Rubik’s Cubes For Dummies
By: Khoa Tran
Chapter 1: Know Your Cube. A common Rubik’s Cube will have a color theme that is easy to understand and distinguish for the solver. Within a Rubik’s Cube, there are a total of 3 different pieces; a center piece which is a set piece to determine the color of whichever side of the cube it’s on, an edge piece which allow the connection between 2 adjacent center pieces, a corner piece being the confirmation piece to make sure the edges are in the correct position. In a typical 3x3 Rubik’s Cube, there are 12 edges, 8 corners, and 6 centers. Each piece is unique, unalterable and can only be placed in a specific position at a specific rotation to be considered correctly placed. The color theme of a Rubik’s Cube follows the principle of red in opposition to orange, blue in opposition to green, and white in opposition to yellow. You can not change the color position, so things such as red in opposition to green is not possible. Each of these color will be referred as “face” in the guide.
Chapter 2: Understanding the notations and rotations If you were to hold the cube up in front of you, there are different notations to each of the side of the cube, the right side, the left side, each side will be referred as layer. To turn each face there are 3 different notations that will indicate which direction to turn the face. These are the notations for just simply turning the face, not to a specific orientation. R = Right layer L = Left layer D = Down layer U = Up layer F = Front layer B = Back layer The 3 different direction turning notations are listed like so: An apostrophe (R‘, D’, L’) = turning a layer counter clockwise 90 degree, also known as a “prime” notation. Just the letter itself (R, D, L) = turning a layer clockwise 90 degrees. Number 2 (R2, D2, L2) = turning a layer either way 90 degrees twice. Use the animations in the next page to get used to the cube, understand how each piece moves and where it goes after you do a certain notation or a combination of notations, once you are familiar with the cube, proceed into chapter 3.
Animations Right layer
Left layer
Down layer
Up layer
Front layer
Back layer
Chapter 3: Solving the cube In this chapter there will be 3 different steps, being starting out with making a daisty and then convert that daisy into a white cross and then finish the white face. Step 1: For this section, ignore the corner. You start out by matching all of the white edges to the yellow center, refer to the animation to the right. Step 2: Once your daisy is complete, what you will hold it so that yellow is facing down and any color facing you, then continuously make a D move until the edge matches the center in color, which is blue for the animation but it can be any other color. Once your edge and center color is matched, perform a F2 move so that the edge is on the top, do so to all the other centers. Step 3: Once you are done with step 2, you should have a white cross. After this, hold the cube so that yellow is facing up and white is facing down, you then going to go look for a corner that will be correctly placed, doesn’t have to be correctly orientated, on the bottom right corner of the cube. From there you should have 3 different situations, you can look at the animation to the right to see what they are. Only if the white part of the corner is facing up that you have to do 2 different sets of algorithm, which will still be in the animations.
Animations Daisy
Matching the edges
White Corner
Chapter 4: Second layer This chapter will help you place the edge piece in the second layer, or also known as the middle layer, such as a red and blue edge goes in between the red and blue center. There are only 3 instances for this step and they can all be solved with 2 different sets of algorithm. The sets can be categorized as moving the edge going to the left or to the right of the color that is facing you. The main focus of this chapter is for you to focus on how to hold the cube and notice which edge piece to move to the left or right edge position on the second layer, do make sure you are holding it so that white is facing down instead of up. Algorithm set to move the right: U, R, U’, R’, F, R’, F’, R. This algorithm set will allow you to move the edge on the top to move to the right as if it just did an F turn without messing up anything else. Algorithm set to move to the left: U’, L’, U, L, F’, L, F’, L’. This algorithm set will allow you to move the edge on top to the left as if it just did an F’ turn without messing up anything else. If your edge is in the correct position but is swapped, what you can do is just do the algorithm set that the edge is on and repeat the algorithm set again once that edge is on top. Do so to all of your side edges, which there are only 4. The animation to the right will let you see see what is the 2 algorithm sets are, the top algorithm being the right algorithm set while the bottom one being the left algorithm set.
Animation Edge swapping
Chapter 5: Yellow Cross This chapter will allow you to focus on making the yellow cross from 3 different situations that can be solved with one single set of algorithm just depending on how many times you do it. Algorithm set: F, R, U, R’, U’, F’. Situation 1: When the yellow edges are in opposition of each other. When you see this pattern, hold it so that the yellow center is facing up and the 2 yellow edges are facing to your left and right, then you perform the algorithm set once. Situation 2: When the yellow edges are adjacent to each other. When you see this pattern, hold it so that yellow is facing up while the 2 edges are facing to your left and away from you, then you perform the algorithm set twice. Situation 3: When there are no yellow edges at all. When you see this situation you can hold it however you like as long as yellow is facing up, and you can perform the algorithm set once or twice and depends on that you can directly position yourself for situation 1 or 2 above. The animation to the right will allow you to see all 3 situations.
Animation Yellow cross
Chapter 6: Yellow Edge positioning This chapter will help you with correctly positioning your yellow edges so that it will match the centers on the second layers. It’s neccessary to keep the cube completely stationary while performing these algorithms, it’s ok to turn the cube to look for the pieces and understanding where is your positions, but while you are performing the algorithm it is absolutely necessary for the cube to not be moving. There are 2 situations for this: Situation 1: When the edges are across from each other. If you see this situation, what you do is you hold the cube so that yellow is facing up, so that yellow is facing up, then you perform this algorithm: R, U, R’, U, R, U2, R’. This will preprare you for situation 2 Situation 2: When the edges are adjacent to each other For this situation, you hold the cube so that yellow is facing up, the 2 correctly positioned edges will be facing left and away from you, and you will perform this algorithm: U, R, U, R’, U, R, U2, R’. The animation to the righht will present you the 2 situations the top being situation 2 and the bottom being situation 1.
Animation Yellow edge swapping
Chapter 7 : Yellow Corner. In this chapter, you will be able to understand the 2 situations you will find while positioning your yellow corners into the correct position. Situation 1: When there is 1 correctly positioned corner and 3 incorrectly positioned. If you are in this situation, you hold the cube however you like as long as the yellow color is facing up and the correct position is on the bottom right corner if you are looking at yellow from directly above. Once you are holding the cube in the correct positioning, perform this algorithm: U, R, U’, L’, U, R’, L. Situation 2: When there are no correctly positioned corners. If you are in this situation then just perform the algorithm above while holding the cube so that yellow is facing up once or twice. If you are unable to find a correctly positioned corner after the first or second time of doing the algorithm, perform a U move and then perform the algorithm again. Continuously do so until you find 1 correctly placed corner, which will put you in situation 1.
Animation Yellow corner cycling
Chapter 8 : Yellow Corner correction. Congratulation! You are 1 set of algorithm for every situation! The main focus for this algorithm is for you to keep the cube completely still, hold it so that yellow is facing up and the corners you need to twist is on the top right of whatever the color youre looking at, for the animation to the right it will be green, and perform this set of algorithm. R’, D’, R, D. It is neccessary to understand that you will have to do this in a set of 2 so that the corner can be twisted correctly. Depending on the rotation of the corner, you are to perform the algorithm either twice or 4 times. Once the corner that is required to twisted is in the correct rotation, perform a U move until you find the next corner to twist. The cube will fix itself after every set of 4 of the algorithm above, so do understand the fact that you will always have an even number of corners needed to be twisted an even number amount of times. The animation to the right will allow you to see what is the algorithm looks like, not solving the cube itself.
Animation Yellow corner twisting
Congratulations on solving your Rubik’s cube!