zhanchi

three sub-minute solves (on video)

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After achieving two sub-minute personal bests last week, I feared that they perhaps were flukes.  The off-camera aspect irked me, as well.  So, donning the GoPro, I gave it another shot last night and logged three sub-minute solves:

At 52, 58, and 58 seconds, these were the best 3 of 5 — after tossing out a sixth lucky solve (with OLL solving the cube completely).  I wound up with a 60.8 second 5-solve average.  I actually was on pace for a sub-50 solve when my F-II popped.  Bummer.  All three recorded solves were on a sticklerless Dayan Zhanchi.

Soundtrack by the John Coltrane Quartet (“Afro Blue” from Live at Birdland) — with McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and Jimmy Garrison, one of jazz’ all-time great lineups. Continue reading →

two sub-minute solves (personal bests)

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Lately, my morning routine at work (about 7:20-7:25) has me shaking off the cobwebs with a freshly-brewed dopio and a couple cube solves.  I haven’t timed myself in a couple weeks, as I’ve concentrated instead on more advanced techniques.  But, for some reason this morning, I decided to load cubetimer.com.  Suddenly, I logged my two personal bests:

I first logged a 52-second solve with a black Dayan Zhanchi, shaving a full 17 seconds of my previous record.  Then, pressing my luck, I logged a 58-second solve on a stickerless Dayan LunHui (my new favorite cube).

These were using the advanced cross technique about which I just wrote, but otherwise basic Beginner’s Method.  No F2L.

steady progress

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Having never solved a cube before, I was STOKED to get an on-camera, cheat-sheet-free solve last week [link].  While I remain convinced that, on a percentage basis, only a small sliver of the population can even solve a cube — and an even smaller population learned well after their brain atrophied and petrified post-adolescence — the competitive part of me can’t help but want to improve my solve time.  There are more advanced and more efficient techniques out there, and I hope to tackle them at some point.  And certainly my mechanics can use some work.

The number one tip on every speed-solving site and tutorial is…PRACTICE!  And so I have practiced.  A lot.  Lo and behold, I’ve made remarkable progress.  Indeed, today’s 1:46 (my personal best) means that I’ve shaved 71% off that 6-minute first timed solve!

Here are videos capturing my progress:

2:30 (Dec 1)

1:58 (Dec 3)

1:46 (Dec 4)

While I take credit for most of the progress, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that migrating from a Rubik’s-branded cube to a more advanced speed cube made a difference.  These solves are on a white Dayan Zhanchi, which moves effortlessly, corners well, and does not lock-up.  No wonder it was Feliks’ cube of choice for that fateful, world record setting 5.66 second solve.

REVISIONIST HISTORY: Although I posted this after my inaugural post, I’ve pre-dated it to keep things chronological.