This tutorial describes a simple beginner method for solving the Rubik's cube, requiring memorisation of only one short algorithm. The tutorial is designed for complete cubing beginners. It requires no pre-existing knowledge of the Rubik's cube or any understanding of algorithm notation. Everything is explained in english. The general concept for this method comes from a method called 8355, but there are some modifications to improve ease of learning.
The method is based on a short algorithm called the sexy move. In algorithm notation, the sexy move is R U R' U'. This translates into plain English as:
Rotate the right layer 90° clockwise.
Rotate the top layer 90° clockwise.
Rotate the right layer 90° anticlockwise.
Rotate the top layer 90° anticlockwise.
Rotate the top layer 90° clockwise.
Rotate the right layer 90° anticlockwise.
Rotate the top layer 90° anticlockwise.
The Steps
Cross
3x Middle Layer Edges
3x Bottom Layer Corners
3x Top Layer Edges
Final Two Edges
3x More Corners
Final two corners
Terms used:
- edgeA piece with two stickers. It is solved when both stickers match their neighbouring centre pieces.
- cornerA piece with three stickers.
- sideAny face which is not the top or bottom face.
- frontThe front face of the cube is taken to be the vertical face closest to the solver.
Cross
Solve 4 bottom layer edges by repeating these steps:
- Look in the top layer for an edge which belongs in the bottom layer. Twist the top layer until one of the edge's stickers matches a side's centre sticker.
If the side's centre sticker and matching edge sticker are next to each other, then twist the side 180° Otherwise twist the side 90° Now repeat this step for another edge. If there are no bottom layer edges in the top layer, go to step #2. - Look in the bottom layer for an edge which belongs in the bottom layer but is not solved.
Twist the side containing the edge by 180° to move it into the top layer. Now go back to step #1. If there are no unsolved bottom layer edges in the bottom layer, go to step #3. - Look in the middle layer for an edge which belongs in the bottom layer.
Turn a side by 90° so that the edge moves into the top layer with its bottom face sticker in the top face. Rotate the top layer and then undo the side turn.
Now go back to step #1.
3x Middle Layer Edges
Look in the top layer for an edge which belongs in the middle layer. Look at edge's side-facing sticker. Find the side on the cube with the same colour of sticker in the centre.
| If the edge is positioned within the side, twist the top layer to move it away. |
| Turn the side 90° so that a bottom layer edge moves into the position that the middle layer edge will occupy when solved. |
| Now rotate the top layer so that the middle layer edge moves into the side which was just turned. |
| Undo the side turn. |
If no middle layer edges are in the top layer, then move an unsolved middle layer edge into the top layer by turning a side-face 90°. Now rotate the top layer and then undo the turn on the side-face.
3x Bottom Layer Corners
Keeping the cross in the bottom layer, rotate the cube so that the last unsolved middle layer edge is in the front-right. If all the edges in the middle layer are solved, hold the cube with any middle layer edge in the front right.
Look in the top layer for a corner which belongs in the bottom layer, but not directly below the front-right position.
| Rotate the top layer so that the corner is in the front-right position. |
| Now rotate the bottom layer, so that the place where the corner belongs is also in the front-right position. |
| Now repeat the sexy move until the corner is correctly in position in the bottom layer. |
If there are no bottom layer corners in the top layer, then rotate the bottom layer until an unsolved corner is in the front-right position. Do the sexy move once. The corner will now be in the top layer.
3x Top Layer Edges
Rotate the top layer to align the side-facing stickers of as many top layer edges as possible. Always do this before inserting an edge, to check which edges are still unsolved.
Look at the top layer edge in the front-right of the middle layer. Imagine the 90° side turn which will place it into the top layer with the correct sticker facing up, taking a note of where it will be placed.
| Rotate the top layer so that the edge will be placed into its correct position when the side turn is made. |
| Do the 90° side turn. |
| Rotate the top layer to replace it with another unsolved edge. |
| Undo the side turn. |
If there is no top layer edge in the front-right position of the middle layer: Turn the right face 90° clockwise. Rotate the top layer to place an unsolved edge in the top-right position. Undo the turn on the right face.
Final Two Edges
There are four possible scenarios:
- You're lucky and all the edges are solved! Go to the next step.
- The fourth top layer edge is in place, but flipped:
Turn a side face to move the unsolved middle layer edge into the top layer. Rotate the top layer so that the flipped top layer edge replaces the middle layer edge. Undo the side turn. Now solve the edge as before and the final two edges will fall into place. - The fourth top layer edge is in the front-right of the middle layer, and can be placed by turning the right face:
Turn the top face so that the unsolved edge is in the top-front. Do the sexy move once. Now solve the same way as before and the final two edges will fall into place. - The fourth top layer edge is in the front-right of the middle layer, and can be placed by turning the front face:
Rotate the cube so that the unsolved middle-layer edge is in the front left. Turn the top face so that the unsolved edge is in the top-front. Turn the front face 180°. Do the sexy move once. Undo the 180° turn on the front face. Now solve the same way as before and the final two edges will fall into place.
3x More Corners
Flip the cube over so that the top layer is now the bottom layer . Now rotate the cube so that the single unsolved corner in the new top-layer is in the front-right position. If it happens that all corners in the top layer are solved, just pick any corner. From now on the cube should not be rotated under any circumstances. Follow these steps:
Look at the corner in the front-right of the top layer. If it does not belong in the bottom layer , do the sexy move once and a bottom layer corner will move into that position. Look at the bottom layer corner in the front-right of the top layer.
Rotate the bottom layer so that the position the corner belongs in is also in the front-right.Repeat the sexy move until the corner is correctly in position in the bottom layer. After doing this the top layer will probably look scrambled - don't worry that's supposed to happen! - Repeat steps 1 to 3 until there is only 1 unsolved corner left in the bottom layer.
At this point the top layer probably still looks scrambled. To unscramble it, rotate the bottom layer to position the final unsolved corner in the front-right. This time, repeat the sexy move until the top layer looks mostly solved again. If you're lucky the cube will now be solved completely, but normally there will be two unsolved corners remaining.
Before moving onto the final stage, ensure the last unsolved corner in the bottom layer is still in the front-right position. Do not align this layer until the end of the solve.
Final two corners
These are solved in a similar way to the first three. First rotate the cube so that the final two unsolved corners are in the bottom layer, occupying the front-left and front-right positions. Again, do not rotate the cube during these steps:
- Do the sexy move until the front-right corner in the bottom layer is solved.
- Turn the bottom layer to position the last unsolved corner in the front-right.
- Repeat step #1.
Align the layers to complete the solve.
If you're now holding a solved cube, congratulations!
Last updated: 12th February 2011
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