How to solve to rubik cube

How to solve the Rubik’s Cube?

There are many approaches on how to solve the Rubik’s Cube. All these methods have different levels of difficulties, for speedcubers or beginners, even for solving the cube blindfolded. People usually get stuck solving the cube after completing the first face, after that they need some help. In the following article I’m going to show you the easiest way to solve the cube using the beginner’s method.

The method presented here divides the cube into layers and you can solve each layer applying a given algorithm not messing up the pieces already in place. You can find a separate page for each one of the seven stages if the description on this page needs further explanation and examples.

Demonstration

Watch the cube being solved layer-by-layer with this method:
It fixes the white edges, corners then flips the cube to solve the second layer and finally completes the yellow face.
Press the Play button to start the animation

Video Tutorial

To get started I recommend you to read the basic cubing terminology and you will need to know the Rubik’s Cube notation ie what the letters mean in the algorithms:
F: front, R: right, U: up, L: left, D: down.

If you get stuck or you don’t understand something, the online Rubik’s Cube solver program will help you quickly fix your puzzle. All you have to do is input your scramble and the program will calculate the steps leading to the solution.

To keep a record of your solution times try the online Rubik’s Cube Timer with many useful features or generate random shuffles for your practice with the scramble generator.

Video Tutorial

The Solution Step By Step

1. White cross

Let’s begin with the white face. First we have to make a white cross paying attention to the color of the side center pieces. You can try to do this without reading the instructions.

Use this stage to familiarize yourself with the puzzle and see how far you can get without help. This step is relatively intuitive because there are no solved pieces to watch out for. Just practice and don’t give up easily. Try move the white edges to their places not messing up the ones already fixed.

You can get a little help about forming a white cross, with animated algorithms here.

2. White corners

In this step we have to arrange the white corner pieces to finish the first face. If you are very persistent and you managed to do the white cross without help then you can try to do this one as well. If you don’t have patience I’ll give you some clue.

Twist the bottom layer so that one of the white corners is directly under the spot where it’s supposed to go on the top layer. Now, do one of the three algorithms according to the orientation of the piece, aka. in which direction the white sticker is facing. If the white corner piece is where it belongs but turned wrong then first you have to pop it out.

3. Second layer

Until this point the procedure was pretty straight forward but from now on we have to use algorithms. We can forget the completed white face so let’s turn the cube upside down to focus on the unsolved side.

In this step we are completing the first two layers (F2L). There are two symmetric algorithms we have to use in this step. They’re called the Right and Left algorithms. These algorithms insert the Up-Front edge piece from the top layer to the middle layer while not messing up the solved white face.
If none of the pieces in the top layer are already lined up like in the images below, then turn the top layer until one of the edge pieces in the top layer matches one of the images below. Then follow the matching algorithm for that orientation.

If an edge piece is on its place in the second layer orienting wrong then we have to apply the algorithm twice. First we must pop it out inserting another one in its place.

4. Yellow cross

Start solving the last layer making a yellow cross on the top of the cube. It doesn’t matter if the pieces are not on their final places so we don’t have to pay attention to the colors of the sides.

We can get three possible patterns on the top. Use this algorithm to go from one state to the other:
F R U R’ U’ F’

5. Yellow edges

After making the yellow cross on the top of the cube you have to put the yellow edge pieces on their final places to match the colors of the side center pieces. Switch the front and left yellow edges with the following algorithm:

R U R’ U R U2 R’ U

You might face a situation when you have to apply this algorithm more than once.

6. Yellow corners on their places

Only the last layer corners are left unsolved. First we have to get them to the right spot, so don’t worry about the orientation in this step.

Find a piece which is already on the right place, move it to the right-front-top corner then apply the following algorithm to switch (cycle) the three wrong pieces marked on the image.

U R U’ L’ U R’ U’ L

Do this twice to do an inverse rotation of the pieces. If none of the yellow corners is on the right place then execute the algorithm once to get a good piece.

7. Orient Yellow Corners

All pieces are on their right places you just have to orient the yellow corners to finish the puzzle. This proved to be the most confusing step so read the instructions and follow the steps carefully.

Hold the cube in your hand with an unsolved corner on the front-right-top corner, then do the algorithm below twice or four times until that specific piece is oriented well:

It will look like you’ve messed up the whole cube but don’t worry, it will be all right when all the corner pieces are oriented.

Turn the top layer only to move another unsolved yellow piece to the front-right-top corner of the cube and do the same R’ D’ R D again until this specific piece is ok. Be careful not to move the two bottom layers between the algorithms and never rotate the whole cube!

You are so close to the end so be careful because this is the step in this tutorial where most people get lost. If this description doesn’t make sense, check out a few examples clicking here.

Repeat this until your Cube is solved 🙂

Rubik’s Cube Solver

The online Rubik’s Cube™ solver calculates the steps needed to solve a scrambled Rubik’s Cube from any valid starting position. Enter the colors of your puzzle and click the Solve button. Wait for the program to find the solution then follow the steps to solve your cube.

How to use?

Use this application to play with the Rubik’s Cube online. Hit the Scramble button and try to figure out the solution yourself rotating the faces with the buttons or with your keyboard.

The app is using the open-source Kociemba algorithm to find the solution in 20 steps for any valid scramble. For slower computers the program automatically reduces the computing performance to return a little longer solution.

How To Use The Rubik’s Cube Solver?

1. Pick a view

Start by selecting the most suitable view for you with the little tabs above the cube. The default 3D view can be customized, setting transparent front faces or you can lift the hidden faces. Rotate the cube with the arrows or swiping the screen.

There are two unfolded views which show each faces which helps setting up the scrambled configuration.

2. Set up the scrambled cube

There are many ways to set the scrambled cube.

The easiest way is to use the color picker. Select a color on the palette then paste it on the surface of the puzzle. Click more than once on a field to deactivate the color palette and cycle through the colors as you keep clicking the fields of the puzzle.

