Raha Open 2023

A mere 0.20 seconds was all that separated the top three finishers in the 2x2x2 Cube final at Raha Open 2023, showcasing an exceptionally tight battle on the tables. The single-day speedcubing tournament brought together 76 competitors at Raha International School - Khalifa City Campus in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on May 21, 2023. Across eight rounds spanning five events, racers pushed their execution to the absolute limit. Nowhere was the contest tighter than the short-puzzle podium, where France Bautista of the Philippines captured first place with an average of 2.64 seconds, narrowly edging India's Mihir Narayan and Kazakhstan's Yerkin Assylbek, who finished tied on an identical 2.84-second average.

The drama extended to the larger puzzles, where fractions of a second decided the 4x4x4 Cube crown in a 38-person field. Yerkin Assylbek claimed the title with an average of 32.29 seconds and a single of 30.82 seconds. He held off a fierce charge from Mihir Narayan, who took second place with a 32.98 average, leaving less than seven tenths of a second between gold and silver. Oman's Zaid Taqi secured the remaining podium step with a 42.32 average, concluding a thrilling contest over the four-layer cube.

The classic Rubik's Cube drew 73 entrants across three intense rounds of speed cubing. Mihir Narayan delivered the standout performance of the day, securing the 3x3x3 Cube title with a winning average of 8.36 seconds and the weekend's best single of 7.84 seconds. Oman's Zaid Taqi claimed silver with a 9.83 average, while Kazakhstan's Yerkin Assylbek took third place in 10.55 seconds. The 3x3 results cemented Narayan's dominance across the competition, giving him his second individual title of the day following an earlier victory in Pyraminx.

That Pyraminx event featured 48 competitors and saw Mihir Narayan top the single-round format with an average of 4.45 seconds and a rapid 3.42 single. Kirill Mishchenko of Ukraine followed in second place with a 5.72 average, while Yanis Aamir of Pakistan rounded out the top three with 6.27 seconds. In the Skewb bracket, France Bautista earned his second gold medal of the weekend, averaging 5.35 seconds to lead the 30-player field, ahead of Remi Thiemens of the United States at 6.21 and Jun Wang of China at 6.37.

The day's competition also featured significant record-breaking achievements in the United Arab Emirates. Local competitor Ali Alshamsi produced a national record single in the 2x2x2 Cube, stopping the timer at an astonishing 1.68 seconds alongside an average of 5.84. Overall, India led the medal count across the event with 4 podium finishes, followed closely by Kazakhstan with 3, the Philippines and Oman with 2 each, and Ukraine and the United States earning 1 apiece at this prestigious cubing competition.

Beyond the championship trophies, Raha Open 2023 served as a milestone for numerous emerging competitors making major personal breakthroughs. Madhav Ambadi registered a spectacular 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 2.00 seconds, shaving 67.7 percent off his previous mark, and cut his 3x3x3 best to 17.79 seconds while logging his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 9.58 seconds. Ali Alshamsi had a busy schedule across five events, improving his 2x2x2 personal best by 62.4 percent to 1.68, dropping his Pyraminx mark to 6.19, and taking sixth in Skewb. Mishel Rasul tackled five events, completing a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:04.40 and Skewb in 6.47, while setting a 2x2x2 personal best of 5.65 that was 45.8 percent faster.

Other competitors took on entirely new puzzles with great success during the tournament. Saif Al Deen Iyad Rahhal logged his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with 10.82 seconds and dropped his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 44 percent to 1:36.87. Farhan Zaheer Kazi completed five events, trying 4x4x4 Cube for the first time in 1:59.25 and improving his Skewb best by 43.9 percent to 9.16 seconds. Gabriel Mansour recorded his first official attempts at Skewb and Pyraminx while cutting his 2x2x2 best by 38.1 percent to 7.58 seconds. Nico Dyet tackled four events including debuts on Skewb, Pyraminx, and 2x2x2 Cube. Making his first WCA competition appearance, Advik Bansal competed in five disciplines, posting a 7.37 Skewb debut on the way to a seventh-place finish.

Across eight rounds of high-pressure solving, Raha Open 2023 delivered intense finishes and outstanding individual growth across all skill levels. From razor-thin margins at the top of the podium to breakthrough personal records throughout the field, the single-day gathering in Khalifa City concluded an unforgettable day of competition for speedcubers in the region as they look ahead to the next chapter of the season.