Rubik's Cube #2: The Solution

Here is the solution is in 5 steps. If not already, read part 1 first or this won't make any sense! The first step is to do the 4 top edges: TF, TR, TL, and TP. Try to solve it yourself with just knowing the basics and terminology first! The solution then moves downward, 4 cubits at a time. Solve each step in order and do each step several times before going to the next one, unless you just want to solve the cube and display it. Don't memorize it immediately except Step 1 which is considered very easy. When your ready to go to the next step, read it all before doing it with your cube.

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STEP 1: Top Edges ~ TF, TR, TL, TP



A.	Find the desired cue that is not correctly positioned

	and move the cube so that it belongs at the TF

	position.  Rotate a face to move the cubit to the B

	face.  Rotate the B face so it is at the BF position.

	If you displaced a correctly positioned	cubit, move

	it back now.  F2.  It is now correctly positioned.



B.	If the desired cubit isn't correctly orientated, do

	the following: F-  T+  L-  T-



This is a verbose way how to solve the top edges!  If you

understand the terminology but don't know the 'why', observe

what you are doing. Do not go to Step 2 until you think the

above is stupid!  For one, figure out how to correctly

position and orientate a cubit at the same time.  This can be

done in 3 moves (4 if you need to put a cubit back in

position).  Think ahead... don't drop the cubit to the B face

if you can position it without doing that.



Master this without referring to this step before continuing!

The steps will get harder and harder, and you should do this

step intuitively.







STEP 2: Top Corners ~ FRT, FLT, TRP, TLP



A.	Find an incorrectly position corner cubit.  If on the

	T face,	move the cube so the corner cube is in the

	FRT position and do the following to move it to the B

	face: R-  B+  R+



B	If on the B face, with the correct position at FRT,

	rotate the B face so the corner cube is at BFR.



C	If the T color is on the B face do this to orientate

	it: R-  B2  R+  B+



D.	If the T color is on the R face: R-  B-  R+

E.	If the T color is on the F face: F-  B+  F+



Start with the corner cubits on the B face with the T color

not on the B face.  That way the others may move to the B

face or get orientated, saving you some moves.  Note there is

no real orientation moves except the third part of this step.

If you have to orientate a correctly orientated cubit, just

use one of the last two moves to move it down and then again

to send it back up.



The top third is now solved!  This step is fairly easy to

memorize and if you just want to brag about one side solved,

go ahead and do this. It will actually make Step 3 easier.

You don't have to do this yet though.  Step 3 is considered

moderately difficult to memorize.







Step 3: Middle Edges ~ FR, FL, RP, LP



            Seq BF: B-  R-  B+  R+  B+  F+  B-  F-

            Seq BR: B+  F+  B-  F-  B-  R-  B+  R+



A.  	Look for an edge cube on the B face that belongs on

	the equator.  With the correct position at FR, rotate

	the B face till the edge cubit is at BF (if the F

	color is on the F face in this position) or BR (if

	the R color is on the R face in this position).  Do

	one of the above sequences, depending on where the

	cubit is.



B  	If there is none on the B face but there is

	incorrectly positioned/orientated cubits on the

	equator, just place it on the FR position and do

	either of the two sequences (skipping the B- or B+ of

	course!) to move it to the B face.



Two thirds done!  Now comes the most difficult two steps!







Step 4:  Bottom Edges ~ BFL, BFR, BRP, BLP



       Switch: R-  B-  R+  F+  B+  F-  R-  B+  R+  B2

    Orientate: R-  B-  R+  B-  R-  B2  R+  B2



A.  	Rotate the B face till you know you have the most

	correctly positioned cubits possible.  Use the switch

	sequence above to switch the BFL and BFR cubits if

	needed.



B.  	Correctly positioned, there is 7 patterns.  The

	'best' two have	only one correctly orientated cubit

	at the BFL position.  Do the orientate sequence once

	or twice to get them all correctly orientated; the

	second one results in the other 'best' pattern.  The

	others will result in one of the 'best' patterns.

	Since I lost Nourse's booklet, I'll leave it up to

	you to figure out which of the remaining 5 should be

	the F face!



Almost there!  Note you can skip the B2 in the above

sequences to save a move.  On the next step, parenthesis are

used to help you better visualize the moves.







Step 5:  Bottom Edges ~ BT, BR, BL, BP



       Position: 	(L- R+)  F+  (L+ R-)  B2

                    (L- R+)  F+  (L+ R-)



      Orientate:	(L- R+)  F+  (L+ R-)  B-  (L- R+)  F-

                    (L+ R-)  B-  (L- R+)  F2  (L+ R-)



A	If there is no correctly positioned cubits, use the

	position sequence to get one correctly positioned.



B	If there is 1 correctly positioned, at BF, use the

	position sequence once or twice to get them all

	positioned.



C	Now there is three patterns if not solved.  1)  All

	cubes not orientated, "Checker".  2)  Two not

	orientated at BF and BP, "H".  3)  Two not orientated

	at BL and BP, "Best".  Doing Orientate then position

	(also with the correct cubit at BF) will make pattern

	#3 with the other two.  With pattern #3, the cube

	will be solved!



That's it!  Note how the position sequence work.  This moves

all but the BF cubits clockwise.  If you need to move it

counter-clockwise, substitute F- for F+ and save yourself

from doing the sequence again.