Šiauliai Open 2024

A four-hundredth of a second was all that separated gold from silver in the 4x4x4 Cube final at Šiauliai Open 2024. Roberts Dreijers of Latvia secured the victory with a 37.19 average, edging past Lithuania's Viltė Klioštoraitytė, who clocked a 37.23 average across the three rounds. Estonia's Remo Pihel took third place with a 38.35 average, rounding out an extraordinarily compact podium. That frantic battle set the standard for an intense weekend of puzzle-solving across twelve events at the Šiaulių Sporto gimnazija venue.

The tournament brought together 40 competitors in Šiauliai, Lithuania on February 3 and 4, 2024. Baltic rivals traded podium finishes across 21 total rounds, with Latvia capturing 18 podium spots, Estonia securing nine, and host nation Lithuania claiming nine. From lightning-fast turns on smaller cubes to the grueling focus required for complex blindfolded attempts, the cubing competition delivered high-stakes drama from the opening solves to the final showdowns.

The premier Rubik's Cube event delivered another tight contest at Šiauliai Open 2024. Remo Pihel claimed the 3x3x3 Cube championship, averaging 8.73 seconds in the final to take top honours against a 39-competitor field. Lithuania's Žygimantas Pilipas followed in second with an 8.92 average, while Tomas Jankauskas took third at 9.25. The 3x3 results also included a blistering 6.25 single by Pihel, highlighting a dominant overall performance across the classic three-phase tournament.

Pihel emerged as the most versatile competitor of the meet, racking up multiple titles. Along with the main event, he triumphed in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:06.21 average, won the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:58.69, and secured the Pyraminx title with a 2.96 average and a 2.30 single. Dreijers matched the Estonian standout in precision during the 2x2x2 Cube final, averaging 1.95 to win ahead of Domas Prazauskas and Mikus Lembergs, backed by a 1.12 single.

Specialist categories brought further excitement to the speedcubing schedule. Tomas Jankauskas delivered a home victory in 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a 17.06 winning average and a 9.58 single to beat Kristiāns Pietkuns and Pihel. In Megaminx, Kristiāns Pietkuns claimed first place with a 49.12 average, while Viltė Klioštoraitytė took the Clock event averaging 7.18. Latvian blindfold expert Mikus Lembergs swept the memory events, winning the 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:00.39 average, posting a perfect 12 out of 12 cubes in 49:18 during 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, and adding a 7x7x7 Cube title in 3:24.94.

Beyond the championship trophies, the floor saw remarkable milestones from competitors taking on tough assignments. Oskars Piebalgs tackled four events and shaved 65.9 percent off his previous 2x2x2 Cube best to post 5.12, while also completing his first official attempts at Pyraminx in 9.96 and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:49.38. Tomas Golubovas cut his 2x2x2 Cube best by 61.3 percent to 2.67 and dropped his 3x3x3 mark by 46.1 percent to 15.50. Vytis Aleksandravičius achieved a 6.74 personal best in Pyraminx, 49.1 percent faster than before, alongside a first 5x5x5 Cube solve of 3:55.08. Gundars Zirnis reduced his 3x3x3 Cube time by 37.2 percent to 19.39 and logged his first 4x4x4 Cube time of 1:58.68.

Other athletes expanded their repertoires across the two days of speed cubing. Rikardas Baltrusaitis entered eight events, completing his first Clock attempt in 17.73 and his first 5x5x5 Cube solve in 3:38.20 while logging a 3.41 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube. Teo Niklāvs Mitenbergs recorded his first official 4x4x4 Cube result with a 50.42 and his first 3x3x3 Blindfolded solve at 7:01.84. In their first ever WCA competition, Tautvydas Cirtautas finished 19th in Megaminx after a 4:37.08 attempt, and Deividas Burniauskas placed 13th in 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid 1.46 initial single.

The weekend concluded with deep fields across all twelve disciplines, proving the regional depth of speedcubing in the Baltic nations. Whether deciding titles by single hundredths of a second or introducing newcomers to competitive solving, Šiauliai Open 2024 provided a memorable showcase of discipline, focus, and dexterity.

As the equipment was packed away at Šiaulių Sporto gimnazija, competitors departed with fresh personal bests, national rivalries renewed, and a clear benchmark set for the rest of the 2024 season.