Solve Any Rubik’s Cube in 20 Moves

Rubik's Cube

Are you ready to conquer the Rubik’s Cube, the enigmatic puzzle that has baffled countless minds? This comprehensive guide will empower you with an ingenious method to solve it in a mere 20 moves. Whether you’re a seasoned puzzler or a novice seeking to unlock its secrets, this algorithm will guide you through the intricacies of the Cube, transforming you into a veritable Rubik’s Cube maestro.

At first glance, the Rubik’s Cube may seem like an insurmountable challenge, a labyrinth with no apparent exit. But fear not, for this method will reduce it to a series of manageable steps. By following the precise instructions and employing a combination of rotations and flicks, you’ll unravel the Cube’s complexity, unlocking its secrets and experiencing the triumph of solving this iconic puzzle.

As you embark on this journey, remember that patience and persistence are your unwavering companions. With each move, you’ll inch closer to success, solidifying your understanding of the Cube’s intricate mechanics. Embrace the learning process, allowing yourself to navigate the occasional setbacks and revel in the moments of triumph. The Rubik’s Cube is not merely a puzzle; it’s an invitation to unlock your problem-solving prowess, cultivate your spatial reasoning, and experience the exhilaration of intellectual conquest.

The Beginner’s Method: Laying the Foundation

The Beginner’s Method, also known as the Layer-by-Layer Method, is an accessible and widely used technique for solving the Rubik’s Cube. It involves breaking down the challenge into smaller, more manageable steps, focusing on completing one layer at a time.

Step 1: Solve the White Cross

The first step is to solve the top face of the cube (the white face). Begin by examining the white edge pieces. Each piece should have one colored side and one white side.

Step Description
1 Identify the white edge piece with the color that matches the center square on the side face (e.g., green for the green center square).
2 Turn the top face until the matching color is facing you.
3 Insert the white edge piece into the slot on the side face that matches its color.
4 Turn the top face to align the white edge piece with the front edge of the side face.
5 Turn the front face clockwise or counterclockwise to insert the white edge piece into the top layer.

Repeat this process for all four white edge pieces to complete the white cross on the top face.

Solving the Top Layer: Building a Cross

The first step in solving any Rubik’s Cube is to build a cross on the top layer. This involves placing four edge pieces in the correct slots around the center square. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Find an edge piece that matches the color of the center square.

For example, if the center square on the top layer is blue, find an edge piece with a blue side.

2. Place the edge piece in the correct slot.

The edge piece should be placed in the slot that matches the color of the adjacent center square. For example, if the edge piece has a blue side, it should be placed in the slot next to the blue center square.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the remaining three edge pieces.

Continue finding edge pieces that match the center squares and placing them in the correct slots until the cross is complete.

Note: If there is an edge piece that cannot be placed in the correct slot without disrupting the cross, you can use an algorithmic move to fix it. One common move is the “right-handed T-move”:

Right-Handed T-Move
D R U R’ D’

This move will swap the positions of two edge pieces without disrupting the cross.

Positioning Corner Pieces: Matching Colors and Slots

Step 3: Insert the Last Two Corner Pieces

With three corners now in place, it’s time to insert the remaining two. This step involves two scenarios depending on the orientation of the missing pieces:

Scenario Steps Description
Case A: Missing piece is on the bottom face
  • Hold the cube with the missing piece facing you.
  • Perform the sequence F R’ F’ R U R U’ R’ F’
  • This sequence will insert the piece and align its colors.

This sequence moves the missing piece to the bottom right corner, aligns its colors with the sides, and rotates the corner piece to the correct orientation.

Case B: Missing piece is on a side face
  • Hold the cube with the missing piece on the right side.
  • Perform the sequence R U R’ U’ R U2 R’
  • This sequence will move the missing piece to the bottom face and then align its colors.

This sequence moves the missing piece to the bottom right corner and aligns its colors with the sides. Once on the bottom face, you can follow the steps in Case A to insert it correctly.

After completing these steps, all eight corner pieces will be in place with their colors correctly aligned. This marks a significant milestone in solving the Rubik’s Cube.

Completing the Top Face: Aligning the Edges

To align the edges of the top face, we’ll follow these steps:

Step 1: Orient the Misaligned Edge

Hold the cube with the aligned edges on the front face. Identify the misaligned edge and position it on the top face, facing the front.

Step 2: Slice Maneuver

Perform the following sequence to move the misaligned edge to the right side of the front face:

R’ D R 

Step 3: Rotate Top Face

Turn the top face clockwise (R) to bring the aligned edge to the back face.

Step 4: Double Slice Maneuver

To bring the misaligned edge back to the front face, perform the following sequence twice:

R U R’ U’ 

After this step, the edge is aligned with the correct color on the front face.

Step 5: Replace Edge

Turn the top face counterclockwise (R’) to bring the aligned edge to the right side of the front face. Perform the slice maneuver again:

R’ D R 

This will replace the edge in its correct position on the top face.

Step Description
1 Orient the misaligned edge
2 Perform the slice maneuver
3 Rotate the top face
4 Perform the double slice maneuver twice
5 Replace the edge

Solving the Middle Layer: Creating a 2x2x3 Block

The middle layer is the most crucial layer to solve because it determines the position of the corner and edge pieces in the bottom and top layers. To solve the middle layer, create a 2x2x3 block by inserting the four side pieces correctly.

1. Identify the Side Piece

Find a side piece that matches the color of the center square on the middle layer where you want to insert it. For example, if you want to insert a piece into the blue middle layer, choose a blue side piece.

2. Orient the Side Piece

Ensure that the side piece is oriented correctly. Match the colored side of the side piece with the corresponding middle layer face. For instance, if you want to insert the side piece into the blue middle layer, make sure the side piece has a blue side facing upwards.