Do face rotations on the puzzle using the rotation buttons or pressing the corresponding buttons on your keyboard: L, R, U, D, F, B. The capital letters indicate a clockwise rotation of each face: Left, Right, Up, Down, Front, Back. It makes a counterclockwise turn if the letter is followed by an apostrophe.

Execute or play back a scramble algorithm in the allocated input field. Copy-paste the list of letters because the program might execute the rotations as you’re typing them directly in the field. Mark reverse rotations with lowercase letters or single quotation marks (‘).

Make the program generate a random shuffle with the Scramble button or revert to the solved position at any time clicking Reset.

3. Calculate the solution of the Rubik’s Cube

When the scrambled colors are properly configured and are matching your Rubik’s Cube click the Solve command to get the solution. The cube solver will alert you if your configuration is not correct.

Pressing the Solve button will leave the scramble page open and open the solution page in a new browser tab. This will allow you to come back to make adjustments if something is wrong.

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This puzzle is undoubtedly an amazin object. Learn more about it browsing the Cube Wiki (Ruwix).

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If you have difficulties using the application please read the instructions carefully (available in many languages) and don’t say that the website is not working.

Thank you for using our online tool! We hope it will help you to solve your cube!

How to Solve The Rubik’s Cube

If you’re reading this, you’re probably holding a cube in your hand and already feeling bad about yourself for needing to look up the solution. But don’t worry! In fact, most of the “super-human-intelligence beings” (a common misconception) who have solved the cube thousands of times in their lifetimes were sitting as you are now. Whether you want to learn it to impress a girl, because your friends bet you couldn’t, or just to close the book on the biggest time waste of your childhood by finally defeating it, this guide will take you through the simplest way to conquer the puzzle.

The necessary steps are listed below. Click on a cube to jump on the page to the selected chapter:

An important thing to note is that this task is not a light one. It may require several hours of attempts. If you’d rather just solve the cube in your hand and forget about it rather than being able to solve any cube you’re given, there are plenty of solvers available on the web. However, the satisfaction of holding a completed Rubik’s Cube in your hand and thinking “I did that, and I can do it again” is greater than most, mainly due to the fact that the puzzle has been present in all our lives at some point. By the mid 1980’s, an estimated fifth of the world’s population had attempted to solve the cube. If you want to stand out and say that you can defeat the puzzle, time and determination is a large factor.

Notation

If you’re still reading, congratulations on not being put off by the time requirements! The first thing you are going to need to know about solving the cube is how the turns you make can be represented by letters. Later on in this guide, you’re going to need a few algorithms. These are combinations of moves that rotate pieces or just move them around to get them where you want them. These algorithms are written using this notation, so you can always come back to this section if you’ve forgotten by the time we need them.

There are six sides on the puzzle, referred to as faces, all of which can be turned individually: Up, Down, Left, Right, Front and Back.

Up – Down – Left – Right – Front – Back

The notation for each of these is U, D, L, R, F and B respectively. These faces can be turned in three different ways/directions, however. These are:

That’s it! For a visualisation of each of these turns, click the letters in the animation widget.

There is an advanced notation which includes turns of the middle layers, rotations and “double” turns, but these aren’t needed for this guide. If you’re still interested in learning them, check them out in the advanced Rubik’s notation.

Try it yourself! Take your cube and perform the following short algorithm: U’ L R2 D B’ F U2 R’

The left, back, and lower faces might be confusing at first when trying to figure out the clockwise direction, but with a little practice you’ll get used to it.

Step 1: The Cross

The cross is the first step in the actual solution of the puzzle. This step can be a bit confusing at first, so make sure you read this a few times whilst attempting it yourself. The image shows the end goal of this step.

The centre pieces on each face, as you may have noticed from playing around with the cube, can’t be moved to another spot, only rotated. So we can use this to our advantage by building around the centres. The best centre to build your first cross around is the white centre, as many guides and resources on the web start with a white face, so if you need to look up some steps and examples elsewhere, your cube will look similar to the one that is being used in other demonstrations.

The first thing you want to do is get the white plus on top. You don’t need to worry about the matching centres (the orange and blue parts of the above image) just yet.

For now, just get each white edge on the top layer. It doesn’t matter if the white bit is on top at the moment. For example, your cube could look like the one pictured. It doesn’t matter if all of the white bits are facing up or none of them are.

The next step is to flip some of the edges so all of the white stickers face upwards, making a plus (pictured above). If your cube already has the cross, skip this part. Hold the cube so that one of the edges that needs to be flipped is facing you.

Then apply this algorithm: F R’ D’ R F2

This algorithm will flip the edge so the white part is facing upwards. Do this for every edge until you have a white cross on top.

Now you need to orient these pieces. Refer to the next picture. As you can see, the orange piece matches the orange centre. Look at the edges on your puzzle. You could have none matching, two matching or all matching. If you have all four edges matching the centres, your cross is solved. If you have none matching, perform a U move, then look around the cube again. You want to have at least two matching. If none of them match, do another U move. Repeat until you have either two or four edges matching their centres.

Your goal is to have all four edges matching their centres. If you have this, then the cross is solved. If you have only two, then you could have one of two cases. Either the two matching edges are adjacent (next to each other) or opposite each other. If they are adjacent, hold the cube so that the two solved pieces are facing the front and left of the cube (shown in the left picture), then perform:

If the two matching edges are opposite one another, hold the cube so that they are on the left and right faces (shown in the right picture) and perform the following algorithm to swap the one in the back and in the front:

Your cross is now solved!

Step 2: The White Corners

Now you’ve done the edges on the white face, all that’s left are the corners. This step is much simpler, as it only requires one algorithm. The picture shows the end goal of this step.

Look on the bottom layer of the puzzle. You’re looking for the white-orange-green corner. There is a 50% chance it will be on the bottom layer. Follow the following steps depending on where the corner is for you.

Bottom
If the corner is on the bottom of the puzzle, perform the required D moves so that the corner is in the position marked in pink on the picture. Perform this algorithm as many times as is needed to put the corner in its place:

Top
If the corner is on the top of the puzzle, hold the cube so that the corner is in the position marked in purple on the image, and perform the same algorithm as before:

Now the corner is on the bottom, so you can do the above instructions.

