People · Russia
Nikita Popov
3×3 · top 5.5% of 288,433 all-time · competing since August 2011 · 2011POPO02
Nikita Popov has been competing for 15 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 9.26, set at c't Open Hannover 2026, puts him in the top 5.5% of the 288,433 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 193rd in Russia. Until February 2008, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 12 competitions since August 2011, he has put 265 official solves on the record across five events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, steadier than 84% of the 36,406 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 14.13 in August 2011 to 9.26, a 34% improvement. Nikita has entered twelve competitions, more competitions than 94% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | Russia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 9.26 | 10.25 | top 5.5% | 193 / 6,485 | |
| 4×4 | 37.06 | 45.24 | top 8.8% | 104 / 2,085 | |
| 2×2 | 2.58 | 5.58 | top 9.8% | 325 / 4,788 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 21.04 | 23.23 | top 23.4% | 370 / 1,772 | |
| Pyraminx | 8.31 | 16.66 | top 38.9% | 1,410 / 3,784 |
Percentile against all competitors ever ranked in each event, a fairer measure than raw rank, because the pools differ by a factor of ten.
The line so far
Best single per competition, 3×3. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.
The story so far
- 17 Oct 2026First sub-10 3×3: 9.26 at c't Open Hannover 2026.
- 16 Feb 2014Four personal bests in one day at CCC Winter Open 2014.
- 23 Nov 2013Three personal bests in one day at MPEI Open 2013.
- 26 Nov 2011Three personal bests in one day at MPEI Open 2011.
- 27 Aug 2011First competition: Russia Open 2011. A 14.13 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- c't Open Hannover 2026 · 17 Oct 2026 — 2 personal bests set
- Nats Warm-Up Delmenhorst 2026 · 22 Aug 2026
- Schwerin Open 2026 · 21 Feb 2026 — 1 personal best set
- c't Open Hannover 2025 · 1 Nov 2025 — 2 personal bests set
- Bremium Cubing 2024 · 2 Nov 2024 — 2 personal bests set
- c't Open Hannover 2024 · 13 Sep 2024 — 1 personal best set
- Hamburg International 2019 · 13 Apr 2019
- CCC Autumn Open 2014 · 4 Oct 2014 — 2 personal bests set
- CCC Winter Open 2014 · 16 Feb 2014 — 4 personal bests set
- MPEI Open 2013 · 23 Nov 2013 — 3 personal bests set
- MPEI Open 2011 · 26 Nov 2011 — 3 personal bests set
- Russia Open 2011 · 27 Aug 2011
Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · top X% compares against everyone ever ranked in that event, which is fairer than raw rank because event pools differ tenfold.
The circuit
The people whose scorecards keep turning up next to his.
- Ivan Koval — met in 27 rounds, finished ahead 25 times
- Dmitry Zvyagintsev — met in 25 rounds, finished ahead 4 times
- Jule Stadelmeier — met in 24 rounds, finished ahead 17 times
Next targets
- A sub-8 3×3 single — 8,101 people have one; it is 1.26 away.
- A sub-30 4×4 single — 2,465 people have one; it is 7.06 away.
Targets move as he improves.