How To Solve A Rubik's Cube!

Picture of How To Solve A Rubik's Cube!
This instructable will teach YOU how to solve a Rubik's cube!



1 Rubik's Cube
1 Good Memory (if you want to impress people)
1 Sack Load of Patience


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Pretty much just scramble up the cube.


Step 2: Solving the top corners

Picture of Solving the top corners
So, what you want to do now is solve the top corners.
-Pick your favorite color (I always use blue, some use white, it really doesn't matter)
-Locate one of the corners
-Make it so that your favorite color (we'll use blue from now on) is facing upwards and that the other two colors on the corner piece are on the side of the cube. (You can just rotate the cube so that the blue part is facing up)

-Rotate the cube so that the first blue piece you found is in the top-left hand corner
-Find another Blue corner piece, this time with one of the same "side colors" as the first one you picked (In my case red or white)
- Get your target (new) corner piece right under where you want it to go by rotating the bottom or side rows or columns, keeping the original piece in the top left hand corner, then follow the steps in the pictures until you have all four top corners solved!

As for notation, a capital letter by itself represents a 90 degrees clockwise turn if you were looking at the face itself.
For Example: U means turn the top layer 90 clockwise as if you were looking at it, or to the left.
L means turn " Left " " " " " " " " " " " , or down
R means turn " Right " " " " " " " , or up.

I've included some pictures that help explain all the moves.

(I need permission for the pictures first, so they'll be up by tomorrow, probably)

Step 3: Solving the top edges

Picture of Solving the top edges
Okay, so you have all the corners, now you need to fill in the edges!

Since the top corners are finished, it's not suggested that you move the top layer during the set-up process if this is new to you, but you CAN move it in the algorithms that I have presented to you.

Simply move the middle and bottom layers to set up your target pieces
The target pieces for this are Blue and nColor, where nColor is the color of the surrounding two edges.

If your target cube is in the top row, but not in between the correct two corners, skip that color and go onto the next, it should free itself.

If the cube does not get free, you may turn the middle column that the target cube is on, in order to move it to the bottom row.

Finally, follow the algorithms until you have solved the entire top edges. If you have the middle, too, then skip the next step. If you don't, continue reading.

Step 4: Solving the top Middle Piece

Picture of Solving the top Middle Piece
Okay, so your Top (Blue) middle piece can be in one of two places:
-The bottom center
-The center on one side of the middle layer.

If it's in the bottom center, just follow algorithm 1 from any face
If it's in the center on one side of the middle layer, make the target center piece face you, then preform algorithm two.

Step 5: Solve the Middle Layer

Picture of Solve the Middle Layer

Now, follow these steps:





Step 6: Placing the Bottom Corners

Picture of Placing the Bottom Corners
The first thing you need to do once you finished the middle layer is flip your entire cube over.

Now, examine the corners the way that they are (colors) and see if the colors of the corner pieces correlate with the edge that they are on.

You might need to turn the top (used to be bottom) layer in order to line up two adjacent corners to their respective edges.

If you cannot line up two adjacent ones, then you'll have to do the algorithm twice, so just do it once and then start this step over.

I can better explain this through graphics, so look at the first five pictures now.

Make the two corners that need to be switched face you, then do the provided algorithm.

If you don't need to switch any corners, skip this step.

Step 7: Orienting the Bottom Corners

Picture of Orienting the Bottom Corners
Okay, now that you have all the Top (Bottom) corners in place, you have to rotate them in place so that the colors match up with their respecive sides.

For example, in the first picture you see that two of the corners are not green. That's because the green is on the side of the cube. We need the green to come to the top of the cube.

There are three cases for this step:

- There is only one corner piece with green on top. In this case, make sure that that corner piece is on your right, and closest to you, then preform the algorithm once ( first cube example in the first picture).

If all of the corners are solved, then continue onto the next step, otherwise see if you have the same or another case, and follow the instructions for that case.

- The are no corner pieces with green on top. In this case, follow the 3rd cube example in the first picture, making sure the cube is facing you the right way, and preform the algorithm.


- There is more than one corner piece with green on top. In this case, follow the 2nd cube example in the first picture, where there is a corner that is not green in the closer right hand corner, and any of the other corners are green. You MUST make sure that the right corner closest to you is NOT green.


Once you have solved all the corners, move onto the next step.

Step 8: Positioning the 4 remaining middle pieces

Picture of Positioning the 4 remaining middle pieces
Okay, so now all of the corners are in the right place and orientation.

You should have one side that has the right middle piece, but it doesn't have to be in the right orientation.