Repeat this process for each corner until the top layer is solved. I suggest you to start with the corners in the bottom layer because solving these first might pop out some white pieces from the top layer and you might save a couple turns.

Step 3: Middle Layer Edges

You’re 1/3 done (kinda)! You’re done with all white pieces, so you can now flip your cube so white is on the bottom.

Look for an edge that is on the top face and doesn’t have yellow on it. There’s a very small chance that there won’t be any, but there are instructions for that case below. Perform a U move so that the colour on the front face of the edge is matching with the centre. There are two directions that the edge could go, left or right.

Left:

If the edge needs to go in the gap to the left of it perform the following algorithm:

U’ L’ U L U F U’ F’

Right:

If the edge needs to go in the gap to the right of it do this:

U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F

If there are no more edges left on the top layer, then they are probably either inserted in the right place but flipped, or inserted in the wrong place. To get an edge out of somewhere it shouldn’t be, just insert one of the yellow edges into that slot. This should get the edge out and on the top layer, ready for you to use the above instructions to insert correctly.

Repeat this process for all four middle edges.

Step 4: Yellow Cross

We’re nearly there now. 2/3 of the puzzle is solved, and every piece left to be solved has yellow on it somewhere. That’s a good sign… right?

We’re going to solve the top layer edges in two steps. In this step will orient all of the pieces so that the yellow face is facing up for all of them. The next will move these pieces around and thus solve the cube.

Ignore the corners for now. You want to look at the edges only. Either none, all, or two of the edges will already be oriented correctly (the yellow part is facing up).

These are the four possible edge positions that you can have:

Do this to transfrom to the next state: F R U R’ U’ F’

If the edges are solved in a plus shape like the cross we made at the start (the last image), you can skip this stage.

Beside the solved cross you can also have a “Dot”, an “L” shape or a “Line” as pictured above. To transform the Magic Cube from one state to the other, you have to apply the following short algorithm, watching out for the L shape and the line to be positioned as required:

If you are in a hurry you can speed up the process by doing two jumps at once with this:

When you have an “L” shape, where the two yellow pieces showing are adjacent one another. Do the required number of U or U’ moves to get this L as shown in the picture: the corner that the two edges trap needs to be in the top left. Then perform this algorithm:

If done correctly, you should now be looking at the yellow cross.

The third image shows the “Line” shape, where the two yellow pieces showing are opposite one another. Make sure that the yellow bar (the two edges and the middle sticker) is horizontal, then do:

You should now be looking at four edges all oriented correctly.

For the “Dot” case shown in the first picture, just do either of these algorithms to get a different case.

Step 5: Sune and Antisune

Sune is a very simple algorithm that many puzzlers love due to its simplicity compared to other algorithms that they may have had to learn. There are 7 different corner positions possible after you have oriented the edges. Sune and Antisune are two of these, but we won’t always get them straight away.

Refer to the image to see what they look like. Both Sune and Antisune have one correctly oriented corner. You might have two corners oriented or none oriented. If you have all four already facing upwards, you don’t need this step.

To get to the case where you only have one oriented corner, repeat the following algorithm:

When you eventually get the desired position, there are two slightly different variations of it. For this, we need to look at the front of the cube. The yellow corner facing the front can be in two positions: Either facing the front, or facing the right. In the first image, it is facing the front. This shows you have Sune. To solve it, just do the above algorithm one more time, and you should have oriented all of the top layer.

Antisune is indicated when the corner facing the right, as shown in the second picture:

U2 R U2 R’ U’ R U’ R’

Sune and antisune

Step 6: Finishing the puzzle

We’re nearly there! Last part now.

Here, we’re looking at the colours that aren’t solved. There are 21 different cases for the top layer, but we only need a couple of algorithms to solve them all. The first thing we want to find is headlights. Only 2 of the cases don’t have any headlights (one of them is if you skip this step, and the cube is already solved). For the one case without headlights, just perform the algorithm below from any angle. This is a better case because when you do the next step, the cube will be solved already.

Headlights are fairly simple to spot. Looking at the image, we can see on the right hand side that the orange edge has a green corner on either side of it. That is a set of headlights. The left hand side has two different colours on either side, so that is not a set of headlights. It is very important to note that a full bar (a blue edge has a blue corner on either side of it, so all three pieces are blue) is also seen as a set of headlights. This is only seen in one case of the 21 though, so you won’t see it often. If you have a set of headlights on each side, ignore this part and read the section titled “The U Permutation”.

Headlights: two corners having the same colour on one side

You want to hold the cube so that the set of headlights is facing away from you (do the required number of U moves so that the headlights aren’t on the front, left or right). Then, do the following algorithm:

R’ F R’ B2 R F’ R’ B2 R2

You should now have either a solved cube or a pair of headlights on all sides.

The U Permutation

There are 5 different positions your cube can be in now, one of which could be solved. The rest of them have all four corners solved, so do the required amount of U moves so that every corner is in its right place. 2 of the 4 remaining possibilities have a solved bar (as mentioned above, where all three colours on that side are the same), and the other 2 have no solved bars.

If you have a solved bar, put it at the back and do this algorithm:

R U’ R U R U R U’ R’ U’ R2

If your cube isn’t solved, do it one more time, making sure the bar is still at the back.

If you don’t have a solved bar, do the same algorithm from any angle. This will leave you with a solved bar, so you can do the above.

Congratulations! You’ve solved the Rubik’s Cube. Wasn’t that hard, was it?

This tutorial didn’t help you?
Read the beginner’s Rubik’s guide or go to the Rubik’s Cube solver and let the program calculate the solution for you.

How To Solve a Rubik’s Cube by Using Algorithms

Love it or hate it, The Rubik’s cube is one of the world’s most popular puzzles. For many, it is an intimidating challenge, but it doesn’t need to be.

With a few simple algorithms and some perseverance, you too can solve one in short order if you haven’t before.

Read on to find out how.

