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Learn to Solve a Rubik's Cube: Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide
Learn to Solve a Rubik's Cube: Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide — a free beginner-level guide covering learn to solve a rubik's cube for beginners. Learn...
What you will learn
- 1. Getting to Know the Rubik's Cube
- 2. Cube Notation and Fundamental Moves
- 3. Solving the First Layer – The Cross
- 4. Solving the First Layer – Corner Placement
- 5. Solving the Second Layer – Edge Insertion
- 6. Orienting the Last Layer (OLL) – Basics
- 7. Permuting the Last Layer (PLL) – Basics
- 8. Putting It All Together – Full First‑Look Solve
- 9. Speed‑Solving Fundamentals and Practice Strategies
1. 1. Getting to Know the Rubik's Cube
A Cube in Your Hands – What’s the Story Behind Those Twisting Squares? You’re sitting at a coffee shop, a friend pulls out a bright, colorful cube and says, “Watch this!” In a flash, the cube’s faces tumble, colors scramble, and the object looks like a chaotic mosaic. You’re left wondering: What exactly am I holding? Is it just a toy, a puzzle, or something more? Before you can even think about solving it, you need to know the anatomy of the Rubik’s Cube. This chapter walks you through every visible and hidden part of the cube, introduces the terminology you’ll hear in the cubing community, and gives you a solid grounding in its color scheme and orientation. By the end, you’ll be able to pick up any standard 3×3 cube, name its pieces confidently, and understand how every turn reshapes the puzzle. --- The Physical Cube – Six Faces, Nine Stickers, One Core Six Faces, Thirty‑Six Stickers A standard 3×3 Rubik’s Cube is a six‑sided object. Each side—called a face—carries nine colored stickers arranged in a 3‑by‑3 grid: | Face | Stickers per Face | |------|-------------------| | Front | 9 | | Back | 9 | | Left | 9 | | Right | 9 | | Up (Top) | 9 | | Down (Bottom) | 9 | Altogether there are 54 stickers (6 × 9). The stickers are the only parts you can see; underneath each lies a plastic piece that actually moves. The Hidden Core Mechanism While the stickers are obvious, the core is the invisible engine that makes the cube turn. It consists of: 1. A central spindle (a small screw‑like piece) that holds the whole mechanism together. 2. Six fixed center caps attached directly to the spindle. These caps never move relative to each other; they define the cube’s orientation. 3. Eight corner pieces and twelve edge pieces that rotate around the core, sliding into the spaces between the fixed centers. The core’s design allows each face to rotate independently while keeping the whole structure stable. When you turn a face, the corresponding edge and corner pieces rotate around the core, and the adjacent faces’ stickers shift positions. Pro tip: If you gently pull apart a brand‑new cube (or a well‑lubricated one), you’ll see the core’s plastic “ball” with six arms extending to the centers. This glimpse helps demystify why the centers stay put while everything else moves. --- The Building Blocks – Center, Edge, and Corner Pieces Understanding the three types of movable pieces is essential because every solving method works by positioning these pieces correctly. Center Pieces – The Fixed Reference - Definition: The six middle stickers on each face, each attached directly …
2. 2. Cube Notation and Fundamental Moves
A Puzzle in Motion: Why Notation Matters Imagine you’re at a weekend meetup of Rubik’s Cube enthusiasts. A friend pulls out a fresh 3×3 cube, flips it into a scramble, and then says, “U R U’ R’ F R F’ U R’ U’ F’ R2.” Within a few seconds you recognize the pattern: a short algorithm that will swap three corners. The other cubers around you are already reaching for their cubes, eyes scanning the same string of letters. That moment—seeing a handful of symbols and instantly visualizing the twists they represent—is the gateway to solving. Notation is the language that turns a static scramble into a dynamic sequence of moves you can execute with confidence. In this chapter you’ll learn that language, practice the basic turns, and gain the ability to read and follow simple notation strings on your own. --- 1. The Six Face Letters The standard notation assigns a single capital letter to each of the six faces of the cube. These letters are derived from the face names you already know from Chapter 1 (Up, Down, Front, Back, Left, Right). | Letter | Face | Visual cue (when the cube is held in the “standard position”) | |--------|------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | U | Up | The top layer (the one you see when the cube rests on a table) | | D | Down | The bottom layer (the side touching the table) | | F | Front| The face pointing toward you | | B | Back | The face opposite the Front | | L | Left | The face on your left when you look at the Front | | R | Right| The face on your right when you look at the Front | Pro tip: Keep the cube in the “standard position” (U on top, F facing you) whenever you read a new algorithm. This habit prevents the brain from constantly re‑orienting the cube. --- 2. Turn Modifiers: Clockwise, Counter‑Clockwise, and Double A single letter tells you which face to turn, but not how to turn it. That’s where modifiers come in. | Symbol | Meaning | How the layer moves | |--------|---------|----------------------| | (none) | Clockwise 90° turn | The face turns in the direction of a clock’s hands when you look directly at that face. | | ' (apostrophe) | Counter‑clockwise 90° turn | The face turns opposite to the clock’s hands. | | 2 | Double turn (180°) | The face turns half‑way, ending opposite its starting position. No apostrophe follows a “2”. | 2.1 Visualizing the Directions - Clockwise (e.g., U) – Hold the cube so the U face is on top. Rotate the top layer to the right, …
3. 3. Solving the First Layer – The Cross
Why the Cross Is the Foundation of Every Solve Imagine you are watching a speed‑cubing video. The cube spins, the solver flips the U (up) face, and in a flash the white cross appears—four white edge stickers perfectly aligned with the adjacent center colors. That moment is the first visible “milestone” in the solve, and it tells the brain: the puzzle is now organized. For a beginner, the cross can feel like a mysterious wall. You might find a white edge on the bottom layer, twist the cube, and suddenly the whole picture collapses. The good news is that the cross is purely a matter of placement, not of orientation. If you learn to locate the right edges, move them into place without touching solved centers, and verify that the three‑color “corner” of each edge matches its neighbors, the rest of the first layer falls into place almost automatically. This chapter walks you through that exact process, step by step, using only the notation and moves you already learned in Chapter 2. --- 1. Spotting the Four White Edge Pieces A 3×3 Rubik’s Cube has twelve edge pieces, each bearing two stickers. The cross uses the four edges that contain a white sticker (assuming you start with white on the U face). 1.1 Where to Look 1. U face (the top layer) – Scan the four edge positions around the central white sticker. Any white edge already sitting here is a potentially solved piece. 2. Side faces (F, R, B, L) – Look at the middle layer edges. If a white sticker appears on a side face, that edge belongs to the cross but is still “on the side.” 3. D face (the bottom layer) – White edges may be hidden on the opposite side of the cube. They are still part of the cross; you’ll need to bring them up. 1.2 Determining the Correct Partner Color Each white edge has a second color that tells you which side face it belongs to. For example, a white‑red edge must sit between the white center (U) and the red center (F). Quick check: - White‑red → must be on the U‑F edge. - White‑blue → must be on the U‑L edge (because the default color scheme places blue on the left). - White‑orange → must be on the U‑B edge. - White‑green → must be on the U‑R edge. If you’re unsure of the color layout, refer back to the center caps you examined in Chapter 1; they never move, so they are your reliable map. --- 2. A Systematic, Layer‑by‑Layer Approach The most beginner‑friendly strategy is to solve the cross one edge at a time, always returning the cube to …
4. 4. Solving the First Layer – Corner Placement
The Goal: Completing the First Layer You have just finished the cross on the Down face (the white cross, for example). All four white edges are correctly aligned with the side centers, forming a solid “plus sign.” Now the puzzle is to attach the four corner pieces so that the entire bottom layer is a solid, single‑color face whose stickers also match the adjacent side centers. This is the second milestone of the first‑layer solve and the point where many beginners feel “stuck.” The good news: the corner‑placement step follows a simple, repeatable pattern. By learning how to identify the right corner for each slot, insert it using the beginner’s algorithm R U R' U', and orient it correctly, you will be able to finish the first layer every time. --- Finding the Right Corner for Each Slot Understanding Corner Color Combinations Each corner piece has three stickers (see Chapter 2). The three colors on a corner are always the same three colors that meet at a single vertex of the solved cube. For a standard white‑yellow‑red‑orange‑green‑blue cube, the eight possible corner combinations are: | Corner (three colors) | Where it belongs when solved | |-----------------------|------------------------------| | White‑Red‑Blue | Down‑Front‑Left (DFL) | | White‑Blue‑Orange | Down‑Back‑Left (DBL) | | White‑Orange‑Green | Down‑Back‑Right (DBR) | | White‑Green‑Red | Down‑Front‑Right (DFR) | | Yellow‑Red‑Blue | Up‑Front‑Left (UFL) | | Yellow‑Blue‑Orange | Up‑Back‑Left (UBL) | | Yellow‑Orange‑Green | Up‑Back‑Right (UBR) | | Yellow‑Green‑Red | Up‑Front‑Right (UFR) | Visual tip: Hold the cube with the solved cross on the bottom. The corner that belongs in the front‑right slot (DFR) will have the Down color (white) plus the colors of the Front and Right centers (for example, white‑green‑red). When you look at the scrambled cube, you will see each corner somewhere on the Up, Down, or middle layers. The first step is to match the three colors on a corner with the three center colors that define its target slot. Locating Your Target Corner 1. Pick a slot on the bottom layer. A common order is to work clockwise: DFR → DFL → DBL → DBR. 2. Read the three center colors that surround the slot. For DFR, the centers are Down (white), Front (green), Right (red). 3. Search the whole cube for the corner that contains exactly those three colors, regardless of its orientation. Scan the Up face first—many corners start there after the cross. Then glance at the middle layer edges; a corner may be “stuck” between two edges. Finally, glance at the Down face; a corner may already be in the correct location but twisted incorrectly. If you cannot find a corner with the exact three colors, double‑check that you are using …
5. 5. Solving the Second Layer – Edge Insertion
A Puzzle in the Making You’ve just finished the first layer: the white cross is solid, the white corners sit snugly in their homes, and the adjacent side colors line up perfectly. Now you glance at the middle of the cube and see a lone orange‑red edge perched on the top face, its colors mismatched with the surrounding sides. What if you could drop that edge into its exact spot without ever touching the solved white layer again? That is exactly what the second‑layer edge‑insertion step accomplishes. --- 1. Which Edges Belong Where? The 3×3 Rubik’s Cube contains twelve edge pieces. After the first layer is solved, they split into two groups: | Group | Where the piece belongs | How to recognise it | |-------|------------------------|---------------------| | Second‑layer edges | The four edges that sit between the three side faces (e.g., the “middle” slice). | Their two colors do not include the colour of the solved first layer (white in our example). | | Last‑layer edges | The four edges that belong to the top face (the “U” layer). | One of the two stickers is the colour of the solved first layer (white) or they are still on the top layer after all second‑layer edges are placed. | Visual tip: Hold the cube with the solved white face on the bottom (the “D” face). Any edge that shows white on the top layer is not a second‑layer edge; it will be dealt with later in the OLL/PLL stages. When you locate a misplaced edge, ask yourself: 1. Does the edge contain the colour of the solved first layer? Yes → it belongs to the last layer. No → it is a second‑layer edge waiting to be inserted. 2. Is the edge already in the middle slice but flipped? If so, it will be corrected during insertion. --- 2. Setting Up the Insertion Before applying any algorithm, you must position the target edge correctly on the U (up) face. 1. Find the edge on the U layer that belongs in the middle slice. Example: an orange‑red edge belongs between the orange and red faces. 2. Rotate the U face (using the U move) until the edge sits directly above the slot where it belongs. The slot is the place on the middle layer where the two side colours meet. 3. Check its orientation: If the colour that matches the front face (e.g., orange) is on the U side, the edge will need the right‑hand algorithm. If the colour that matches the front face is on the U‑right side, the left‑hand algorithm is required. A quick way to decide: - Right‑hand case – the matching colour is on the U side …
6. 6. Orienting the Last Layer (OLL) – Basics
Why the Last Layer Feels Like a Puzzle Within a Puzzle You have just finished the first two layers of the cube. The white side (or whichever colour you chose for the first layer) is a perfect solid, and the middle layer’s edges are all correctly placed. The only thing standing between you and a solved cube is the top layer, which looks like a chaotic mosaic of colours. “If I could just make the whole top face yellow, I’d be done!” – this is the exact thought that greets most beginners at this stage. The reason the top layer feels harder is that two different tasks are hidden in the same set of pieces: 1. Orientation – turning the stickers on the top layer so they all face the same direction (the same colour appears on the top face). 