Beginner Solution to the Rubik's Cube

Written by Jasmine Lee (http://peter.stillhq.com/jasmine/rubikscubesolution.html)

Adapted by James Hamory
Introduction

There are many different methods for solving the Rubik's cube. They can be divided into two broad
categories: layer methods and corners first methods (and there are sub-categories within these broad
categories). The method I use for speedsolving is a layer based method. More specifically, the method I
currently use is: Cross, F2L, 2-look LL. If you are a newbie cuber then this description may not mean
much to you, so I should add that it's the advanced solution I described in the "Next Steps" section at
the end of this page.
This beginner method requires memorizing only a few algorithms, and when done efficiently can
achieve solves of 60 seconds or faster. I know people who can solve in 20-30s with a method like this.
It takes a lot of practice to be able to get those times with this trivial method, so don't be too distressed
if you can't. On the other hand, if you can do 30s solves with this method, then you are too good for
this method and you should be learning an Intermediate or Advanced method!
Aside from minimal memorization, another benefit of this method is that it is very scalable. More
algorithms may be added later to develop it into an advanced method, or if you're really keen, an expert
method. This means you don't need to scrap it and start again to move to an expert method. Everything
you learn here will be useful for more advanced methods.
Structure of the cube

We all know that 3x3x3=27, however, rather than thinking about the cube as 27 little "cubies", think
about it as 6 fixed centers (that can rotate on their own axis) with 8 corners and 12 edges which rotate
around it. As the centers are fixed, the center color defines the color for the face. It's important to
remember this otherwise you'll end up trying to do illogical (mechanically impossible!) things like
wondering why you can't work out how to put a corner piece in an edge position, or assuming that
you're looking at the blue face merely because 8 of the 9 cubies on it are blue (if the center is white
then it's the white face).
Notation

When describing the solution for the 2nd and 3rd layers, standard cube notation will be used. Here's
what you need to know to read it:
F = front face B = back face R = right face L = left face U = up face D = down face
In addition to a letter, each move may be accompanied by an apostrophe or the number two:
A letter by itself means turn that face 90 degrees clockwise (e.g. F).
A letter followed by an apostrophe means turn that face 90 degrees counter-clockwise (e.g. F').
A letter followed by the number 2 means turn that face 180 degrees (direction is irrelevant),
(e.g. F2).
So R U' L2 is shorthand for "turn the right face 90 degrees clockwise, then turn the up face 90 degrees
counter-clockwise, then turn the left face 180 degrees". When thinking whether to turn

clockwise/counter-clockwise, imagine that you are looking directly at the particular face you are
turning.
For each algorithm, the notation is written with the assumption that the core of the cube remains fixed
throughout the whole algorithm, and the faces just turn around it. This means that you also need to
know how to position the cube to start the algorithm.

The Solution
The First Layer
The first layer is solved in two stages:
1. Form the cross
2. Insert the 4 first layer corners (each corner is inserted individually)
I believe that the first layer should be done intuitively. You need to understand it and solve it without
learning algorithms. Until you can do this, I wouldn't bother attempting the rest of the cube! So, spend
some time playing with the cube and familiarizing yourself with how to move the pieces around the
cube.
Now, here are some tips to get you started.
The Cross

I prefer to start with the white cross because I find white easier to quickly identify on a completely
scrambled cube, however, you can use any color.
There are 4 edge pieces with white (i.e. the 4 arms of the cross) which have specific positions. You
can't put any white edge piece in an arm of the cross because the other color on the edge cubie must
match up with it's center on the middle layer.

Here is a pic of what a correctly formed cross

looks like (grey denotes cubies that are irrelevant
to the cross). Note that the white/red edge cubie
matches up with the white center and the red
center. Same with the white/blue cubie.

Here's a pic on an incorrectly formed cross.

Looking at the white face we do indeed see a
white cross, however the white/red edge cubie
does not match up with the red center. Same with
the white/blue cubie. This is bad!

The First Layer Corners

Once you have completed the cross, completing the first layer requires inserting each of the 4 corners
in separately. The first thing to do is examine your cube and locate all of the top layer edge pieces they will be sitting in either the first layer or the last layer. Inserting the first layer corners should be
done intuitively, not by learning algorithms. To get you started, here's a step-by-step example of one
way to insert a first layer corner.

Step 1

Step 2

The blue/red/white
corner is sitting in the
bottom layer (the blue
part is facing the bottom
so we can't see it in this
picture). Turn the blue
face 90 degrees counterclockwise.

Now your cube should

look like this. Move the
D face 90 degrees
counter-clockwise to line
up the blue/white edge
with the blue/white/red
corner.

