Side 'n blind Samobor 2023

Twenty competitors assembled for a demanding single-day showcase in Samobor, Croatia, tackling seven specialist events across nine rounds of intense action. Side 'n blind Samobor 2023 opened on May 6, 2023, at Osnovna skola Samobor, putting the spotlight entirely on niche disciplines outside the standard lineup. From memory marathons to mechanical twists, the speedcubing gathering celebrated the steady march of personal progress alongside top-flight podium finishes. Competitors pushed their technical boundaries in every discipline, establishing new benchmarks in a dynamic display of focus and calculation.

The blindfolded categories demanded exceptional spatial awareness and composure throughout the weekend. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final, Jakov Sreckovic took first place with a single solve of 22.87 seconds, alongside setting a Croatian national record average of 27.69. Dieter Amberger followed in second place with 1:05.91, while Matej Bolta claimed third in 1:14.19. Slovenia saw Marcel Rucigaj record a national record average of 53.62 in the event, contributing to a rich spread of 3x3 results across the scorecards in this major cubing competition.

Jakov Sreckovic continued an extraordinary run at Side 'n blind Samobor 2023 by sweeping multiple titles across the schedule. In 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, Sreckovic conquered a perfect 23 out of 23 cubes in 50:23 to take the victory. Dieter Amberger secured second place with 19 out of 22 solved in 59:49, followed by Marcel Rucigaj in third with 14 out of 20 in 59:17. Sreckovic also claimed the top step on the Clock podium with a winning average of 6.65, ahead of Erik Cervek Roskaric at 7.75 and Filip Barbiric Frank at 8.56.

The larger blindfolded puzzles pushed endurance to its absolute limits, where Dieter Amberger proved dominant. The Austrian competitor claimed the 4x4x4 Blindfolded crown with a single time of 5:37.03, outpacing Ivan Miletic of Serbia at 6:09.01 and Jakov Sreckovic at 6:27.40. Amberger doubled his gold medal haul in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, posting a decisive winning single of 11:19.00. Sreckovic followed in second place with 12:05.00, while Erik Tjong Kim Sang took third with a successful completion of 29:21.00.

Beyond the memory events, the competition provided dramatic battles in alternate formats. In 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, Dusan Zakelsek navigated the challenge to win with an average of 29.00 moves and a best single of 27. Marcel Rucigaj took second place with a 31.33 average, while Sreckovic earned third with 32.00. Megaminx action rounded out the side events, where Matic Omulec averaged 48.42 to finish first. David Vujasic secured the runner-up position with an average of 55.10, and Matej Bolta claimed third place with 58.12.

Away from the podium battles, dramatic improvements defined the spirit of the day on the competition floor. Filip Premuzic entered three events and delivered one of the steepest drops of the tournament, lowering his personal best in Clock to 8.77 seconds, an improvement of 60.4 percent from his previous 22.14 mark, on the way to a sixth-place finish. Premuzic also registered a personal best of 2:03.06 in Megaminx, shaving 7.6 percent off his prior standard, while logging his first ever attempt in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a solid 52 moves.

Other competitors marked significant milestones by tackling new puzzles and setting personal bests. Danijel Bajsic entered two events, delivering a 10.1 percent Megaminx personal best of 1:48.29 to place ninth, alongside recording his first ever attempt in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a count of 58. Barbara Kralj focused on 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, locking in a ninth-place finish with an initial benchmark of 46 moves. Dominik Hoic completed two events, successfully logging his first ever attempt in Megaminx with a result of 2:30.66 to finish twelfth.

The broad range of speed cubing disciplines at Side 'n blind Samobor 2023 brought together talent from across central Europe, with competitors representing five different nations reaching podium places. Slovenia led the medal count with eight top-three finishes, closely followed by Croatia with seven, Austria with four, and individual podium places for Serbia and the Netherlands. The diverse spectrum of events tested every element of puzzle solving, from the classic Rubik's Cube variants to complex multi-layered mechanisms.

As the single-day WCA competition drew to a close in the city of Samobor, the event demonstrated how specialized gatherings allow personal records and discipline milestones to flourish. Side 'n blind Samobor 2023 offered an ideal environment for competitors to expand their puzzle repertoires and achieve meaningful technical leaps. The focus now shifts toward the next season of competition, where athletes will look to build upon the times and experiences earned here.

U dramatičnom raspletu discipline 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Jakov Srečković stigao je do pobjede zahvaljujući vrhunskom pojedinačnom slaganju od 22.87 sekundi u završnoj rundi. Dok je u finalu prosjek ostao nedovršen s oznakom DNF, pojedinačni pokušaj osigurao mu je zlato ispred Dietera Ambergera koji je ostvario 1:05.91. Taj napeti trenutak označio je vrhunac natjecanja Side 'n blind Samobor 2023, održanog 6. svibnja 2023. godine, gdje se dvadeset natjecatelja okupilo u prostoru Osnovne škole Samobor kako bi testiralo vještine u specijaliziranim i zahtjevnim izazovima.

