by Miss Gordon
Hello, everyone, and welcome to this easy-to-follow tutorial on solving a Rubik's Cube!
This tutorial, presented on this website, will guide you through solving a 3x3 Rubik's Cube in just 8 steps.
Videos can be found on our YouTube playlist and this introduction video found here.
Are you ready to start? I hope so! Remember, mistakes are a natural part of learning, so don't worry if something doesn't make sense right away. Feel free to ask me at the next club or check with your friends, they might be able to guide you to the answer.
Let's begin our journey to understanding and solving the 3x3 Rubik's Cube!
Cube Pieces
The Rubik's Cube consists of three types of pieces, each with a different number of sides or colors:
- Middle pieces: These have only one side/color and determine the color of the corresponding face.
- Edge pieces: These have two sides/colors and connect two faces.
- Corner pieces: These have three sides/colors and connect three faces.
Cube Layers
The cube is divided into three layers:
Top layer: For most of the solving process, this will be the yellow face. It’s referred to as UP (U) in algorithms.Middle layer: This layer doesn’t appear in algorithms but must be solved.Bottom layer: For most of the solving process, this will be the white face. Like the middle layer, it doesn’t appear in algorithms but must be solved.Rotation for Algorithms
For algorithms, we observe the clockwise and anticlockwise movement of the side we are addressing. Clockwise movement is denoted by the letter of the side (e.g., L for the left side), and anticlockwise movement is denoted by the letter followed by an apostrophe (e.g., L').
L (Left side, clockwise): When turning the left side clockwise, the side moves downward (L).L' (Left side, anticlockwise): When turning the left side anticlockwise, the side moves upward (L).Now that we have a better understanding of the cube, let's move on to solving it.
Find the white edge pieces and arrange them around yellow middle piece. Just like white petals and yellow middle of a daisy.
Locate a white edge piece (one of the petals) and check the colour of the sticker on the other side. Then, rotate the top layer of the cube to align that sticker with the centre piece of the same colour.
Turn twice, rotating the colour side to put colour sticker under the same colour middle piece.
Now you'll have the same colour pieces in the middle and on the edge underneath the middle, and the white side will be on the white face (with the white middle piece).
Repeat with each petal of the daisy to get a white cross on the white face.
Left Trigger - LT is L' U' L
Right Trigger - RT is R U R'
Top Layer, White sticker facing out
When your front face looks like this, perform LT (remember it doesn't have to be green, just all the same colour)
When your front face looks like this, perform RT (remember it doesn't have to be green, just all the same colour)
Bottom Layer, White sticker facing out
When your front face looks like this, perform LT (remember it doesn't have to be green, just all the same colour)
When your front face looks like this, perform RT (remember it doesn't have to be green, just all the same colour)
Top Layer, White sticker facing up
Rotate until the white sticker on the top is exactly above non-white sticker on the white face. Then do LT or RT Twice
Repeat until bottom layer is solved
Look for the edge piece with no yellow sticker.
Match the connected side sticker to it's middle/face.
This will create an upside down T of that colour on the face.
Check which way the top sticker face is....
If it is to the left, rotate the top layer then LT
If it is to the right, rotate the top layer then RT
This will displace a white sticker to the top layer facing out so go to step 3 and fix it.
Repeat until you have no more edge pieces without yellow stickers.
If all your edge pieces on the top layer have yellow stickers (either facing up or facing out) and the second layer is not solved then...
This will misplace a white sticker to the top layer facing out so use step 3 to fix it.
Now you'll have a non yellow piece on the edge of the top layer. Go to step 4 part 1 to place it on the second layer.
Repeat step 4 (parts 1 and 2) until second layer is solved.
Use until you have a yellow cross
How many of the corner pieces have yellow stickers facing up?
0 or 2
Looking at the front, rotate the cube until you the displayed pattern then
R U R' U R U2 R'
1
Rotate the cube to match the displayed pattern, then
R U R' U R U2 R'
You might need to repeat this a few times but you should have the yellow face solved at the end.
Does any side have the corner pieces stickers matching?
NO
L' U R U' L U R'
R U R' U R U2 R'
YES
If needed, rotate the top layer to position the matching corners to its face. Turn the cube so the face with matching coners faces left
L' U R U' L U R'
R U R' U R U2 R'
User the algorithm until all the sides have matching corner piece stickers.
Do you have any faces fully solved?
NO
F2 U' R' L F2 L' R U' F2
YES
Turn the cube so the solved face is at the back/facing away from you. Now check where the middle top layer piece needs to go?
To the left
F2 U R' L F2 L' R U F2
To the right
F2 U' R' L F2 L' R U' F2
Now your cube should be solved
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