Tallinn Open 2023

A total of 37 competitors assembled in Tallinn, Estonia on July 29 to July 30 for Tallinn Open 2023. Over the course of 25 rounds across 11 different events, the speedcubing field pushed the limits of the classic Rubik's Cube and varied twisty puzzles. The intense schedule at Ehte Humanitaargümnaasium tested consistency and nerve, building toward dramatic final rounds where mere hundredths of a second determined the weekend silverware.

The 3x3x3 Cube main event delivered an exceptional battle that went down to the final turns. Kaur Tuule secured first place on the podium with a winning average of 7.36 seconds and the weekend best single of 5.33 seconds across three rounds of 3x3 results. Mikus Lembergs from Latvia pressed hard throughout the championship round to finish second with a 7.84 average, while Nikita Slavinski rounded out the podium in third place with an average of 8.74 seconds.

Beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube, Kaur Tuule demonstrated unmatched versatility across three other disciplines at this WCA competition in 2023. Tuule captured top honours in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 31.95 average, besting Kait Rosenberg at 36.38 and Mikus Lembergs at 39.35. In the Megaminx final, Tuule again stood atop the podium with a 53.09 average, leading Remo Pihel at 1:03.15 and Roberts Dreijers at 1:05.21. Tuule added a fourth triumph in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 14.27 seconds.

The short-format puzzles brought extraordinary drama, highlighted by an ultra-thin margin in the Skewb final. Remo Pihel captured gold with a 4.33 average, edging out Leo Alanen of Finland by a single hundredth of a second at 4.34, with Mikus Lembergs taking third in 5.44. Pihel also added victory in the Pyraminx with a 3.17 average. In the 2x2x2 Cube final, Pelle Mandel claimed victory with an average of 1.86 seconds ahead of Lembergs at 2.13 and Oliver Pällo at 2.91.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline, an event demanding pure memorisation and precision, saw Mikus Lembergs secure victory with a winning average of 1:09.14 and a single solve of 59.78 seconds. Pihel earned second place with 1:40.59, followed by Jānis Zirnis with 1:46.98. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Kait Rosenberg recorded a 1:06.19 average to win ahead of Pihel and Lembergs, while Roberts Dreijers took the Square-1 title with an 11.93 average and Oliver Pällo won Clock in 6.66 seconds.

Beneath the top podium spots, several competitors delivered massive personal milestones that defined the competitive depth of Tallinn Open 2023. Laur Jakob Jänt entered nine events and achieved a 30.83 personal best in Square-1, which was 71.7 percent faster than his previous mark, while posting a 9:39.41 in his first attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Fiodor Matiusenko improved his Pyraminx mark by 51.6 percent with a 6.38 best, cut his 4x4x4 Cube record down by 46.7 percent to 1:11.23, and logged his first official 3x3x3 One-Handed solve of 39.85 seconds. Martti Elvisto dropped his Megaminx best by 44.9 percent down to 1:37.03 and registered his first 3x3x3 Blindfolded attempt at 8:49.68. Adrian Milani shaved 40.6 percent off his Pyraminx best with a 10.43 and completed his first official Skewb attempt with an 8.18 single.

The spirit of speed cubing progress continued across the rest of the field throughout the two days of competition. Erick Ungefug knocked 35.7 percent off his Clock mark to set a 29.75 personal record. Anamarti Kallari lowered her Pyraminx personal record by 46 percent down to 7.80. Günther Ilves tackled seven events, logging his first 5x5x5 Cube attempt at 4:28.33 and improving his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 28 percent to 1:38.25. Henry Valdmann tackled six events, registering first-time marks of 22.52 in Clock, 11.84 in Pyraminx, and 3.92 in the 2x2x2 Cube.

Overall podium placements reflected strong international participation, with host nation Estonia securing 19 podium finishes, Latvia claiming 10, Finland collecting three, and Israel earning one. From razor-thin margins decided on the final turn to remarkable personal breakthroughs, Tallinn Open 2023 proved to be a vibrant midsummer gathering of talent as competitors now look forward to the challenges of the next speedcubing season.