Rubik’s Cube Basics.
Using orange as the “top” make a plus sign
- there’s no magic to that
- in this example, when the top is orange, the bottom is red
Next: Turn the top layer so that the middle pieces line up with the second layer
- there will always be at least two that just work
- select one of the ‘bad’ sides as the face and turn it twice
- focus on the centre piece
- turn the bottom layer so that the desired middle piece matches the center piece
- turn the face twice to return the orange piece to the top
- turn the bottom layer to align the final middle/center combo and turn that face up
Now you have the cross on top with top-layer-middle and centre pieces lined up
Next: Fill in the top corner pieces
- Being careful to get the orange top and the side colour to match the side centre
- turn the face once, then the bottom layer, then return the face to ensure you don’t lose the centre/top-middle matching
Now you have the top layer complete and sides lined up with the corresponding centre piece
Next: Complete the second layer by moving the appropriate middle piece up to the correct side
- find the middle piece on the bottom layer that has no red
- turn the bottom layer so the middle piece matches a centre piece
- the colour on the bottom becomes the face
- turn the bottom layer CounterClockwise (CC) once so the piece goes to the back
- turn the face Clockwise (C ) once so the orange row is on the right
- turn the bottom layer C once so one orange piece comes to the face
- turn the face CC to return the two orange pieces to the top
- turn the bottom layer C twice so the one orange is at the back
- turn the right side once so the orange pieces come down to the face
- turn the bottom layer C twice so the orange piece comes back to the face and lines up with the other two orange pieces
- turn the right side back up so the orange line is on top again
- voila the middle piece is moved up to the second layer, in position
- repeat until second row is complete
- if the bottom colour matches a centre piece that is on the left side once in position, then flip the instructions left/right, CC/C
Now you have the top two layers complete.
Next: Align the bottom layer corner pieces
- there will always be two that are ‘correct’
- ‘correct’ at this point just means that the three colours on the piece match the bottom and two sides, it doesn’t have to be oriented properly yet
If the two correct pieces are on the diagonals
- orient the face so the ‘wrong’ one is bottom right
- turn the right side down once so the orange row is on the face
- turn the bottom layer C once
- return the right side up
- turn the face C once
- turn the bottom layer twice
- turn the face CC once to return the two orange to the top
- turn the right side down so the two orange are on the face again
- turn the bottom layer CC once so the orange row is restored on the face
- turn the right side back up
- turn the bottom layer C once to align the corners with the correct colours
If the two correct pieces are on the same side
- orient the cube so the ‘wrong’ ones are on the face
- turn the right side down once so the orange row is on the face
- turn the bottom layer C once
- return the right side up
- turn the face C once
- turn the bottom layer CC once
- turn the face CC once to return the two orange to the top
- turn the right side down so the two orange are on the face again
- turn the bottom layer CConce so the orange row is restored on the face
- turn the right side back up
- turn the bottom layer C twice to align the corners with the correct colours
Now you have the corners in the correct positions
Next: rotate the bottom corner pieces so the colours match
- orient the cube so that if there are three red on bottom, the diagonal line moves from bottom left to top right
- orient the cube so that there are red pieces on the corners of the face
- orient the cube so that if there is no diagonal, the corner red piece on the bottom is top left
- turn the right side down once so the orange row is on the face
- turn the bottom layer C once
- return the right side up
- turn the bottom layer C once to move the one orange to the back
- turn the right side down so the two orange are on the face again
- turn the bottom layer C twice so the orange row is restored on the face
- turn the right side back up
- turn the bottom layer C twice to align the corners with the correct colours
- repeat until corners are correct
Now you have the top two layers and bottom corners complete
Next: Solve the cube
Move #1
- orient the cube so that if there is one side where the middle piece has the correct colour on the bottom, that is the face
- orient the cube so that if one side is complete, that is the face
- turn both sides up
- turn face CC once, so single orange is on the right
- return both sides back down
- turn bottom layer twice
- turn both sides up
- turn bottom layer CC once
- turn both sides back down
Move #2
- orient the cube so that if two adjacent sides are complete, one is on the right and the other is the face
- turn both sides up
- turn face C once, so single orange is on the right
- turn both sides back down
- turn the bottom layer C once so the single orange is on the front
- turn both sides up
- turn face CC once
- turn both sides back down
- turn the bottom layer CC
- turn both sides up
- turn face twice
- turn both sides back down
- then do move #1 until the cube is solved
Move #3
- orient the cube so that if two opposite sides are complete, one of the other sides is the face
- turn both sides up
- turn face C once
- turn both sides back down
- turn the bottom layer CC once so the single orange is on the back
- turn both sides up
- turn the bottom layer CC once
- turn both sides back down
- turn the bottom layer CC once so the single orange is on the left
- turn both sides up
- turn the bottom layer twice, so you skip past the solid orange row this first time
- turn both sides back down
- turn the bottom layer CC once so the single orange is on the back
- turn both sides up
- turn the bottom layer CC once
- turn both sides back down
- turn the bottom layer CC once so the single orange is on the left
- turn both sides up
- turn the bottom layer CC once so the orange row is lined up
- turn both sides back down to solve cube