CLASH OF MINDS
The first team physics tournament in the Physics Battles format in Central Asia
APhB is a team tournament where school students solve olympiad physics problems and defend their solutions in the Physics Battles format. It started in 2023 as Astana Physics Battles at Haileybury Astana. In 2024 it was held at Satbayev University in Almaty, and in 2025 at Baiterek School of Science and Technology, alongside Almaty Math Battles and National Chemical Battles.
The organizing team has since moved to different countries and cities to continue their university studies, and the tournament is on hold indefinitely.
- 2025 Baiterek School · Almaty
- 2024 Satbayev University · Almaty
- 2023 Haileybury Astana · Astana
■ ABOUT THE COMPETITION
APhB combines teamwork with solving olympiad physics problems. The whole tournament is organized by high school seniors and first-year university students.
Physics Battles are a long-established format of team physics competitions. APhB was the first tournament in this format in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Senior League
Grades 10–12
Junior League
Grades 7–9
How it works
Online qualifier. Teams solve olympiad problems in a proctored online round. The Junior and Senior leagues compete separately.
Results and appeals. Preliminary results are published, teams can file appeals, and then the final standings are announced.
Invitations. The strongest teams in each league are invited to the in-person final.
Final in Almaty. Several days of rounds: problem solving, captains' battles and Physics Battles. In a Physics Battle, teams present their solutions and challenge their opponents' solutions in front of the jury.
Outside the rounds. Lectures, excursions, hikes in the mountains and new friends from other cities and countries.
News about the tournament is posted on our social media.
The problems are written by members of Kazakhstan's national olympiad teams (prize winners of IPhO, IMO, APhO, EuPhO, IJSO, BPhO, IMChO and IYPT) and by students of MIPT LPR, Harvard, Williams College and the University of Sheffield. We draw on classic olympiads and on less common competitions such as the LPR Cup.
Winning takes coordinated work from every member of the team. Teams have to split the work sensibly and stay friendly with each other after six hours of hard olympiad problems.
TEAMWORK
Teams need to think through their tactics and strategy. With a good strategy, a team can beat opponents who are stronger academically.
STRATEGY
Past tournaments
2025 Baiterek School · Almaty
Almaty Physics Battles 2025 took place from November 28 to December 1 at Baiterek School of Science and Technology in Almaty, alongside Almaty Math Battles and National Chemical Battles. The photo shows a bit of chaos: we had a record number of participants.
2024 Satbayev University · Almaty
Almaty Physics Battles 2024 took place at Satbayev University on July 4–11. In the photo we are shouting “SKI-BI-DI-DOO!”
2023 Haileybury Astana · Astana
Astana Physics Battles 2023 took place at Haileybury Astana on November 11–12. The photo was taken in the evening, when we were exhausted after two intense days.
Where our participants come from
Participants
Countries
Towns and cities
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Participating countries
- Kazakhstan
- Russia
- Uzbekistan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Belarus
BEYOND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
“A mathematician may say anything he pleases, but a physicist must be at least partially sane.”
At APhB, students go beyond the school curriculum: they solve non-standard problems, defend their solutions in front of the jury and challenge their opponents' solutions.