Step 3

Step 4

Now that the blue/white Now the blue/white/red

edge and the
corner is in its correct
blue/white/red corner
place.
have been lined up, reform the white cross by
turning the blue face 90
degrees clockwise.

Here are some tips for inserting the top layer corners:
Start with a first layer corner that is sitting in the last layer.
If there are multiple first layer corners in the last layer (there usually will be), start with one that
does not have the white part of the corner on the face opposite the white face. Or, if you were
using a different color for the cross ('color X'), start with a corner that does not have the 'color
X' part of the corner on the face opposite the 'color X' face.
When working with a first layer corner piece that is in the first layer (but in the wrong first layer
corner position), you will need to get it out of the first layer into the last layer, then insert it into
the correct first layer corner position. The same principle applies if a first layer corner piece is
in the correct first layer corner position but needs to be flipped around. You need to get it out of
the first layer (i.e. into the last layer), and then re-insert it into the first layer the correct way
around.
This is what the first layer should look like when finished.

The Middle Layer

The middle layer consists of one stage:
1. Insert the 4 middle layer edges (each edge is inserted individually).
You only need to learn one algorithm (plus the mirror algorithm) for the second layer. There are many
more algs, but let's just learn the essential one first.
First, locate a middle layer edge that is currently sitting in the last layer. I'm going to use the blue/red
edge for this example.

This blue edge cubie in the last layer is the blue/red edge cubie.

In this picture, U=white, L=red and F=blue. We can't see the other three faces, but obviously the R
face is the one opposite the L face, the D face is opposite the U face and the B face is opposite the F
face.
Now, position the blue/red edge piece so that the color on the side of the cube (blue in this case) lines
up with it's center. Now perform the following algorithm: D L D' L' D' F' D F
If the blue/red edge piece was flipped the other way so that the blue was on the bottom rather than the
red, you would position the cubie under the red center and perform the following alg: D' F' D F D L
D' L'. This is the mirror of the previous algorithm. The axis of symmetry lies diagonally across the
white face, and along the line which divides the blue face and the red face.
What if the edge piece is not in the last layer?
The instructions above assume that the middle layer edge piece you are
inserting is sitting somewhere in the last layer.
If some middle edges are in the last layer and some are in the middle
layer in the wrong spot, always start working with the edge pieces that
are in the last layer. After you've done this, sometimes (but not too
often) you'll be left with a middle layer edge piece that's in the middle
layer but in the wrong spot. In this situation, you can use the same
middle layer algorithms from above (D L D' L' D' F' D F or D' F' D F
D L D' L') to insert another edge piece into the middle layer edge
position, thereby knocking the middle layer edge piece out of its spot
and into the last layer. Once you've done this, the middle layer edge
piece is in the last layer and you can deal with it in the usual way.

The red/blue middle

layer edge piece is in the
middle layer but not
oriented correctly. It
needs to be moved to the
last layer, then put back
into the middle layer in
the right way.

There is a short-cut to this problem, but as this is a beginner solution

with minimal memorization, I haven't included it here.
The Last Layer
The last layer ("LL") is done in 2 steps, each with two sub-steps, meaning 4 total steps:
1. Orientation of the Last Layer ("OLL")
a. Orient the edges (2 algs) - i.e. form a cross on the D face.
b. Orient the corners (2 algs) - i.e. flip the corners
2. Permutation of the Last Layer ("PLL")
a. Permute the corners (1 alg) - i.e. get the corners in the correct position in 3D space
b. Permute the edges (1 alg + inverse) - i.e. swap the edges around. The cube will then be
solved! :)
All last layer algorithms are performed with the cross (i.e. the first layer - white side in this example)
on the bottom.

Orienting the LL Edges

Once you have completed the first two layers ("F2L"), hold the cube so that the white side is on the
bottom. The white side will be on the bottom for the remainder of the solution. This means that the
white side is the D side for all last layer algorithms.
On my cube, white is opposite yellow, therefore yellow is the U face for all last layer algorithms on my
cube. Note that your cube may have a different color opposite white (e.g. blue). Now have a look at
your last layer, and in particular, look at the last layer face - there are 4 possible patterns of LL edges
that you may see.