2. Permutation – moving those correctly‑oriented pieces into the right positions. The first task is called OLL – Orientation of the Last Layer. Mastering OLL lets you turn a seemingly random pattern into a uniform colour without disturbing any of the solved layers beneath it. --- What OLL Actually Means In the language of cube solving, orientation refers to the direction a piece’s stickers point. When we talk about orienting the last layer, we are only concerned with the face‑up stickers of the top layer pieces. Their side stickers may be in the wrong spot, but that is handled later by PLL – Permuting the Last Layer. Key property: An OLL algorithm never moves a piece out of the last layer; it only flips stickers. Why it matters: Because the first two layers are already solved, any move that swaps a piece with the lower layers would ruin the work you’ve just completed. Thus, OLL is a pure re‑orientation step. The only thing that changes is the colour that appears on the Up face (U). All other faces stay exactly as they were after the second‑layer stage. --- The Goal: A Uniform Colour on the Up Face When you look at the cube after OLL, the Up face will be a solid colour—usually yellow if you started with white on the Down face. The side faces (Front, Right, Back, Left) will still show a jumble of colours, but that’s okay; those will be fixed in the next chapter (PLL). Visual tip: After a successful OLL, the Up face should look like a single‑coloured square, just like the Down face you solved in Chapter 3. If any single sticker on the Up face is the wrong colour, the OLL is incomplete. --- Recognising the OLL Patterns Even though OLL is about flipping stickers, the cube can present seven distinct patterns that …
7. 7. Permuting the Last Layer (PLL) – Basics
Why the Last Layer Still Looks Scrambled You’ve just finished the OLL step and every sticker on the top face is the same colour, but the cube still isn’t solved. The corners and edges of the top layer are in the right orientation, yet they sit in the wrong spots. That moment—when the cube looks almost finished but still “shuffles” around the top layer—is the exact point where Permutation of the Last Layer (PLL) comes in. Imagine you are assembling a jigsaw puzzle. All the edge pieces are already in place, but the picture’s central pieces are still swapped. A single move that swaps two pieces will instantly finish the picture. PLL does the same thing for the Rubik’s Cube: it permutes (re‑arranges) the already‑oriented pieces of the last layer into their correct locations. --- What PLL Actually Does - Goal: Move the eight pieces of the last layer (four corners, four edges) to their final positions without changing their orientation. - Result: A completely solved cube, assuming the first two layers are already solved (as covered in Chapters 3‑5). In notation terms, PLL uses only the U (up) face turns and a handful of R, L, F, B moves that affect the top layer. Because the centre caps never move, the colour of the U face tells you exactly where each piece belongs once the permutation is correct. --- Two Beginner‑Friendly PLL Algorithms For a novice solver, learning every PLL case is unnecessary. All 21 standard PLL cases can be reduced to two fundamental algorithms that handle the two situations you will encounter most often: | Situation | What’s Misplaced? | Algorithm (using standard notation) | |-----------|-------------------|--------------------------------------| | Corner swap (two corners need to exchange places) | The four corners are correctly oriented, but two of them are in the wrong spots. | U R U' L' U R' U' L | | Edge swap (two edges need to exchange places) | All four edges are correctly oriented, but two of them are swapped. | R U' R U R U R U' L' U R' U' L | Both algorithms are commutators: a sequence of moves that first moves a piece out of the way, then shuffles the target pieces, and finally restores the cube’s overall structure. How to Execute the Corner‑Swap Algorithm 1. U – Turn the upper face clockwise. 2. R – Turn the right face clockwise. 3. U' – Turn the upper face counter‑clockwise. 4. L' – Turn the left face counter‑clockwise. 5. U – Turn the upper face clockwise again. 6. R' – Turn the right face counter‑clockwise. 7. U' – Turn the upper face counter‑clockwise. 8. L – Turn the left face clockwise. …
8. 8. Putting It All Together – Full First‑Look Solve