How long does it take the average person to solve a Rubik’s Cube?

If you have trouble solving a Rubik’s cube, don’t fret, you are not alone. In fact, according to some estimates, only 6% of the population have ever achieved it. Either through a combination of learning algorithms (more on that later), or sheer determination, solving a Rubik’s cube is not that taxing if you are willing to work at it.

In fact, it took the inventor of the Rubik’s cube, Erno Rubik, one month to learn how to solve his very own creation.

Intimidating for many, but exciting for others, the Rubik’s cube is a great way to work your grey matter. Source: Rolf Venema/Flickr

The best way to learn how to solve one, without spending hours and days trying to work it out for yourself, is to follow some guides or tutorials. Rest assured this is not cheating.

Consider this, a standard 3 by 3 by 3 Rubik’s cube has nearly 42 quintillion possible combinations, but only a single correct solution. It would take you a very, very long time to attempt to solve it through brute force alone.

You need to know some strategies, technically called algorithms, to short cut the process. In fact, this is the very reason that algorithms exist in the first place.

Some of those who have gone through the grinder and learned these algorithms, or set moves, can solve a Rubik’s cube in double-quick time. It takes, on average, about 45 minutes, or so, to learn these moves.

Once they become muscle memory, you can trim the process of solving a cube significantly. In many cases, according to some sources, it should be possible for the average person to complete a Rubik’s cube in around 20 to 25 minutes.

The current world record holder for solving the Rubik’s cube is Yusheng Du who solved a standard cube in 3.47 seconds. Source: Ruwix

Of course, there are those exceptional people who can solve a cube in less than a minute. The world record for the standard 3 by 3 by 3 cube is 3.47 seconds. Yusheng Du, from China, managed this amazing feat in 2018.

But try not to compare yourself to this amazing record. Du had been practicing the process for many, many years.

Is solving a Rubik’s cube using algorithms?

The methods you will use, on the grand and micro-scale, will be by following some set procedures, aka algorithms, to complete the cube. This is essentially what algorithms exist to do.

So, are you ready to join the 6% who have solved the Rubik’s cube? Brace yourself and enjoy the process.

1. First things first, learn your cube

The first thing to do is to become accustomed to your cube. For this guide, we will be focusing on the standard 3 by 3 by 3 cube.

Remember, however, that the following procedures will generally also be applicable to other kinds of Rubik’s cube too.

A standard cube consists of six faces (obviously), with each face consisting of one of six different colors. The middle pieces of each face are fixed, and all other axes (x, y, and z) can rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise.

The colored sides, on a standard cube, are always paired in the following ways:

This is important to understand and is essential for solving the cube. You will be aiming to move pieces into their correct final position based on these color pairings.

In the following guide and others, we will be referring to certain moves when revealing algorithms for solving the cube. These are standard nomenclature, and they are as follows (courtesy of The Official Rubik’s Cube Site):

Letters donate: front face (F), right column (R), left column (L), upper row (U), down or bottom row (D), etc. These terms are relative to the side of the cube facing you. Always keep the cube in this position when performing algorithms, and never rotate the cube unless instructed. Source: Rubik’s Cube

Note the use of the letter «i» on some moves. This just means that a move is ‘inverted’, or reversed.

You will also see greyed-out squares on most images. This just means the block is not in its correct place and its color on the real cube does not matter.

All moves are a 1/4 rotation.

For all algorithms provided, it is important to try and visualize the block moving around, and why the move is being made. In most cases, the algorithm will be an even number of moves, to first move the piece and then «repair» the locations of any solved pieces in the rest of the cube (with the exception of the first stage and especially the last stage).

Ok, got that? Let’s solve the Rubik’s cube, shall we?

2. See the bigger picture

At all times, bear in mind the bigger picture. Solving a Rubik’s cube essentially follows a master plan.

While the above sounds simple in theory, the process requires you to know a few «tricks,» in order to achieve it. These are essentially little sub-algorithms used to manipulate the pieces into place.

We’ll dedicate the rest of this article to showing you these algorithms, in order to complete the above «master plan» algorithm.

The «white cross». Remember grey squares are not important here. Note the matching edge pieces to center-pieces. Source: Rubik’s Cube

Before we being, time for a confession.

Most of this guide will borrow heavily from the Rubik’s cube official guide, as well as the amazing guide from Ruwix.com. The author also only recently learned how to solve a Rubik’s cube; and if I can do it so can you!

On with the guide, and good luck.

As previously mentioned, the first thing to do is pick one side to solve first. The convention is to use the white side on a standard cube, but it doesn’t really matter

We’ll go through a real-life solution along with the guide. Here is the starting state of ours. Luckily one of the edge pieces (the red-white piece) is already in place and just needs to be turned to the left 90 degrees. Source: Interesting engineering

However, if one side has some added detail, like a decal or images of some kind, you might want to solve this one first as it will add unnecessary complications later on.

The aim here is to produce a cross, usually called the «white cross». Since this is the simplest stage, it is highly recommended you attempt to do this through trial and error.

Once you’ve mastered this, you will be using many of the same moves to solve the middle layer too.

First, move the white side to the top of the cube. For most of the process, the «top» layer will be your «working» layer where you move pieces around and then «drop» them into the lower layers, with the exception of this stage and the final stage (as they are the «top»).

Move each edge piece to the top row and then move them to match the white on top and the color on a particular side. You need to learn how to do this intuitively, as the starting «state» of a cube will vary widely.

To rotate an edge piece (left image), following the middle sequence. Note: Ri (right column down), U (top layer to the left), Fi (front face counterclockwise), Ui (top layer to the left). Your goal is to make the cross on the right. Source: Rubik’s Cube

Rinse and repeat for all other edge pieces. Once your cube looks like the image on the right above, move to the next stage.

Below is a worked example of the steps for moving one edge piece into place. The exact location and method needed for yours will vary, obviously.

Remember, we have greyed out any blocks where the exact color is not important on your cube.

