13 Cubers / One Scramble

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Once upon a time, this blog was something other than just a collection of my embedded Youtube videos. In fact, it was more like a repository of neat things related to cubing. Besides acting as an online chronicle of sorts, which is a function I still really dig, I want to steer the blog back to including other content.

This recent Cubing World video is a great excuse to do that. A follow up to last year’s Twelve Cubers, One Scramble video, this one features thirteen fast 3×3 solvers (two the current world record holders) each doing CFOP walk-through solves based on the same scramble:
L2 B' L2 B' D2 B' R2 D2 F2 R2 B' L B' U' R' D' B2 L2 U' B U2

This video is great. As I commented on it, the solves demonstrate really well that solving a cube is not just a robotic application of memorized steps — naysayers’ favorite criticism. No doubt there is a formulaic element of “see X and apply Y,” especially at the OLL and PLL stages. But the amount of variation in these walk-throughs showcases the high degree of analysis, problem solving, and creativity that go into a really good solve. And these are no lackeys. That some of the best cubers in the world each approached the same scramble differently is a testament to the deep complexity of the cube.

From Alexander Lau’s Roux and Phil Yu’s ZZ mind-benders to Justin Mallari’s impressive dexterity and finger tricks to Feliks’ and Mats’ always brilliant solves, the video is riddled with nuggets of awesome tricks and techniques to study. I can watch these over and over again…and have!

Fung OLLs (##39-40)

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The two “Fung” OLLs — the large “square” lighting bolts — each have an occurrence probability of 1/54, and together 1/27 (3.7%). They seem to appear more often for me; I would have guessed more like 1/15. Whatever the frequency, it was time to learn these.

OLL #39
(Fung)

f’ L F L’ U’ L’ U L S

setup: L U F’ U’ L’ U L F L’

OLL #40
(Anti-Fung)

f R’ F’ R U R U’ R’ S’

setup: (R’ U’) F U (R U’ R’) F’ R

The standard algs for these didn’t flow very well for me. Digging a bit deeper, I found the alternate ones with the S moves to be easy and regrip-less. Here’s a video tutorial:

(puzzle: Maru CX3 w/ stock stickers)

Continue reading →

Google Doodle, Hot Mic

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Today, Google marked the 40th Anniversary of the Rubik’s Cube with an interactive doodle. Super fun.

I noticed the doodle late last night, but grew frustrated when, like a name-brand Rubik’s cube, it didn’t seem to do easily what my fingers (by way of the mouse) wanted it to do. Trying again with more patience, I got the hang of it and recorded a fun solve taking 2:16, about 4 times longer than my average solve time for (real) cubes.

Hilariously/disturbingly, in so doing, I also joined the list of folks with open/live/hot mic slip-ups — when I didn’t realize until the very end that my Snowball iCE mic was still plugged in. So, yeah, I apparently mutter to myself when I solve, narrating as I go. Awesome.


Not quite as sloppy as Obama’s “last election” comment to Medvedev; as embarrassing as Jesse Jackson’s on Obama; as noteworthy as Bush on the NYTimes; as potentially calamitous as Reagan joking that “we begin bombing in five minutes“; nor as, uh, interesting as Donald Sterling’s. But still pretty funny, especially when I discover the hot mic at the very end of the video.

I generally don’t audbily talk myself through solves. I think it was just the awkwardness of solving through a mouse on a screen…. You can hear my frustration when I got cases with algorithms that would be clunky virtually — and can even hear me grab a Zhanchi when I got halfway through the R PLL, helping transfer muscle memory into mouse clicks.

Great doodle, Google. Thanks for marking the day!

1-Second Sidewinder (OLL #25)

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OLL #25
(Sidewinder)

(R’ F) (R B’) (R’ F’) (R B)

setup: L F R’ F’ L’ F R F’

I’m fairly meticulous when it comes to learning new algorithms, especially OLLs. My first stop is usually the speedsolving wiki OLL page. But beware: Rarely is the first algorithm for each case the best. The most common or most obvious, perhaps. But rarely the best.

Such was definitely the case with the Sidewinder (OLL 25). The first algorithm listed required a four-move setup, two Sexy Moves, and then a closing three-move trigger. The second one is equally clunky. But then the third is short and sweet. It starts with a y2, but that’s not really any different than just treating a different orientation as “home” for the case. After a few minutes of experimenting, it became obvious that the third option was the most efficient, lending itself to easy finger tricks. Continue reading →

Cubing Through China (34.1 Ao10)

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Badly jetlagged from my trip, I had thrown together pretty hastily the preview of my video with 10 solves across 10 unique locations in China. Somewhat better rested now, I pieced together the footage into a (long) video clocking it with an Ao10 of 34.1 seconds. I think that’s my best on camera average, and not bad considering that I was fighting exhaustion the whole trip.

(cube: Moyu Weilong with Cube Specialists fitted Bright+ stickers)

Bad lighting notwithstanding, the video and solves aren’t half bad. Continue reading →