Ovo speedcubing natjecanje okupilo je natjecatelje iz pet zemalja koji su se kroz devet rundi nadmetali u sedam različitih disciplina. Cjelokupni raspored bio je usmjeren na discipline koje odstupaju od klasičnog slaganja, stavljajući naglasak na rješavanje bez gledanja, matematički proračun poteza i neobične mehanizme. Hrvatski i regionalni natjecatelji demonstrirali su visoku razinu pripremljenosti, a publika je imala priliku pratiti jedno od najzanimljivijih okupljanja koje je Samobor, Croatia ugostio ove sezone.

Jakov Srečković bio je prvo ime cjelokupnog programa, osvojivši čak tri prva mjesta i ukupno pet postolja. Uz pobjedu u disciplini 3x3x3 Blindfolded, gdje je postavio i nacionalni rekord s prosjekom od 27.69 sekundi uz pojedinačni rezultat 26.94 u prvoj rundi, Srečković je briljirao u 3x3x3 Multi-Blind slaganju. Tamo je riješio savršenih 23 od 23 kocke u vremenu od 50:23, ostavivši iza sebe Dietera Ambergera koji je upisao 19 od 22 kocke za 59:49 te Marcela Ručigaja s rezultatom 14 od 20 u vremenu 59:17.

Svoju svestranost Srečković je potvrdio i u disciplini Clock, gdje je zauzeo prvo mjesto s pobjedničkim prosjekom od 6.65 sekundi i najboljim pojedinačnim slaganjem od 5.28 sekundi. Drugo mjesto pripalo je Eriku Červeku Roškariču s prosjekom 7.75, dok je treći bio Filip Barbirič Frank s rezultatom 8.56. U istoj disciplini Marcel Ručigaj postavio je nacionalni rekord za Sloveniju u 3x3x3 Blindfolded s prosjekom 53.62 sekunde i pojedinačnim vremenom 44.39, što je dodatno obogatilo statistiku rekorda na ovom natjecanju.

U velikim blindfolded kategorijama dominirao je austrijski predstavnik Dieter Amberger. U disciplini 4x4x4 Blindfolded osvojio je zlato s vremenom 5:37.03, ispred Ivana Miletića koji je zabilježio 6:09.01 i Srečkovića s vremenom 6:27.40. Amberger je slavio i u maratonskoj disciplini 5x5x5 Blindfolded s rezultatom 11:19.00, gdje je Srečković zauzeo drugo mjesto s 12:05.00, a Erik Tjong Kim Sang treće s vremenom 29:21.00. Oba formata zahtijevala su iznimnu koncentraciju i preciznost memoriranja složenih struktura.

Iza borbi za postolja odvijale su se jednako vrijedne priče natjecatelja koji pomiču vlastite granice na WCA natjecanjima. Tajda Horvat ostvarila je zapažen napredak u disciplini Clock gdje je s osobnim rekordom od 5.83 sekunde bila čak 21.8 posto brža od svog ranijeg najboljeg rezultata, zauzevši četvrto mjesto, dok je u Megaminxu postavila osobni rekord od 1:33.48 što je poboljšanje od četiri posto. Marko Obradović također je pružio izvrstan nastup, popravivši svoj osobni rekord u Megaminxu za 11.4 posto na 1:34.55 čime je osigurao sedmo mjesto, uz ostvareno vrijeme od 13.99 u disciplini Clock.

Iskusni Jernej Omulec nastupio je u dvije discipline te ostvario visoko peto mjesto u izazovnom formatu 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, potvrdivši stabilnost kroz natjecateljski program. U istoj disciplini Marin Grgić upisao je svoj nastup na ovom susretu i zauzeo šesnaesto mjesto. Ovi nastupi pokazuju širinu zajednice u kojoj svaki natjecatelj pronalazi prostor za osobni napredak bez obzira na složenost i zahtjevnost zadataka koji se pred njih postavljaju.

U disciplini 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, gdje je cilj riješiti Rubikova kocka format sa što manjim brojem poteza, pobjedu je odnio Dušan Zakelšek s prosjekom od 29.00 poteza i najboljim pojedinačnim rješenjem od 27 poteza. Marcel Ručigaj osvojio je srebro s prosjekom 31.33, dok je Jakov Srečković bio treći s 32.00. Na dvanaestostranoj slagalici Megaminx najbrži je bio Matic Omulec s prosjekom od 48.42 sekunde, ispred Davida Vujasića koji je ostvario 55.10 i Mateja Bolte s rezultatom 58.12.

Kada su se zbrojili svi rezultati, Slovenija je predvodila ljestvicu s osam osvojenih postolja, Hrvatska je zabilježila sedam, Austrija četiri, dok su Srbija i Nizozemska uzele po jedno odličje. Natjecanje Side 'n blind Samobor 2023 uspješno je zaključilo cjelodnevni program u Samoboru, ponudivši vrhunske rezultate u disciplinama memoriranja i optimizacije poteza te postavivši visoke standarde za nadolazeće izazove u sezoni.