Pavlodar Open 2023

Twenty-five competitors gathered inside the halls of Toraighyrov University on October 7, 2023, turning the academic setting into a high-energy arena for Rubik's Cube mastery. The single-day WCA competition brought together speedcubing talent from across the region to Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. Across 10 rounds of play, the university venue offered an intimate yet electric backdrop where solvers worked through 8 official events, pushing their mechanical dexterity to the limit in front of a focused audience.

The story of Pavlodar Open 2023 was the total dominance staged by Andrey Che of Russia. Che pulled off a rare sweep of every single category on the schedule, capturing eight gold finishes. His campaign reached its pinnacle in the marquee 3x3x3 Cube event, where 24 competitors battled across two rounds. Che topped the 3x3 results by registering a winning average of 7.60 seconds, bolstered by a best single of 7.05 seconds to secure the title.

The 3x3 podium battle behind Che was intensely contested among local solvers. Damir Issakov of Kazakhstan earned the silver medal with an 8.02-second average, while Damir Zhanataev took bronze with an average of 8.31 seconds. In the 2x2x2 Cube event, which drew 23 competitors over two rounds, Che set the standard once more by winning with a 1.83 average and a 1.40 best single. Issakov claimed another silver with a 2.94 average, and Alimzhan Kenesbek took bronze at 3.23.

Che continued his commanding run in the larger twisty puzzles across the Pavlodar tables. In the 4x4x4 Cube, which featured 18 competitors, Che won with a 31.88-second average, followed by Alimzhan Kenesbek with 33.11 and Damir Zhanataev with 33.62. Moving to the 5x5x5 Cube, Che posted a winning mark of 55.19 seconds, featuring a best single of 44.67 seconds. Beksultan Tleukanov took second place with a time of 1:08.86, while Zhanataev collected another podium spot with 1:13.56.

Beyond the traditional cubes, the side disciplines delivered standout performances. Che secured the 3x3x3 One-Handed crown with an 11.15 average, finishing ahead of Damir Zhanataev at 13.14 and Nikita Kolpakov at 16.70. In the Megaminx division, Che logged a winning average of 43.37 seconds, while Daniyal Suleimen took silver in 46.95 and Kenesbek earned bronze in 1:09.34. The Pyraminx final saw Che triumph with an average of 2.79 seconds, flanked by Zhanataev at 3.97 and Bekzhan Zhomartuly at 4.36. In Square-1, Che captured his eighth victory with a 13.72 average, holding off Issakov at 14.40 and Zhanat Kazez at 16.39.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the tournament floor. Mansur Serikov tackled 7 events and made massive progress, dropping his Megaminx personal best to 1:46.24, which was 55.9 percent faster than his prior mark of 4:00.90, alongside an 8th-place finish. Igor Kaigalov also took on 7 events, cutting his 5x5x5 Cube best by 52 percent down to 2:12.59 and improving his Square-1 time to 1:02.45. Ilia Provorniy entered 8 events, shaving 35.1 percent off his 5x5x5 Cube best with a time of 2:17.24 and earning 4th place in Square-1. Asar Toleu competed in 5 events, cutting 18.3 percent off his 5x5x5 Cube time down to 1:15.83 and finishing 6th.

The competition floor also saw key breakthroughs from solvers expanding their repertoires. Vitaliy Avargin entered 5 events and recorded his first ever attempt at Megaminx with a time of 7:05.62 while reaching 13th place. Lev Golaev took on 4 events and logged his first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube with a 2:21.29 result, while Sultanbibarys Omar achieved a 5th-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 2.35 seconds, 19 percent faster than before. David Timofeev attended his first WCA competition, taking on 4 events and delivering a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 9.99 seconds to place 10th. Batyrkhan Ruslanuly also made his official debut, completing 3 events including a first ever attempt of 56.10 seconds in the 3x3x3 Cube.

Throughout the action at Pavlodar Open 2023, Kazakhstan accounted for 16 podium finishes while Russia claimed 8. The gathering highlighted the depth of speed cubing interest in the region, bringing together experienced competitors and first-time entrants under the roof of Toraighyrov University. As the single-day cubing competition concluded, the diverse performances across all 8 disciplines marked a memorable chapter for the local community.