How to solve the Rubik’s Cube

How to solve the Rubik’s Cube

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 center pieces. This step is quite intuitive, you can do it for sure. Just move the white edges to their places not messing up the ones already fixed.

            Good White Cross                          Bad White Cross

 

2. White Corners

In this step we have to arrange all the white corner pieces, so we finish the first face. This step is still intuitive, you can do it without learning any algorithm. If you don’t have patience I give you some clue. Move the white corner below the spot it’s going to come, then 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.

                       R’ D’ R                                              F D F’

                       R’ D D R D R’ D’ R                    White face solved

 

3. Second Layer

Until this point the procedure was intuitive, from now on we have to use some algorithms. In this step we will solve the first two layers (F2L). There are two algorithms we use, symmetric to each other, they’re called the F2L Right and F2L Leftalgorithms. These algorithms insert an edge piece from the top layer in the middle layer not messing up the already solved white face.

           Left: U’ L’ U L U F U’ F’        Right: U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F

 

        Wrong orientation                               F2L solved

 

4. Yellow Cross

Now make 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 colours of the sides now. Just make a yellow cross on the top, we will swap them in the next step.

We can get three possible patterns on the top. We can get from one to the other pattern with a single algorithm as seen on the image: F R U R’ U’ F’

1.   If you have a yellow “L” shape you’ll have to apply the algorithm twice, holding the cube in your hands as seen on the image.

2. In case of a horizontal line you just have to make the permutation once.

    Yellow cross on the top

 

5. Yellow Edges

After making the yellow cross on the top of the cube you have to put the yellow edge pieces on their right places where they belong. Switch the front and left yellow edges with the following algorithm:

R U R’ U R U U R’ U

There are situations when you have to apply this algorithm more than once.

                                        Switch the edges   

 

    Yellow edges done

6. Yellow Corners on their places

Only the last layercorner pieces left.   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 (rotate) the three wrong pieces:

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 do the algorithm once so one of them will go to the right spot.

Switch three corner pieces

7. Orient Yellow Corners

Now all the pieces are on their right places you just have to orient the yellow corner pieces.

Hold the cube in your hand so the piece you want to orient is on the front-right-top corner, than to the R’ D’ R D algorithm twice or four times until that specific piece is oriented well. It seems like you messed up the whole cube but don’t worry, it will be all right when all the corner pieces are oriented.

After that with a U’ turn move an other yellow piece you want to orient to the front-right-top corner of the cube and doR’ D’ R D again while this specific piece is ok. Be careful not to move the two bottom layers between the algorithms.

    Orient the corner pieces                   

 

THE CUBE IS SOLVED