Might as well... How to Solve a Rubik's Cube

This is my first guide, and it's pretty long. If it's too long I can try to cut it down... but it's hard to do that considering the content. Feel free to give me some feedback, or if you need help with solving Rubik's cubes feel free to ask here too.

If you need help with anything cube related (2x2x2-6x6x6) I can probably help you. I average around 30 seconds a solve, my best is currently 24 seconds

Introduction: Solving a 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube

There are an estimated 200 million Rubik's Cube puzzles sold worldwide; whether imitation or name-brand, people are always trying to figure them out! The truth is, a Rubik's Cube is very easy to solve. Although my first cube took me about 3 hours to solve even with the instructions, once you practice and get the concept down, it's easy. Alright, let's start this. The guide from here and beyond will use a notation to depict how you should turn your cube. Remember that an apostrophe, " ' ", denotes a counter-clockwise turn; if it's not there, assume its clockwise.

Step One: The Cross
The cross is the first key step used in most methods to solve the Rubik's Cube. The "cross" is made by matching up one middle color with it's same colored edges, as shown in the picture below:


This step is fairly intuitive, or anotherwards, most people can do this on their own. If your having trouble with this step just realize that nothing else besides the cross matters at this point. So don't be worried about "messing" up any sides or anything.

Once you have your cross, you must check it. Unfortunately just making the cross isn't enough; the edges of the cross must match up with the other middles of the adjacent sides:
No: Yes:

To fix the cross, simply pull down the side to be changed, rotate the top until it's at the correct place, push up the side that you pushed down, and then repeat.
Step Two: The First Layer
It seems whenever you ask someone if they have solved a Rubik's cube before, they always answer "No, but I have gotten "X" sides..." or something like that. This step is purely focused on finishing one side, and by one side I mean one whole face with correct side stickers:

Not this:

Alright, so far we have a cross. Now, to finish a layer, all we have to do is put in the corners. Sounds fairly simple, and it is. But the one thing new cubers always worry about is, "How do I do it without messing everything up!" The answer is, algorithms!

If you are a beginner there is no point in trying to analyze these algorithms quite yet. Once you become more experienced you'll say to yourself, "Wow... that makes perfect sense."

First step, find a corner. Hopefully you can do that on your own. It should be in one of these five positions:


If you have a corner stuck in the top layer (shown in the first two diagrams), simply do the move R'D' R, with the corner in the "R" Plane to get it down to the "D" layer, which is where you want it.

Now, no matter what position the piece is, line it up like in the pictures:

Now do the algorithm R' D'R D. Depending on which position you had, this can take 1, 3, or 5 times. Yes, that means you may have to do the 4 step algorithm 5 times, or 20 turns! Even so you should eventually get one corner inserted. Now repeat this as necessary for the remaining 3 corners.
Congratz on First Layer!


Step Three: The First Two Layers
Now your in the big time. This is the road most people cannot cross intuitively; solving the next layer. Although from a beginner's glance this seems like a difficult step, it is probably one of the easier ones. Again with the aid of magical algorithms (less and less magical as you get better :'( ) we can complete this step.

At this step, you should have this:

Now do me a favor... flip your cube so it looks like this:

Alright, now look at the top middle color. This is the color that the finished top will be. For this example, let's say your top is orange:

Now look at the top edge pieces. In the example's case, look for any top edge that does Not have an orange sticker on it. For your cube, look for edge pieces that don't have a color matching your top color.

Once you find an edge that doesn't have your top color, align it like so:

If your case looks like the first case do the algorithm U' F'U F U R U'R'
If your case looks like the second case do the algorithm U R U'R'U'F'U F

Repeat these steps 3 more times for each 'pocket' to get first two layers (f2l). If one of your pieces is already stuck in a pocket and you need to get it out, just do one of the algorithm's to pull it out, and repeat the algorithm to put it in the right spot.
Congratz on F2L!


Step Four: The Last Layer
By far the hardest, so brace yourself. Your cube should look like this:

Now, there are 3 main patterns you could have ended up with on top (besides the cross, if you have that skip down):


Now our goal is to get the top cross using these algorithms:
-1.If you have the first case do the algorithm F R U R' U' F'. You should have the second case now.
-2.If you have the second case do the algorithm F U R U' R' F'You should have the cross now.
-3.If you have the third case do the algorithm F R U R' U' F'You should have the cross now.


Your cube looks like this... right?

Ok, well we have a top cross, but it's all screwed up! (if your top cross edges already match the corresponding middles, skip down lucky you!)
Position any edge like this:

Now do this move, and your cube should look like the picture below (This move seems to be present in most methods):
R U R' U R U2 R'

Now you should have this:

Check to see whether you have all the edges matched up, or if the last two are mixed up. If the last two are mixed up, do the algorithm again, this time with a messed up edge in the "F" face, and a correctly oriented edge in the "R" face.

Now we need to fix them corners... Start by looking at all of your corners (don't move the top layer...) and see if any of them are in the correct position. Keep in mind that by "correct position," don't assume that it needs to be correctly oriented. This step is aimed at getting all the corners in the right places, and the next is for orienting them correctly.


-1. If you have no correctly positioned corners do this algorithm: U R U'L' U R' U' L Do this until you get at least one corner correctly oriented, then go to the next step.
-2. If you have ONE correctly positioned corner do this algorithm: U R U'L' U R' U' L. This rotates the corners, repeat the algorithm until all corners are in the correct position
-3. If you have all correctly positioned corners, go to the next step.

Almost done! Now you should now have any of these four cases (or if you're lucky... a solved cube):

The final step is one of the longest yet easiest, just remember not to get discouraged as you do it. Essentially all you have to do to rotate each corner into place with the algorithm R' D' R D (DE JA VU?) for each corner until it orients itself. Once you do one corner, turn the top layer to the next messed up corner, and do the algorithm until that corner lines up too. REMEMBER: do not rotate your cube, hold the cube the same throughout, and move the top layer to get the next messed up cube into place. It will look like you're messing everything up, but rest assured, IF YOU DO IT RIGHT, IT ALL RE-ORIENTS ITSELF PERFECTLY.

Once the algorithm is done and all corners are fixed, merely turn the top, middle, and bottom layers to solve the whole cube! Hurray! If you screwed up, keep trying!

Don't have a Rubik's cube? Click here to get free ones (registration's a bitch but from there it's pretty legit)

​

 

Not a bad guide Ive already made a guide on how to solve the Rubik's cube though:http://www.sythe.org/showthread.php?t=836700

 

Very nice guide. I used someone else's to solve a Rubik's cube already. I can not remember who's it was though =|

 

If I do this shit on cam, will you help me? I can only ever do 1 side.

 

i might be able to help you, what program would you do it through?

 

Never mind, I've fucking done it! I'm so happy. It's only taken me 3 years to do it.

 

haha very nice

 

Great guide but I keep getting stuck >.<.

 

... at what part?

 

This guide looks very complex, but you explained it in a way that, if I had an attempt at doing it, I could follow. Great use of pictures, Did you create them yourself? If so, even more well done. Perhaps add a bit of colour and investigate on different size and types of fonts. Apart from that really well written guide, and informative. Well done, and thanks.

 

ive never bought completed a rubiks cube i pretended to when i bought one and it was completed xD

 

Yes I made the pictures myself. I know what you mean about the need for a variation in font colors/sizes, I may get to fixing that eventually. Thanks for your opinion

lolwut

 

Trust me, it's taken me more than three years. Haha.

But yes, this guide is great. I found the pictures very easy to follow (and they're actually all the same size!). Keep up the good guides. You might want to mess with the fonts and colors as the text seems a little unappealing to read.