I feel like I’m starting to hit a new groove. After mastering the Beginner’s Method a couple months ago, I’ve slowly embraced more complicated techniques (read: time-savers). First, it was the advanced cross technique, which I learned quickly but at which I’m still slower than I ought to be. Then it was a month of intuitive F2L. I’ve got that mostly down, with a couple non-intuitive cases still a challenge. Lately, I’ve been jazzed to learn a few more OLL/PLL algorithms. Each expands the toolbox and introduces more efficiency. Last week, it was H and Z PLL perms. This week, it’s OLL 6 (aka, The Sidewinder).
tutorials
learning the H and Z perms
A few days ago, Deadesq (AIC’s first guest blogger) mentioned to me that he was looking for a more efficient solution to the four-headlight situation. By four headlights, he meant the situation in which, after applying the Beginner’s Method PLL corner permutations, you’re left with all four faces having headlights — with no fully solved side face. As I described in my tutorial, in that situation, the Beginner’s Method requires applying the PLL edge permutation algorithm twice in a row. Although I can do that quickly, it’s still not as quick as a single permutation. Enter H and Z perms…. Continue reading
Tough F2L Cases
PSA: This is a very old post, written just as I had begun to tackle F2L. Although my F2L is now much better, these cases remain hard. I’ve addressed these cases a few times since, with more robust analysis and improved algs — e.g., here, here, and here.
So, I’ve been working hard on F2L. Refusing to memorize algorithms, and heeding expert advice, I’ve concentrated on learning it “intuitively” or “organically.” While most of the cases feel instinctive at this point, there are a handful whose solution feels slightly less intuitive. This tutorial is a sort of personal dumping ground and cheat sheet for the cases I find toughest. I’ll add cases as they come up for me.
The basic solutions come from Badmephisto’s F2L cheat sheet, with some small tweaks to personalize them into my solving technique. As always, the visual diagrams come from Conrad Rider’s fantastic Visual Cube generator. Continue reading
The Most Spectacular, Stupendous, Sweeping, Slick, Straightforward Rubik’s Cube Tutorial the Web Has Ever Known (and Likely Ever Will Know) – Part 4 (Completing the Cube)
NOTICE: WORK IN PROGRESS. THIS POST AND OTHER PARTS OF THE TUTORIAL ARE STILL BEING CONCEIVED, WRITTEN, AND SPRUCED UP. YOUR PATIENCE WHILE THE HAMSTERS REST IS APPRECIATED.
Beginner’s Guide
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
STEP 4: Permuting the Last Layer (PLL)
The good student you are, you’ve now studied the Cross, First Two Layers, and OLL Beginner’s Method tutorials. If you followed them closely, your cube should like this. The bottom face should be all white, the top face should be all yellow, and the first two layers should be solved. The last layer, indicated in gray, is likely to be a bit jumbled. (There is a 1/16 chance that the previous OLL step actually solved the cube completely.)
The goal in this last step is to orient (“permute,” in cube-speak) the last layer pieces into the correct positions without disturbing the top face, bottom face, or first two layers. Continue reading
The Most Spectacular, Stupendous, Sweeping, Slick, Straightforward Rubik’s Cube Tutorial the Web Has Ever Known (and Likely Ever Will Know) – Part 3 (Complete Top Face)
NOTICE: WORK IN PROGRESS. THIS POST AND OTHER PARTS OF THE TUTORIAL ARE STILL BEING CONCEIVED, WRITTEN, AND SPRUCED UP. YOUR PATIENCE WHILE THE HAMSTERS REST IS APPRECIATED.
Beginner’s Guide
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
STEP 3: Orienting the Last Layer (OLL)
So, you’ve pored over my Cross and First Two Layer tutorials, and have successfully made your cube look like this? Well done! Believe it or not, you’ve done the hardest parts. The next steps of completing the top face (OLL) and then correctly permuting the pieces to complete the top layer (PLL) are significantly easier. They require a bit more memorization. But don’t be intimidated. I had thought that I’d never memorize these algorithms. Now, just three months later, they are so much a part of my muscle memory that it was actually hard for me to slow down to transcribe them.
With the bottom face all white and next two layers solved, we know all of the pieces in the top layer will have yellow on them. In this step, Continue reading
adventures in cubing 