In this example, we can solve two pieces in one algorithm (on the left is the starting condition, on the right the result). Note the cube has been turned 90 degrees to the left in the righthand image. Make sure the red centerpiece is facing you when performing moves (indicated by the red arrow).

1. Rotate the upper level to the left (U) to move the red edge piece above the red centerpiece. 2. Rotate the upper level again (U), and then move the front face counterclockwise (Fi). You will need to also move the top row to the right (Ui) to align both red and blue edges with their correct centerpieces.

Source: Interesting engineering

Keep moving the edge pieces into their correct places until you have the «White Cross». You can refer to the other guides if you need help with some of the pieces, but we stress that you should try to solve this on your own.

When you have the white cross, move to the next stage, but only if the edge pieces are in the correct order (i.e. match the fixed centerpieces on each side).

The «White Cross». Source: Interesting Engineering

Next up is to finish off the white side with the corner pieces in the right places. While it might sound tricky, it really just requires a little thought and practice.

Below is an example of getting one into place from our real example.

An example of solving a corner piece. Orange is the front face in this example. You are effectively moving the white-orange-green corner piece into place, fixing it in place at the back of the cube, restoring the position of the front face, and bringing the new complete white-orange-green-red row into place. Notice the complete white face and «T» shapes on the sides. Source: Interesting engineering

If you are struggling with other scenarios, check out any of the full tutorials we have provided above to help you out. But, again, we recommend plugging away yourself to solve this stage.

Once complete, turn the cube over so the white face is on the bottom. You will not be touching it for the next stage.

This stage is relatively simple, and you only really need to know a couple of set moves, or algorithms. In most cases, you will be shuffling the middle-layer edges from the top layer to left or right on the middle layer.

In all cases below, make sure you have orientated the piece to be moved above its matching center-piece on the side of the cube. E.g. if the color facing you is red, make sure you move the top row until the correct edge piece is above the red center-piece facing you.

Remember, whenever completing these algorithms, always keep the front face in front of you and never move the cube as a whole.

Here is how you move one piece to the right. We’ll dub this the «move-to-the-right» algorithm.

Algorithm to move the red-blue middle piece on the top row to its rightful place in the middle/second row. Here the front face is the blue side. Note the first four moves put the piece into place and the last four restore the base. Source: Interesting Engineering

If you need to move it to the left, here is how you do that. We’ll call it the «move-to-the-left» algorithm.

Algorithm to move the orange-blue middle piece on the top row to its place on the left-hand side in the middle/second row. Here the front face is the blue side. Note the first four moves put the piece into place and the last four restore the base. Source: Interesting Engineering

Sometimes you may need to move a misaligned middle or second layer edge piece to the top and then back down again. Here is how you do that move.

Notice that this is the same move as the moving-to-the-right algorithm above. Once in place on the top row, simply rotate the top row to the right (to match green to green). Now make the green face your front face, and complete the «move-to-the-left» algorithm above to put the same piece into the second row. Source: Interesting Engineering.

Now for the top row. First, we need to create a cross again, as we did at the beginning. This will be slightly more complex than the «White Cross», as you can imagine.

For this stage, don’t obsess over getting yellow edge pieces in the correct order. Our goal is to simply get the yellow side of each edge piece facing upwards.

If you are lucky enough to already have a full cross, you can skip this stage. If not, you will need to perform a single algorithm multiple times, until you reach the end goal.

And here it is, courtesy of the makers of this awesome puzzle.

When you reach any of the stages above, ensure you turn the upper layer to match its orientation. Again, don’t fret about the side colors just yet.

With the «Yellow Cross» complete, it is time to get those top edge pieces in their right places.

If, by chance, the edge pieces from stage 4 are already in the correct order, skip to stage 6 below.

If not, you will need to perform some more sets of moves to get them into their proper places. You can swap them around by performing the following algorithm.

In all cases, make sure you orientate the top row so that at least one of the pieces will end up on the correct side of the cube. Rotate the upper row to get the edge pieces you need to be aligned with the sides they need to move to.

If you need to move the edge pieces around on the upper/top row, perform this algorithm. In this example, the red side is your front face. You may need to do this a few times to get all edge pieces in their correct places. Source: Interesting Engineering

With the edge pieces now aligned properly, it is time to deal with those pesky top corners.

With only four pieces left to move, you might think the worst of it is behind you? Don’t get cocky, this is the stage that usually foxes most novices.

The first thing to do is to get them into the right spot. Don’t concern yourself with their orientation, just yet.

Find a piece that already happens to be in the right place (its three sides match the surrounding colors on the cube’s edge). You may need to move the upper row to find one.

Orientate the cube so that this corner piece is in the top right of your front face. Then perform the following algorithm to cycle the corner pieces around.

Algorithm to cycle corner pieces around. You will likely need to do this a few times until all corners are in place. Don’t worry about getting the yellow sides up, just yet. Source: Interesting Engineering

If none exists, perform the same algorithm until one appears and then rinse and repeat.

At the end of each algorithm sequence, your cube will look completely messed up. Don’t worry, trust the process and your cube will be solved in very short order.

Hold the cube in your hand and choose one of the corners to start the process. Make sure it is in the correct position (aka the surrounding cube face colors are the same as those, in any order, on the corner piece).

Now perform the following algorithm until the piece is orientated correctly. You will usually need to do this two or four times.

Algorithm to correctly orientate a top row corner piece. You will need to repeat this between two and four times until correctly orientated. Source: Interesting Engineering

If you need to do the same for any other corners, keep the same side facing you as before (this is critically important); rotate the upper row to move the piece into the top right, and repeat the procedure two to four times. Rinse and repeat for all other corners.

We have to stress once again: trust the process. The rest of your cube will appear to be completely messed up but it will all come together in the end.

With the top row solved, simply move to the left or right to complete the cube.

Congratulations, you did it!

Now that you know how to solve the standard 3 by 3 by 3 Rubik’s cube, you can practice until you get the processing speed down to impressive levels. Who knows, you may become the next Guinness World Record holder?

One has to dream.

