Weekend Madness in Yerevan 2024

Grigor Shahverdyan set the standard at Team Time by capturing five titles across a demanding multi-event schedule, punctuated by a decisive 9.55 winning average in the main event final. The action at Weekend Madness in Yerevan 2024 proved intense from the opening scrambles as a packed roster of 31 competitors pushed the standard higher across 19 rounds of play. Staged in Yerevan, Armenia, across October 26 and October 27, the weekend gathered talent from multiple countries, forcing every competitor to scrap through crowded heats just to reach a final table.

Across eleven distinct disciplines, earning a spot in the final rounds required absolute precision as margins separated the top seeds from the chasing pack. The classic 3x3x3 Cube drew 28 entrants into a cutthroat two-round battle, making the official 3x3 results some of the hardest earned of the year. Shahverdyan topped the field with a best single of 7.41, while Eduard Hakobyan secured second place with an average of 10.55, narrowly holding off third-place finisher Mayis Jraghatspanyan at 10.56 in a finish decided by a single hundredth of a second.

The 2x2x2 Cube division delivered similar drama, challenging 28 entrants through two rounds where tenths of a second dictated advancement. Eduard Hakobyan took the gold with an average of 3.38 and a 2.90 best single, turning back Shahverdyan whose 3.81 average took second place. Germany representative Konstantin Jaehne claimed third with an average of 4.35. The event witnessed an incredible flurry of speedcubing personal bests and marks, including a blistering 1.53 single and 2.93 average from Shahverdyan, as well as rapid singles from Gevorg Melkumyan at 2.45 and Mikhail Nikitin at 3.06.

Shahverdyan built an extraordinary tally by dominating a variety of puzzle styles across the schedule. He secured the 3x3x3 One-Handed title with an 18.58 average and a 12.19 single, topping Jaehne at 20.40 and Nikitin at 22.40. Moving to the Skewb, Shahverdyan collected another victory with a 5.96 average ahead of Hakobyan at 6.26 and Hayk Mergeryan at 6.40. Shahverdyan also captured the Square-1 event averaging 26.12 with an 18.53 single, proving his versatility across mechanical formats at this high-stakes cubing competition.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones away from the spotlight. Vahe Hakobyan produced massive breakthroughs across six events, posting a Pyraminx personal best of 4.68 that slashed his previous mark by 60.1 percent and a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 34.19, which was 37.5 percent faster, while finishing sixth in Megaminx after a first ever attempt of 2:38.99. Lilit Martirosyan delivered an enormous 55.1 percent drop in 3x3x3 One-Handed to set a new personal best of 45.70, alongside first attempts at Clock in 10.05 and Skewb in 9.53. Syuzanna Martirosyan placed fourth in Skewb with a first attempt of 4.91, paired with personal bests of 5.18 in Pyraminx and 4.28 in 2x2x2 Cube. Davit Kalikyan shaved 43.5 percent off his Pyraminx best down to 8.63 and dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best by 13.1 percent to 19.76.

Newcomers and ambitious multi-event entrants also made their presence felt across the competition floor. Gagik Khachatryan lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best by 31.5 percent to 4.18 and improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 19.00 by 30.4 percent while registering his first Clock attempt at 38.18. Arshavir Nazaryan took on eight separate events, logging first attempts in Megaminx at 3:03.17, Skewb at 6.32, and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:09.16 to finish sixth in Skewb. Tigran Harutyunyan took fifth in the 4x4x4 Cube and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube mark to 12.45, while debutant Apetnak Karakhanian tackled seven events at his first WCA competition, securing fifth in Square-1 alongside first marks of 24.67 in 3x3x3 Cube, 24.95 in Skewb, and 2:17.79 in 4x4x4 Cube.

Big cubes and specialty puzzles brought international flair to the arena as foreign contenders challenged local masters. Italy entrant Vincenzo Maria Gammino dominated the largest puzzles, claiming victory in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 2:05.17 average and a 1:59.92 single over Shahverdyan at 2:40.12 and Jaehne at 2:58.44. Gammino repeated the feat on the 7x7x7 Cube, posting a 2:50.07 winning average with a 2:44.12 single to lead Shahverdyan at 4:46.20 and Nikitin at 5:21.35 in a demanding test of endurance and technique.

Germany competitor Konstantin Jaehne delivered an exceptional run of his own, taking the 4x4x4 Cube title with an average of 42.03 and a best single of 36.68 over 18 competitors. Jaehne also ruled the Clock division, putting together a 5.05 winning average and a 4.88 single to hold off Shahverdyan at 9.44 and Arame Matshkalyan at 10.03. In the Pyraminx, Hayk Mergeryan bested a field of 23 competitors with a crisp 5.13 winning average. In Megaminx, Shahverdyan edged Hakobyan in a thrilling duel, winning with a 1:12.53 average to Hakobyan 1:12.70.

The full scope of Weekend Madness in Yerevan 2024 reflected a thriving regional scene where Armenia secured 20 podium positions, Germany captured 7, and Italy and Russia earned 3 each. Whether tackling the complex layers of the classic Rubik's Cube or racing the Clock, competitors faced deep brackets and fierce pressure throughout the tournament. The standard established across all 11 disciplines sets an exciting foundation for the speed cubing community in 2024 as everyone looks ahead to the battles awaiting next season.