-If you do, then look at the cube from that side (the one with the correct middle piece between the two corners) and preform one of the two algorithms (don't look at the first picture, that's just for fun, look at the second picture)

You'll either need to shift the middle pieces one way or the other. Based on which way you need to go, right or left, do the appropriate algorithm on the 2nd picture.

-If you have more than one or none in the proper orientation, use the "scramble" algorithm on the 3rd picture, looking at any side when you do (so long as you don't rotate the cube up or down), then start this step over again

Step 9: Finishing move!

Okay, so now you have either one of two situations:

- The Fish Pattern (The correctly colored top pieces make the top of the cube look like a fish

-The "H"* Pattern (The correctly colored top pieces make the top of the cube look like an "H"
*Note: You hold the cube so that it looks like an "I", so it should really be called the "I" Pattern.

For either pattern, follow the corresponding algorithm. If you'll notice, they're quite similar. This makes it a bit easier to remember both of them.


Now gloat to all your friends, show off how smart you are, but most importantly, PRACTICE!

The faster you get, the better it looks!

This is also not the only way to solve a Rubik's cube, so you can experiment, create your own algorithms, be creative!

A couple of fancy things I figured out are in the next two steps.

Step 10: Fancy #1: The cross

Picture of Fancy #1: The cross
In this, just follow the algorithm looking from any side.

The rotate 90Ãï¿½ÃÂº means that you rotate it as if you were looking from the top, so if you are looking at the red face, rotate the cube so that you're looking at the green face.

NOTE: only do this if you thing you can figure out how to un-do it. I'm going to leave you to figure that out =)

Step 11: Fancy #2: The Centerpiece

Picture of Fancy #2: The Centerpiece
Again, just follow the algorithm from any face.

Once again, only do this if you can figure out how to un-do it =)

Step 12: Combine!

Picture of Combine!
Do both algorithms, in any particular order!

This will come out pretty fancy looking, I think, at least!

Again, if you can un-do it, feel free to do it!

Step 13: Other Thoughts

Picture of Other Thoughts
Like I said, there are a ton of ways to solve a Rubik's Cube.

This is by no means the best way to do it, just the way that I learned to do it a while back.

The Rubik's Cube is one of my favorite toys, especially because it always attracts a crowd when people see that you can actually solve one.

By the way, for all of you nerd guys that can do this too, IT WILL GET YOU CHICKS!... well, nerd chicks, but those are the best kind!

Here's a video of me solving it in my personal record time as of two nights ago. I broke that record by 15 seconds the next night ;)
Oh, and I lied about the song: It's "The Spirit Caries On" By Dream Theater
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gpradeep5 months ago

lol , confusing but it helps..

boubaker5 months ago

Very good tutorial, just need to memorize the algorithms :)

SpringRobin6 months ago

Very interesting Instructible! Thanks for sharing.

bhassett11 year ago
This don't make sense you need to rethink your life.
adamye2 years ago
Aaqib12 years ago
ramnath3 years ago
2 look Fridrich... Google it
anicoletti2 years ago
rnolan62 years ago
Took me a while but I got it. thanks!


take a look
majorson2 years ago
Really nice guide, had some trouble with step 8,
But managed to fully solve the Rubik's cube with this:

How to solve a Rubik's Cube Guide 

gpearl2 years ago
kenz_benz3 years ago
jlower3 years ago
ScottNRC3 years ago

How some people do this in minutes is beyond me !
2chanjae3 years ago
2chanjae3 years ago
It's a bit confusing..
wolfarkas3 years ago
wolfarkas3 years ago

what do i do?
rubix cube.jpg
Haagenize3 years ago

D'R'DRDFD'F' instead of D'R'DRDFDF'
Rock$tar3 years ago
floryzzz4 years ago
 I solved it in 1Minute and 40 seconds
And scrambling go the fastet as u do Ri U 10 times
then twist the cube that way the cubes left is front
And do it again
kate_27 kate_274 years ago
 I DID IT! Thanks Breezeonhold!
singabarat4 years ago
cool moves you can fiind more here:
HitmanSA5 years ago
Rayn35 years ago
suzukisuv5 years ago
vikings845 years ago
To get this look, just turn the two outside columns up twice and turn 1/4 turn clockwise and continue until you get the wonderful checkers! then, just do the opposite to solve it... outside two columns turned down twice, 1/4 turn COUNTER-clockwise and continue until its solved! :)
vikings845 years ago
In order to get this look to the Cube, all you have to do is move the middle column (doesnt matter what color) up once and rotate the cube 1/4 turn clockwise until you get the centerpiece look to it. you can only do this when the cube is solve, by the way. anyways, to undo this, just pick a side, rotate the middle column DOWN and turn 1/4 turn COUNTER-clockwise until the cube is solved.
There's an inaccuracy in the first cube example... compare to step 5... it's slightly different
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