State 1

State 2

State 3

State 4

Unlike with the initial cross (where all the edges must match up with the white center and with the
centers on the middle layer), here all you need to worry about is getting all the last layer edges
matching up with the last layer center. It doesn't matter if the other color on the LL edge piece does not
match up with the color on the middle layer center. Also, ignore the LL corners too. It doesn't matter
what they are doing at the moment. Now, let's consider each of these LL edge states separately.
State 1
All the edges are already oriented correctly. Move on to orienting the corners.
State 2
We are going to re-orient our faces for this algorithm. The face you are looking directly
at in this picture is now the U face (it was the D face for when you were doing the
second layer edges). Perform the following algorithm: F U R U' R' F'
State 3
As with State 2, the face you are looking directly at in this picture is now the U face.
Perform the following algorithm: F R U R' U' F'
State 4
State 4 is really a combination of States 2 and 3, so all you need to do is perform the
algorithm for either State 2 or State 3. Once you've done this, you'll see that your LL
edges now look like State 2 or State 3, so just perform the appropriate algorithm and you
will have a cross on the LL.

Orienting the LL Corners

There are 8 possible orientation states for the LL corners. One is where all 4 corners are correctly
oriented. The other 7 look like this.

State 1

State 2

State 3

State 4

State 5

State 6

State 7

State 1. Twisting three corners counter-clockwise

R' U' R U' R' U2 R
This algorithm is known as the Anti-Sune.
State 2. Twisting three corners clockwise
R U R' U R U2 R'
This algorithm is known as the Sune.
States 3-7
Once you know the algorithms for States 1 and 2, you can solve any LL orientation State. The
remaining States can be oriented using a maximum of 2 algorithms. You will need to do one of the
following (i) the State 1 algorithm twice, (ii) the State 2 algorithm twice, (iii) the State 1 algorithm,
then the State 2 algorithm, or (iv) the State 2 algorithm, then the State 1 algorithm.

State 3: Sune, then Anti-Sune (R U R' U R U2 R', then R' U' R U' R' U2 R)

State 4: Sune, U2, Anti-Sune (R U R' U R U2 R', U2, R' U' R U' R' U2 R)

State 5: Sune, U, Anti-Sune (R U R' U R U2 R', U, R' U' R U' R' U2 R)

State 6: Sune, U', Sune (R U R' U R U2 R', U', R U R' U R U2 R')

State 7: Sune x2 (R U R' U R U2 R') x2

Permuting the LL Corners

The two possible states are:
two adjacent LL corners need to be swapped; or
two diagonal LL corners need to be swapped.
These are the only two possible states. If you cannot identify one of these two states with your LL
corners then one or more of the following must be true:

You have not finished the F2L.

Someone has ripped out a corner of your cube and put it in the wrong way.
Someone has ripped off some of your stickers and put them back in the wrong place.
You are not looking hard enough. ;)

Swapping adjacent corners

Hold the cube with the white side on the bottom, and the two corners to be swapped are in the front
right top and the back right top positions. Perform the following algorithm: L U' R' U L' U2 R U' R'
U2 R. This algorithm is known as the L Perm. It swaps the UFR and UBR corners and the UR and UB
edges. You do not need to worry about how the edges move around in this step because you will be
solving the edges in the next step anyway.
Swapping diagonal corners
Swapping diagonal corners can be done by executing the adjacent corner swap algorithm twice.
Perform it once to swap any two LL corners. Re-examine the cube and you'll see that now there are just
two LL corners that need to be swapped. Position it correctly for the final LL adjacent corner swap and
perform the LL adjacent corner swap algorithm.

Permuting the LL Edges

There are 5 possible permutation states for the LL edges. One is where all 4 edges are correctly
permuted. The other 4 look like this.
(see next page)

State 1

State 2

State 4

State 3

R U' R U R U R U' R'

Apply the algorithm for
U' R2
either State 1 or State 2.
Re-examine your cube
This
is
the
Ub
Perm.
It's
and it will now look like
This is the Ua Perm. It
just the Ua Perm
State 1 or State 2.
cycles 3 edges
backwards.
It
cycles
3
clockwise:
edges counter-clockwise:
UL>UF>UR
UR>UF>UL

R2 U R U R' U' R' U'

R' U R'

Apply the algorithm for

either State 1 or State 2.
Re-examine your cube
and it will now look like
State 1 or State 2.

And that's all you need to know to solve the Rubik's Cube! With practice, you should be able to
achieve times of 60 seconds (or faster) using this method. Once your comfortable with this method and
want to learn more, take a look at the following section.

Next Steps
If this beginner method is too easy and boring for you then check out the following.
http://cubeflip.webs.com/solutionsdownloads.htm

James Hamory's Intermediate and Advanced solutions

http://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Wikipedia for cubing? Very helpful.

http://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Competitions_General
Cube Association) Rubik's Cube Competitions!

Information about Official WCA (World

Celebrate your cubing success!

When you are confident that you can solve the cube by yourself, time yourself so you can keep track of
your progress.

Last edited 9/03/12