A First‑Look Solve in Action Imagine you’re at a family gathering. Someone pulls out a 3×3 Rubik’s Cube and challenges you to “show us how fast you can solve it.” No one expects a world‑record time, but you want to demonstrate that you’ve internalised everything you’ve learned so far. The cube is scrambled, you glance at it, and without stopping to think about each individual algorithm, you launch into a fluid sequence of moves that takes you from a jumbled mess to a solved state in under a minute. That moment—when the last layer clicks into place and the whole cube is uniformly coloured—is the first‑look solve. It is the culmination of the six‑step method you have practiced: 1. Cross – align the four edge pieces of the first layer. 2. First‑layer corners – insert the four corner pieces. 3. Second layer – insert the four middle‑layer edges. 4. OLL (Orient Last Layer) – turn all last‑layer stickers so the top face shows a single colour. 5. PLL (Permute Last Layer) – move those correctly oriented pieces into their final positions. The goal of this chapter is to stitch those steps together into a single, uninterrupted solve, while also helping you develop a personal cadence and pinpoint the parts of the method that need extra polish. --- Step‑by‑Step Walkthrough Below is a complete solve written in the standard cube notation introduced in Chapter 2. Follow the moves on your own cube, or watch a video of a beginner performing the same sequence, and try to feel the rhythm rather than the individual algorithms. Notation reminder – Upper‑case letters denote a 90° clockwise turn of that face (U, D, F, B, L, R). A trailing apostrophe ( ′ ) indicates a 90° counter‑clockwise turn, and the number 2 means a 180° turn. 1. The Cross 1. Locate the white centre (the “Up” face in the diagram). 2. Using the cross algorithm you already know (e.g., “F R U R′ U′ F′” when a white edge is in the front‑right slot), place each white edge so that its side colour matches the centre on the adjacent face. Pro tip: Perform the cross in one continuous motion: after solving one edge, glance at the next unsolved edge and execute the appropriate algorithm without pausing. 2. First‑Layer Corners 1. Find a white corner piece in the top layer. 2. Apply the corner‑insertion algorithm: R U R′ U′ (or its mirror) until the corner sits correctly. 3. Repeat for the remaining three corners. Visual tip: The corner will “pop” into place after the second U turn—watch the corner’s three stickers line up with the centre colours. 3. Second‑Layer Edges 1. Scan the top layer for …
9. 9. Speed‑Solving Fundamentals and Practice Strategies
From Stuck to Speedy: Turning Slow Solves into Lightning-Fast Turns Imagine this: you’ve just finished your first full solve using the method from the last eight chapters. Your hands are a little sore, your brain feels like it just ran a marathon, and the timer on your phone reads 1:47. That’s not bad for a first attempt—but now that the cube no longer terrifies you, a new question creeps in: How do I get faster? The answer isn’t just “practice more.” It’s about how you practice, when you look, and how your fingers move. Speed isn’t just about turning faster—it’s about turning smarter. And that’s what this chapter is about: turning your careful, step-by-step solves into something closer to a blur of motion—not because you’re rushing, but because your brain and hands are working together efficiently. Let’s break down what actually matters when you’re trying to shave seconds off your solve time. --- Mastering Finger Tricks: How Your Hands Should Move When you first learned to solve the cube, you probably used wide, exaggerated turns: turning the entire cube in your hands, gripping edges with all five fingers, and making big motions. That works for learning, but it’s like driving a car in first gear—it gets you where you’re going, but it’s slow and inefficient. Why Finger Tricks Matter Finger tricks are the small, efficient motions your fingers make to turn the cube without repositioning it. They reduce: - Movement waste: Unnecessary hand shifts or cube flips. - Pause time: The split-second hesitation when you have to adjust your grip. - Physical strain: Big turns tire your hand and wrist faster. A good finger trick feels almost effortless. Your fingers move like they’re dancing across the cube, not wrestling with it. Basic Finger Trick Principles Start with these three foundational ideas: 1. Keep the cube stable: Hold it lightly with your non-dominant hand (left if you’re right-handed, right if you’re left-handed). Rest it gently on your palm or between your thumb and index finger. Don’t grip tightly—just enough to keep it from slipping. 2. Use your strongest fingers: Your index and middle fingers are fastest and most precise. Your ring and pinky are weaker and slower. Train yourself to avoid using them unless absolutely necessary. 3. Turn from the wrist and fingers, not the arm: Big arm movements slow you down. Rotate the cube with small finger flicks. Imagine turning a door handle—smooth and controlled, not a swing. Beginner Finger Tricks to Practice Here are three simple finger tricks to integrate into your solves right away: The R U R’ Trick (Right Hand) 1. Hold the cube with the Right face toward you. 2. Use your right index finger to …
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