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How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube: 4 Different Ways

The Rubik’s cube—a 3x3x3 cube of mixed colored blocks—has been perplexing users since it was created in the 1970s. Solving it is difficult enough, but «speedcubers,» or those who solve the cube at breakneck speeds, have renewed interest in how to solve a Rubik’s cube for people around the world.

If you want to be a world record-breaking speedcuber, you have to start small. This guide on how to solve a Rubik’s cube for beginners gives an overview of the basic method, an introduction to Rubik’s cube algorithms, and even some advanced tactics for those of you looking for some tips to boost your speed.

A Brief History of the Rubik’s Cube

The Rubik’s cube was invented by Ernő Rubik, a Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor. Rubik hoped to create something that would help him understand how a structure consisting of multiple pieces could have those pieces moved without destroying the mechanism. It wasn’t until he scrambled the pieces and had to fix it that he discovered its potential use as a 3-D puzzle.

The first cubes, a test design, were released into Budapest toy shops in 1977 before being purchased by American toy company Ideal Toys. Ideal rebranded the cube as the Rubik’s cube to honor the creator in 1980, and the toy became hugely popular in the following decade.

Eventually, the Rubik’s cube fell out of popularity in the United States and many other western countries; however, it remained popular in China and what was then the USSR because the trend had picked up later in Communist countries around the world. The popularity of the cubes in Communist countries, especially ones as populous as China, ultimately kept the toys in production.

The Rubik’s cube once again became popular in the 21st century, due in part to the formation of the World Cube Association in 2003. Speedcubing had always been popular among Rubik’s cube enthusiasts, but the formation of this organization helped push fans to become ever faster in their solving techniques.

Currently, China’s Yusheng Du holds the world record for solving a single cube in just 3.47 seconds. But there are other records, too:

How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube: Important Vocab to Know

When it comes to how to solve a Rubik’s cube, it might look like following a series of simple steps. In reality, though, it’s quite complex.

Before you even start trying to follow the numerous strategies for solving, get familiar with the vocabulary. This will make it easier to follow the confusing Rubik’s cube algorithms and permutations you must use to solve it!

Ruwix.com

An edge piece on a Rubik’s cube is the part where two visible colors meet. There are 12 edges in total.

Ruwix.com

Corner

As expected, a corner piece is located in the corner of each side of the cube. They have three visible colors, and there are eight corners in total.

Ruwix.com

Center

Center cubes are located in the center of each side and have one visible color. There are six in total, and, unlike the rest of the cubes, they do not move position. Because they are fixed, the color of the center cube is used to represent each side of the Rubik’s cube.

Layer

The part of a cube you turn, consisting of nine blocks. No matter which way you hold the cube, there are three layers.

Faces

Like all cubes, the Rubik’s cube has six sides, or faces. When executing Rubik’s cube algorithms with the beginner’s method, it’s assumed you’re looking at the cube with the white face up, meaning the Rubik’s cube logo should be on top.

With this in mind, Rubik’s cube notation works as follows:

Regular/Inverted Turn

There are two ways to turn a layer: regular and inverted. A regular turn is a clockwise turn, and an inverted turn is a counterclockwise turn.

In Rubik’s cube notation, an inverted turn is represented with a lowercase i, such as Ri. This would mean that you rotate the right side counterclockwise.

Algorithm

A Rubik’s cube algorithm is an operation, or a series of rotations, that reorients the blocks into a desired outcome. They are usually written with a capital letter denoting the face that should be rotated, a lowercase i if that rotation should be counterclockwise, and a number 2 if it should be rotated twice.

Permutation

Permutation refers to the act of moving the blocks into the desired formation, or the arrangement of the pieces.

How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube: 7-Step Guide

The beginner’s method for solving a Rubik’s cube is still fairly difficult, so take lots of breaks and don’t be afraid to use a solving tool if you’re really struggling with a certain section. The more you practice, the better you’ll get. Don’t give up!

Note the two cubes of the same color beneath each arm of the white cross. (Ruwix.com)

Step 1: Create White Cross

Begin by holding the cube with the white face up. You probably won’t start with the white face finished, so remember that a face’s color is determined by the center cube. That means that the face with the white center cube should be facing up.

The first step to the beginner’s method is to create a cross on the white face. There’s no strict algorithm to perform here, as there are so many potential permutations of the cube. Instead, focus on creating the white cross using intuitive movements.

When you’ve created the white cross, there should be two blocks of the same color aligned on each face directly below the white block on the top face. If that isn’t the case, keep working with the cube until those pieces are properly aligned, or the next step will be much more difficult.

Note the top layer’s three cubes being the same color as the center cube. ( Ruwix.com )

Step 2: Solve White Corners

Now that the white cross is in place, it’s time to finish this face by solving the white corners. Use the white cross foundation to organize your side color. By the time you finish this step, you should have three cubes of the same color in the top layer and one cube in the center of the middle layer of the left, right, back, and front faces.

To solve this step, you’ll need to run through some algorithms, or rotation patterns that result in a specific cube placement.

Rotate the bottom layer until a white edge piece is positioned below an empty spot on the top face. Find the direction of the white piece you want to align below and then run through the algorithm until the white cube is in place. If you’re not quite ready for memorizing Rubik’s cube algorithms, run through the simple algorithm below instead.

If you find that your center pieces have migrated, you’ll need to get your white cross set up again. If you run through these algorithms properly, the center pieces should end up back where they began.

Simple Algorithm

If your white cube faces down after you’ve run through this algorithm, run through it three more times. If your white cube faces left after running through the algorithm, repeat it five times.

A white sticker facing right. (Ruwix.com)

If Your White Sticker Faces Right

A white sticker facing left. (Ruwix.com)

If Your White Sticker Faces Left

A white sticker on the bottom. (Ruwix.com)

If Your White Cube Is on the Bottom

If the White Sticker Is on Top, but the Top Layer Isn’t All the Same Colors

Whatever position the white cube is in now, repeat with the appropriate algorithm from above until the colors match up. There should be three of the same color on the top layer and one in the center of the second layer.

