Syrdaryo Open 2023

Inside the halls of the Imperial Language School, the focused rhythm of turning plastic and clicking stopwatches set the tone for an intense day of competition. Twenty-nine competitors gathered on July 22, 2023, ready to test their preparation across ten rounds of play. While standard puzzles drew plenty of interest, the less-common disciplines took center stage, demanding exceptional spatial awareness, single-handed dexterity, and pure memorisation from the entrants.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest at Syrdaryo Open 2023 offered one of the most demanding tests of the day, where solving the puzzle requires thorough memorisation before dropping the blindfold. Akram Usarov secured the victory for Uzbekistan by logging a winning single of 45.45 seconds. Igor Aipkin earned second place with a time of 59.48 seconds, while Kazakhstan solver Damir Zhanataev took third place with a mark of 1:29.68.

Another niche discipline that pushed mechanical dexterity to the limit was 3x3x3 One-Handed. Damir Zhanataev claimed top honors with a winning average of 14.27 seconds, alongside a tournament-best single of 11.48 seconds. Shokhrukh Tolipov took the second podium spot with an average of 17.21 seconds, and Bekzodjon Yusupov claimed third place with a 19.47 average in the single-round showdown.

The corner-turning Skewb and triangular Pyraminx brackets highlighted non-standard geometry and lightning-fast execution. Jasur Beknazov captured the Skewb title with an average of 4.20 seconds, finishing ahead of Sohiba Abdumalikova at 5.39 and Usmon Rustamov at 5.45. In Pyraminx, Nazir Xodiyev took the win with a 4.51 average, narrowly besting Kamronbek Bolikulov at 4.89 and Damir Zhanataev at 5.30 across two rounds of speed cubing action.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors achieved striking personal milestones. Nodirjon Sodiqov took on five events and saw major improvements, recording a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 1.79 seconds, which was 54.9 percent faster than before, as well as a Skewb personal best of 7.13 seconds, 37.6 percent faster. Husniddin Qiyomov lowered their Pyraminx personal best to 7.23 seconds, an improvement of 39 percent, while also improving in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Khojiakbar Rustamjanov secured a 10th-place finish in Pyraminx with a personal best of 6.26 seconds, 27.4 percent faster, and dropped their one-handed mark by 35.7 percent to 29.06 seconds. Muhammadali Erkinjonov tackled six events, achieving a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 56.18 seconds, which cut their previous mark by 32.8 percent.

New ventures and debuts also defined the atmosphere at this WCA competition in Syrdaryo, Uzbekistan. Sherafkan Xolmatov took on four events, making their first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a result of 1:05.21. Pavel Aipkin contested seven events, securing a 4th-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded and lowering their one-handed personal best by 19.6 percent to 1:04.94. Samira Abdumalikova attended their first WCA competition, logging a best finish of 13th in Skewb while posting initial tournament marks of 27.81 in 3x3x3 Cube, 15.67 in Skewb, and 11.02 in Pyraminx. Umidjon Dusanov also completed their first official tournament, recording first-time attempts of 8.71 in Pyraminx and 1:08.58 in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

The 2x2x2 Cube event produced quick turnarounds across two rounds, where Sohiba Abdumalikova won the final with a 3.25 average and a 1.50 best single. Damir Zhanataev followed in second place with a 3.62 average, while Muhammadyusuf Abdumalikov finished third at 3.88. In the 4x4x4 Cube division, Damir Zhanataev added another victory at Syrdaryo Open 2023, recording an average of 40.18 seconds to edge Abdurauf Boymuminov at 40.43 and Jasur Beknazov at 43.14.

The classic Rubik's Cube drew 28 competitors to the tables across two rounds of speedcubing. In the final 3x3 results, Damir Zhanataev captured first place with an average of 9.73 seconds and a best single of 8.36. Shokhrukh Tolipov took second place with a 9.94 average, and Zhiyuan Lin finished third with a 10.09 mark, bringing an international presence to the podium.

With 14 podium places earned by competitors from Uzbekistan, six by Kazakhstan, and one by China, Syrdaryo Open 2023 offered a complete showcase of precision and skill. Across seven distinct events, the cubing competition demonstrated the impressive breadth of talent thriving in the region as solvers look ahead to future seasons on the circuit.