x7 Cube with a mark of 2:53.04. Vujasić put together an exceptionally consistent campaign on home soil, securing podium finishes across four separate categories including the 5x5x5, 6x6x6, 7x7x7, Skewb, and Pyraminx events.

The blindfolded discipline produced its own drama at the tables, where solving without sight demands absolute concentration and precise memorization. Jakov Srečković earned victory in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, posting the fastest successful single of the competition at 28.22 seconds in a field of 12 specialists. Croatian competitors led the medal distribution over the weekend with eight total podium places, followed by Russia and France with six each, Hungary with five, and Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with two apiece.

The successful conclusion of Osijek Open 2023 marked an encouraging milestone for regional speed cubing, balancing elite winning performances with an influx of emerging solvers. With 57 participants pushing their limits across two days and 10 events, the competition provided both seasoned veterans and eager newcomers a platform to develop their craft as the European circuit looks ahead to the remainder of the season.

Alexey Tsvetkov obilježio je natjecateljski vikend u Slavoniji osvojivši čak šest prvih mjesta, dok je u glavnoj disciplini 3x3x3 Cube slavio s pobjedničkim prosjekom od 7.95 sekundi i najboljim pojedinačnim slaganjem od 6.35 sekundi. Natjecanje Osijek Open 2023 održano je od 25. do 26. veljače 2023. godine, a domaćin je bio Ekonomski fakultet u Osijeku. Kroz dva dana nadmetanja, 57 natjecatelja odmjerilo je snage u 10 različitih disciplina raspoređenih kroz 17 rundi, donoseći vrhunski speedcubing u Osijek, Croatia.

Dok klasične brzinske discipline donose eksplozivne i dinamične trenutke pune adrenalina, priprema i pristup svakoj slagalici zahtijevaju duboku analitičku koncentraciju. Pored brzine prstiju, svaki natjecateljski format traži posvećenost detaljima i taktičko promišljanje. Rubikova kocka u svojim različitim izdanjima okupila je natjecatelje iz nekoliko zemalja, a domaći i inozemni predstavnici pokazali su iznimnu spremnost u svim formatima koje je ponudio ovaj uzbudljivi vikend.

U disciplini 2x2x2 Cube pobjedu je ponovno odnio Alexey Tsvetkov s prosjekom 1.41 sekundu i pojedinačnim rezultatom 1.12. Drugo mjesto zauzeo je Marcel Ručigaj iz Slovenije s prosjekom 2.15, dok je treći bio Firmin Brault iz Francuske s 2.76 sekundi. U disciplini 4x4x4 Cube Tsvetkov je uzeo zlato s prosjekom 31.33, ispred Mađara Róberta Marótija koji je zabilježio 31.80 i Braulta s 32.43 sekunde. Tsvetkov je slavio i na jednoručnom slaganju 3x3x3 One-Handed s prosjekom 12.46, gdje su postolje popunili Matej Marčok iz Srbije s 15.31 i hrvatski predstavnik David Vujasić s 16.15 sekundi.

Tsvetkov se na najviše postolje popeo i u disciplinama Pyraminx i Skewb. U Pyraminxu je slavio s prosjekom 1.96 sekundi, dok je David Vujasić osvojio srebro s 3.58, a Thibaut Mézières broncu s 4.95. U disciplini Skewb Tsvetkov je pobijedio s 3.52 sekunde, a hrvatski natjecatelji David Vujasić i Dominik Vidaković uzeli su preostala dva mjesta na postolju s rezultatima 4.61 i 5.15. Time je Osijek Open 2023 potvrdio apsolutnu dominaciju ruskog slagača u kraćim disciplinama.

U većim slagalicama istaknuo se Róbert Maróti, koji je pobijedio u 6x6x6 Cube s prosjekom 1:57.00 ispred Davida Vujasića i Andreja Mikulića, kao i u 7x7x7 Cube s vremenom 2:53.04, gdje su iza njega završili Mikulić i Vujasić. Francuz Firmin Brault slavio je u 5x5x5 Cube s prosjekom 1:03.97, dok su drugo i treće mjesto osvojili Vujasić s 1:07.36 i Maróti s 1:07.41. U disciplini 3x3x3 Blindfolded, gdje je memorizacija ključ uspjeha, slavio je Jakov Srečković sa sjajnim pojedinačnim slaganjem od 28.22 sekunde.

Iza borbe za postolja, mnogi natjecatelji ostvarili su sjajne osobne iskorake. Maja Ribičić je u disciplini Pyraminx postavila osobni rekord od 6.45 sekundi, što je 39.9 posto brže od njezina prijašnjeg rezultata, uz popravak na 2x2x2 Cube na 4.15 sekundi. Matej Marković je na 2x2x2 Cube spustio svoje najbolje vrijeme za 30.8 posto na 1.53 sekunde, dok je u 7x7x7 Cube popravio rezultat za 25.5 posto na 4:19.23 te zauzeo peto mjesto na 5x5x5 Cube. Csaba Zsiborás se okušao u sedam disciplina, ostvario osmo mjesto na 6x6x6 Cube s novim rekordom 3:12.27 te odradio svoj prvi službeni pokušaj u 3x3x3 Blindfolded s vremenom 8:00.63. Bogdan Belic je popravio vrijeme na 3x3x3 Cube za 12.5 posto na 12.77 sekundi i upisao svoj prvi nastup na 4x4x4 Cube s 1:36.98.

Za četiri natjecatelja ovaj vikend bio je premijerni ulazak u službena natjecanja. Máté Matus je odradio svoje prvo WCA natjecanje nastupivši u pet disciplina, zabilježivši prve pokušaje u 3x3x3 One-Handed s 1:02.96, 5x5x5 Cube s 3:25.06 i 2x2x2 Cube s 4.86 sekundi. Marin Grgić je na svom debiju zabilježio 4.44 na 2x2x2 Cube, 37.22 na 3x3x3 One-Handed i 13.68 na Pyraminxu. Rohan Stojanović je debitirao u tri discipline s rezultatima 26.29 na 3x3x3 Cube, 13.35 na Pyraminxu i 6.86 na 2x2x2 Cube, dok je David Preksavec upisao prve nastupe na 3x3x3 Cube s 14.62 i 2x2x2 Cube s 8.63 sekunde.

Hrvatska je ukupno osvojila 8 postolja, dok su predstavnici Rusije i Francuske osvojili po 6, Mađarske 5, a Slovenije i Bosne i Hercegovine po 2 odličja. Ovo natjecanje u kockanju pokazalo je visoku razinu organizacije i sportskog duha u regiji. Uspješno zaključen Osijek Open 2023 još je jednom dokazao privlačnost brzinskog slaganja i postavio odlične temelje za nadolazeću sezonu.