video

eliminating U2’

Adventures in Cubing1 Comment

Over the past month or so, I’ve been trying to eliminate U2’ from most algorithms that call for a double-U turn. When I first began cubing, I realized the exact equivalence between a U2 and a U2’ in terms of the position of the cubies. What I didn’t realize was that U2’, in most cases, is more awkward than U2 and often leaves hand/finger positions incompatible with more efficient finger tricks. Also, now that I do double-U flicks with my right hand (while struggling to do double U’ flicks with my left), it’s just a lot slower to do U2’.

This video (and the chart below it) shows that I’ve replaced U2’ in most algorithms, but have purposely left it as U2’ in a couple others:

(cube: Dayan Zhanchi w/ Cube Specialists fitted bright+ stickers)

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Updated V Perm (Multi-Cam)

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V PLL

z D’ R2′ D (R2 U R’) D'(R U’) (R U R’) D (R U’) z’

It’s not weird to have a favorite algorithm, right? I mean, look at unboxing or review videos, and each cuber seems to have a go-to move. For a while now, mine’s been the V Perm — the PLL that (a) swaps opposite corners and (b) swaps the adjacent edges next to them. I hated the V Perm, as I first learned it: R’ U R’ d’ R’ F’ R2 U’ R’ U R’ F R F. That algorithm was clunky, without a good flow.

Enter jskyler91, who posted this “non-standard” V Perm execution, which flows smoothly with no re-grips:

z D’ R2′ D (R2 U R’) D’ (R U’) (R U R’) D (R U’) z’

Since it’s one of the more complicated executions in my repertoire, I thought it would lend itself to a multi-angle video. I did something similar, when I was still learning the algorithm, and I wanted to update it:

(music: “Dinah,” Thelonious Monk (solo); cube: Dayan Zhanchi w/ Cube Specialists fitted bright stickers)

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“Weird” F2L Improved (##11-12, 23-24)

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There are limits to intuitive F2L (so-called). There, I said it. Again. Yes, the concept of pairing edges and corners in the top layer before insertion is elementary, and, in many instances, you can intuit just how to do that — splitting pairs, using empty slots, etc. But the solution to certain cases is far from intuitive. Which is to say that purely intuitive approaches might work, but inefficiently (too many moves, unnecessary cube rotations, etc.).

Cases 23 and 24 are prime examples; their cousins, 11 and 12, are close seconds. Having spent a few days on these four cases (watching videos, looking on the speedsolving wiki, etc.), I found much better solutions than my “intuitive” ones. (With the exception of #23, which I had learned from Andy Klise’s excellent F2L Cheat Sheet.)

The improved cases are demonstrated in the video below and summarized in the chart that follows it. The cube is an F2L Practice Cube, basically a Maru Cx3 with only the bottom two layers stickered. Anyone learning F2L should un-sticker the top layer of a cube to prevent distraction and increase F2L focus.

(music: Budos Band, “Nature’s Wrath”; cube: Maru CX3 w/ stock stickers)

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Backlit Cube – Pitch Black Solve

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Below is a video of a 35-second solve in total darkness. No, not a blind solve. I can’t do that!?! A solve on an LED-backlit cube….

(music: Medeski Martin & Wood, “Uninvisible”)

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Mouse OLLs (##3, 4)

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The Mouse OLLs (##3, 4) are hard. Not so much their execution (certainly the Sexy Move variants aren’t all that bad), but orientation. Where does that corner go? Top-right? Bottom left? And what about that side with just the un-oriented edge? Which is Mouse and which is Anti-?

Having concentrated on these OLLs quite a bit, I now no longer mind them. Here’s a simple table and video tutorial — its soundtrack a tribute to Lou Reed, RIP — followed after the jump by further explanation.

OLL 3 OLL 4 ORIENTATION
SEXY-BASED f (R U R’ U’) f’ (U’)
F (R U R’ U’) F’
oll3-sexy
 f (R U R’ U’) f’ (U)
F (R U R’ U’) F’
oll4-sexy
 oriented corner:
R layer

edge-only face:
F/B layers (not L/R)
SUNE-BASED M (R U R’ U) Rw
U2 Rw’ U M’
oll3-sune		 M U’ Rw U2
Rw’ (U’ R U’ R’) M’
oll4-sune		 oriented corner:
F layer

edge-only face:
L/R layers (not F/B)
(music: in tribute to Lou Reed, Velvet Underground’s “Rock And Roll” performed by Phish on 8.5.11; cubes: white Weilong with Cube Specialists fitted Bright+ stickers, black Zhanchi with Cubicle full-bright stickers)

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