Yerevan Open 2023

Inside the modern halls of the Tumo center for creative technologies on February 25, 2023, the focus across the solving stations was absolute. The single-day speedcubing gathering in Yerevan, Armenia brought together 57 competitors for a packed schedule of six puzzles across nine total rounds. From early morning practice turns to the late afternoon title deciders, the venue offered a dynamic stage where every fraction of a second mattered as solvers tested their agility across the tables.

The 4x4x4 Cube final delivered the tensest showdown of the entire competition, with the top three competitors finishing separated by just over a second and a half. Alexander Bashutkin secured the title with an average of 33.70 seconds, while Giorgi Minasiani claimed second place at 35.26 seconds. Finishing barely three hundredths of a second behind Minasiani was Tamar Dolenjishvili at 35.29 seconds, making the podium race one of the tightest contests seen all year.

The classic 3x3x3 Cube event drew 56 entrants across two rounds and delivered equally gripping 3x3 results at the top of the standings. Alexander Bashutkin earned the victory with an average of 8.65 seconds, complemented by a tournament-best single of 6.29 seconds. Tamar Dolenjishvili pushed the champion to the very edge, finishing as runner-up with an 8.86 average. Vako Marchilashvili rounded out the top three with an average of 9.13 seconds, completing an exceptionally fast and compact podium.

Beyond the standard Rubik's Cube, Bashutkin produced a dominant sweep across almost every discipline on the schedule. He secured first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with an average of 1.31 seconds after setting a best single of 0.91 seconds, while Vako Marchilashvili took second with 1.55 seconds and Giorgi Minasiani finished third at 2.79 seconds. Bashutkin also claimed top honors in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 12.88 seconds and captured the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 58.21 seconds, posting a single of 48.40 seconds.

The lone event title that escaped Bashutkin went to the Pyraminx, where Giorgi Minasiani stood atop the podium. Minasiani registered a winning average of 2.85 seconds alongside a field-leading single solve of 2.21 seconds. Bashutkin claimed second place with an average of 3.02 seconds, while Tamar Dolenjishvili earned the third step of the podium with an average of 3.93 seconds, highlighting the exceptional versatility of the leading regional contenders.

Behind the fight for event silverware, individual breakthroughs defined the atmosphere of the cubing competition. Boris Meliksetian took on all six events and produced massive progress, lowering his 5x5x5 Cube personal best to 1:52.59, which was 53.7 percent faster than his previous mark. Hayk Grigoryan delivered a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 30.39 seconds, an improvement of 51 percent, and dropped his Pyraminx best by 42.6 percent to 10.12 seconds. Eduard Hakobyan improved his Pyraminx mark by 49.6 percent down to 6.26 seconds, while also recording his first ever attempt in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:22.05. Arame Matshkalyan achieved a 49.3 percent improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube with a new personal best of 6.76 seconds.

Several competitors made memorable debuts in new disciplines or stepped up to their very first WCA competition. Gagik Gevorgyan attended his first tournament and tackled six events, securing an eighth-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube with an initial attempt of 3:10.20 alongside an opening Pyraminx mark of 9.11 seconds. Alberto Danielyan also made his tournament debut across five events, reaching seventh place in 3x3x3 One-Handed and logging a 2.78-second 2x2x2 Cube solve. Davit Aslanyan completed his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 57.33 seconds, while Nathan Adriel Pablico Briones lowered his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 31.2 percent to 12.35 seconds.

National representations produced a strong showing across the podiums, with Georgian competitors capturing 11 top-three spots and Russian solvers claiming seven across the full program. In the 2x2x2 Cube event, a large wave of personal marks were set throughout the rounds, including results from Hayk Aghayan with a 7.28 single and 9.87 average, Gevorg Melkumyan with a 5.31 single and 8.36 average, and Hayk Mergeryan with a 5.24 single and 6.65 average.

The successful conclusion of Yerevan Open 2023 marked an energetic chapter for speed cubing in Armenia. With five event victories for Bashutkin, razor-thin podium margins in the big cubes, and widespread milestones for newcomers and veterans alike, the single-day showcase set a high standard of competitive excellence and camaraderie across the regional scene.