Step 3: Solve Middle Layer

At this point, the white face should be completed, and each other face, except the face opposite the white face, should have three blocks of the same color in the top layer and one block also of that color in the center of the face.

Using the location of the top layer middle piece, we will now rotate the cubes until we get the bottom two layers to all be the same color.

To begin solving the middle layer, rotate your cube until the completed white face is on the bottom. Don’t worry about messing it up because you’re not looking at it—as long as you follow the algorithms, everything will go back into position.

The goal of this stage is to get the colored edge pieces into their correct place on each face. There are three algorithms you can use to accomplish this. Find which one suits your needs and you should have this section solved in no time.

Top layer, center cube needs to go to second layer left. (Ruwix.com)

If You Need the Center Top Piece to Go to the Second Layer Left

Top layer, center cube needs to go to second layer right. (Ruwix.com)

If You Need the Center Top Piece to Go to the Second Layer Right

Top layer cube is not in the proper position. (Ruwix.com)

If an Edge Piece Is Not in the Top Layer or It’s Oriented Wrong

Yellow cross. (Ruwix.com)

Step 4: Create Yellow Cross

This step is just like the white cross, but there are a lot more pieces to think about since you’ve already solved a great deal of the puzzle. At this stage, don’t worry if the edge pieces don’t match the face color. We’ll work on that later.

There are three different patterns you might see on your cube. Look at the top face and consider only the shape of the yellow cross—ignore the edge pieces for now. You might see one single yellow dot in the center, you might see an L shape, or you might see a line.

Once you figure out your correct arrangement, run through the following algorithm as many times as specified below.

Yellow center dot. (Ruwix.com)

If You Have A Single Yellow Dot

Execute the algorithm three times.

Yellow «L» shape. Note the orientation, with the legs encasing the top left edge. (Ruwix.com)

If You Have an L Shape

Rotate your entire cube until the legs of the L shape encase the edge piece in the top left. Execute algorithm two times.

Yellow line formation. (Ruwix.com)

If You Have a Line

Rotate your entire cube until the line is horizontal. Execute the algorithm once.

The yellow cross has been completed, but the edge pieces aren’t in the right position. (Ruwix.com)

Step 5: Swap Yellow Edges in Top Layer

Now it’s time to make sure the yellow cross is oriented correctly so that the color of the center cube of the top layer matches the face it’s on. We’ll be using an algorithm that will switch the front-top and left-top edges.

Rotate your top layer until you find two edges that need to be swapped with each other. If you can’t find two edges from different faces located on the next face over, you can run through the algorithm twice.

Yellow corners need to be positioned properly so they can go into their correct spots. (Ruwix.com)

Step 6: Position Yellow Corners

Let’s get those remaining yellow corners where they belong. Right now, they just need to go into the correct spots—it doesn’t matter if the orientation is wrong.

First, look for a yellow corner that is in the right position, even if it isn’t yet on the top face. Rotate the entire cube in your hands until the correctly positioned yellow cube is in the front-right-top position. Then, cycle through the algorithm below until the other three corners are in the correct position.

If you can’t find a yellow cube in the right spot, keep repeating the algorithm on a random corner until you get it in the correct spot.

A finished cube. (Ruwix.com)

Step 7: Solve Final Layer Corners

We’re in the home stretch! Now that our yellow cubes are positioned, we need to properly orient the corners.

Hold your cube with the upper piece you want to orient in the front-right-top corner. Run through the below algorithm until that piece is in its correct position. Once that one is properly oriented, repeat the process until the next piece is in position, and so on, until the cube is solved.

Don’t panic if it starts to look as though you’ve messed the whole cube up. It will go back to normal once you’ve finished getting all the yellow corners into place. Don’t skip any turns, even if it looks like you’re done, as this can mess things up!

You can rotate the top layer between complete repetitions of the algorithm to put cubes in place.

How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube: 3 Alternative Solutions

The beginner’s method to solve a Rubik’s cube is just that: for beginners. If you want to get into speedcubing, you’ll need to master some of the trickier, but more efficient, methods.

#1: Fridrich Method

The Fridrich Method, also called CFOP, is one of the most prominent in speedcubing. It’s both fast and efficient, eliminating many of the repetitive algorithms in favor of accuracy and saving moves, but it’s also definitely not easy. It’s recommended that you master the beginner method before moving on to the Fridrich method so you have a core understanding of how the cube works.

The Fridrich Method works by dividing the cube into layers, which are solved individually using algorithms, rather than solving each face. It consists of four steps, outlined below, each with its own set of rules and algorithms.

Step 1: Cross

In this step, you’ll be forming a cross. Most speedcubers start with the white cross for consistency’s sake, but you can use any color you like. We’ll refer to this as the white cross.

For speedcubing, start with the white face down. You can solve the cube with the white face in any direction, but practicing with it down will help improve your speed.

Because there are so many possible cube arrangements, this step is done by intuition. Practice a lot to get a deep understanding of how to rotate pieces to form a cross quickly.

Form the white cross so that the sides of each white edge match the color of the lateral center pieces. Turn your edge pieces so that they are in the correct position, and move on to the next step.

The cross stage takes an average of seven rotations for speedcubers. The fewer rotations, the less time lost in this step.

Step 2: First Two Layers (F2L)

The second step, in which the first two layers are solved, is also typically done intuitively, although algorithms do exist. The layers are solved simultaneously, meaning you should not solve each side individually.

There are 41 possibilities for what your cube could look like at this point. You’ll need to solve the four corners of the first layer and the four middle-layer edge pieces. To do this, combine matching corner and edge pieces into blocks. Next, solve those blocks to their proper position and repeat until the first two levels are solved.

Step 3: Orient Last Layer (OLL)

Now that the first two layers are done, we need to do the top layer. Our goal in this step is to get the last layer oriented correctly—we don’t need to worry if the side colors don’t match until the next step. We’ll get the upper face all one color, which will be yellow if we have our white face on the bottom.

There are two possible approaches to this stage: the two-look OLL and the one-look OLL.

Two-Look OLL

The first step of the two-look OLL, which is the easier but slower method, is to orient the last layer edge pieces. To do this, there are three algorithms. You might recognize these from the beginner-method stage in which you create the white cross.

The second step is to orient the last layer’s corner pieces. This one has seven different algorithms depending on the configuration of your top face.

One-Look OLL

In this version, you’ll use one algorithm to solve all variations and orient the last layer. You have to learn many algorithms in order to execute this stage properly, but it saves two to four seconds if you’re speedcubing. These algorithms are organized by the shape they make on the upper face, so practice this stage until each algorithm feels natural when you see the corresponding cube arrangement.

Step 4: Permutation of Last Layer (PLL)

There are 21 potential arrangements of your cube at this stage, which means that you have 21 different algorithms to learn. Once again, there are two different methods: two-look and one-look PLL.

Two-Look PLL

In this version, you’ll solve the cube within two algorithms, which means you have to learn fewer algorithms overall. However, if you want to solve cubes at world-record speeds, you’ll want to know all of them. This version is great for beginners, but those who want to be competitive will need to work on mastering one-look PLL.

First, you’ll need to permute the corner pieces on the top face using one of two algorithms: the Aa-perm and the E-perm.

Next, permute the edges. Once you’ve correctly permuted the corners, there are only four variations and therefore four algorithms: Ua-perm, Ub-Perm, Z-perm, and H-perm.

Follow the appropriate algorithm and you’ll have solved the cube!

One-Look PLL

One-look PLL will have you solve the Rubik’s cube with only one algorithm. This requires a lot of memorization but can save you valuable seconds if you’re competing.

Practice these algorithms a lot so they become second nature to you.

#2: Roux Method

The Roux Method, like the Fridrich Method, is for those experienced with solving Rubik’s cubes. If you want to reduce your time from the beginner’s method, learning the Roux Method can be a great way to accomplish that.

There are four main steps in the Roux Method.

Step 1: Build a 1x2x3 Block on One Side

Start with the L-side if you’re right-handed. By the end of this step, the edges of the back, down, and front faces, as well as the corners of the down, back, and left faces and the left and right centers, will be solved.

How you approach this step will depend on the configuration of your cube. With so many potential solutions, you’ll need to solve this section intuitively rather than by executing algorithms.

Step 2: Build a 1x2x3 Block on the Opposite Side

Don’t worry about being optimal here, since there are still so many possible combinations. The creator of this method suggests focusing first on solving a 1x2x2 block by putting together a corner-edge pair and then adding in the missing edge before solving for the last corner and edge. This lets you focus on just two elements rather than all of them at once.

Algorithms depend on your unique configuration, so practice matching the configuration with the correct algorithm until it comes naturally to you.

Step 3: Solve the Remaining 4 Corners

This stage is one of the most difficult in the Roux Method. It’s recommended that you learn the cases little by little, building on each one as you practice more.

There are 48 potential ways your cube could be arranged here. How you solve the cube will depend on the arrangement, so work through this collection of algorithms with lots of different variations to get the hang of them all.

Step 4: Solve Remaining 6 Edges and 4 Centers

With so much of the cube finished, on average, most people need fewer than 15 moves to solve the cube from here.

The first step of this stage is to orient the edges. You do this only by moving the middle and up faces, saving valuable movement since the other faces are already oriented correctly.

Next, you’ll solve the right and left edges of the up face, which should complete the left and right side layers as well.

Finally, solve the center and edges of the middle face. There are only three possible cases for this stage, which eliminates some of the necessary memorization, though there is potential for optimization.

#3: ZZ Method

The ZZ Method, created in 2006 by Zebigniew Zborowski, is a newer method of solving the Rubik’s cube that’s divided into three stages.

Step 1: EOLine

In this step, your goal is to orient all the cube’s edges (EO) while getting the DF and DB edges in line (Line). If solved in this way, you can finish the cube by rotating only the L, R, and U faces rather than all of them.

This stage takes an average of six moves to solve but shouldn’t take more than nine; however, it’s the most difficult of the steps because it requires a lot of forethought.

Step 2: First Two Layers (F2L)

In this step, you’ll be solving the first two layers. To accomplish this, build two 1x2x3 blocks on either side of the line you made in the EOLine stage. Again, now that the edges are oriented, you only need to rotate the L, R, and U faces to complete the cube.

Step 3: Last Layer (LL)

As you might have guessed, the final step is to solve the last layer. Like some other Rubik’s cube solving methods, you can solve the cube with a two-look system (two algorithms) or a one-look system (one algorithm). The two-look system has 20 potential algorithms to be learned, while the one-look system has a whopping 493 potential algorithms.

How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube for Beginners: 3 Key Tips

Learning to solve the Rubik’s cube is no small feat! Even the beginner’s method can be tricky to execute well, so here are some quick tips to help you master the cube.

#1: Practice, Practice, Practice

Solving a Rubik’s cube is hard. There’s no simple method—the beginner’s method is still a long and detailed process that requires learning new vocabulary and following steps that might be unfamiliar to you.

The only way to get better is to practice, so keep working at it until you can feel your speed increasing as you go. Don’t give up if you feel like you’re not getting anywhere—each repetition brings you closer to memorization!

#2: Use a Cube Solver If Necessary

Sometimes it can feel as though you get impossibly stuck, but a Rubik’s cube solver can be the answer. If you can follow the steps of a solver to see how to get yourself out of a pickle, you’ll be better prepared next time you run into a similar situation. Don’t be afraid to let someone show you how to do it!

#3: Start Simple

Even if you want to get into speedcubing, start simple: master the beginner’s method before you move on to others, as you’ll need that solid foundation to understand how the cube works and how to move your fingers more efficiently.

Once you’ve done that, you can move on to advanced methods and learn all the little finger tricks that make speedcubing possible.

What’s Next?

Looking to impress your friends with some new tricks? Learn how to make slime!

Unsure how to turn your passion for speedcubing into something you can write about on your college applications? Read more about how to write about extracurriculars here!

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor’s in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.