3. Position the Side Piece

Hold the cube so that the middle layer where you want to insert the side piece is facing you. Align the side piece with the corresponding edge pieces on the middle layer. The side piece should fit between the two edge pieces.

4. Insert the Side Piece

Gently push the side piece into place. Make sure it fits snugly between the edge pieces. Rotate the cube if necessary to adjust the position.

5. Rotate and Adjust

After inserting the side piece, rotate the middle layer to bring the side piece to the front. If the side piece is not facing the correct way, perform the following moves:

Move Effect
F R-1 F-1 Rotates the side piece clockwise
F L F-1 L-1 Rotates the side piece counterclockwise

Repeat the above steps until all four side pieces are correctly inserted. This will form a completed 2x2x3 block, which serves as the foundation for solving the top and bottom layers.

Positioning Edge Pieces in the Middle Layer: Filling the Gaps

Once you have completed the previous steps of solving the middle layer, you may encounter situations where the edge pieces are in the correct layer but are not positioned correctly. This means there are gaps in the middle layer that need to be filled.

Step 6: Using the Gap-Filling Algorithm

To fill these gaps and position the edge pieces correctly, you can use the following algorithm:

Algorithm Result
F R’ F’ Moves the edge piece at the bottom of the front face to the bottom of the right face.

Tip: Remember to adjust the algorithm for the specific face and position where the gap is located. For example, if the gap is on the left face, you would use the following algorithm: F’ L F.

Repeat this algorithm as necessary until all edge pieces in the middle layer are positioned correctly.

Solving the Bottom Layer: Aligning Corners

Step 7: Solving the Last Corner

If all other corners are solved, there will be only one corner piece left out of place. To solve this last corner, you need to do the following steps:

  1. Hold the cube with the solved corners facing you.
  2. Locate the corner piece that needs to be solved.
  3. Orient the corner piece so that the correct color is facing the correct side.
  4. Rotate the top layer to bring the corner piece to the top-right position.
  5. Perform the following sequence:
Sequence Description
R U R’ U’ Rotates the corner piece clockwise
R U2 R’ Rotates the corner piece counterclockwise

Repeat the appropriate sequence until the corner piece is solved.

Correcting Orientations in the Bottom Layer: Tweaking the Corners

Tweaking the Corners

After correcting the orientations of the bottom layer edges, it’s time to address the corners. The goal is to rotate each corner piece clockwise or counterclockwise until its top color matches the center color of the corresponding side.

To do this, hold the cube with the unsolved bottom layer facing you. The corner piece you want to tweak should be at the front right or left.

To rotate a corner clockwise To rotate a corner counterclockwise
(R U R’ U’) x (R U R’) x (R U2 R’) (R’ U R U’) x (R’ U R) x (R’ U2 R)

Repeat this algorithm until the corner is oriented correctly. Once all the bottom layer corners are oriented, you’ve completed the first layer and are ready to move on to the second layer.

Permuting the Bottom Corners: Moving Pieces in Sequence

Step 1: Permute the Two Adjacent Corners – 6 moves

a. Hold the cube with the white face on top and the yellow side facing you.
b. Locate the two corner pieces that need swapping and insert one of them into its correct spot on the bottom layer.

Step 2: Permute the Remaining Two Corners – 4 moves

a. Rotate the top layer 180 degrees.
b. Insert the remaining corner piece into its correct spot.

Step 3: Orient the Bottom Corners – 4 moves

a. If a corner piece is oriented correctly, skip to Step 4.
b. Hold the cube with the yellow face on top and the target corner piece in the front-right position.
c. Perform the following sequence: R U R’ U’ R B R’ B’

Step 4: Permute the Top Corners – 6 moves

a. Hold the cube with the white face on top.
b. Insert one of the top corner pieces into its correct spot.

Step 5: Orient the Top Corners – 4 moves

a. If a corner piece is oriented correctly, skip to Step 6.
b. With the unsolved corner piece in the front-right position, perform the following sequence: L F L’ F’ L B L’ B’

Step 6: Final Corner Adjustment – 4 moves

a. Hold the cube with the yellow face on top.
b. Perform the following sequence: R U R’ U’ R U2 R’

Step 7: Permute the Top Edges – 4 moves

a. Hold the cube with the white face on top and the unsolved edge in the front-right position.
b. Perform the following sequence: R U R’ U’ L’ U R U’ L

Step 8: Orient the Top Edges – 2 moves

a. If an edge is oriented correctly, skip to Step 9.
b. With the unsolved edge in the front-right position, perform: R U R’ U’ R U2 R’

Step 9: Final Edge Adjustment

Plan 1: Edge is Opposite Its Final Position

Cube Orientation Sequence
White face on top R U R’ U’ R’ F R2 U’ R’ U’ R U R’ F’

Plan 2: Edge is Adjacent to Its Final Position

Cube Orientation Sequence
White face on top R U R’ U’ L’ U R U’ L

Permuting the Bottom Edges: Completing the Cube

This step involves arranging the bottom edges of the cube to match the colors of the side faces. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

10. Orientating the Last Edge

If the bottom edge has any edges that need to be rotated to match the side face color, use the following algorithm:

Algorithm Description
D L D’ Rotates the bottom edge piece one-third clockwise
D’ R D Rotates the bottom edge piece one-third counterclockwise

Repeat the algorithm until the edge piece is properly oriented.

a. Positioning the Last Edge

Once the edge piece is oriented correctly, it needs to be positioned on the bottom face. Use the following steps:

1. Bring the edge piece to the front of the cube, facing you.

2. Use the algorithm F R’ F’ R or F’ R F R’ to move the edge piece down to the bottom layer.

b. Inserting the Last Edge

To insert the last edge piece into its correct position, use the following steps:

1. Bring the edge piece to the front, positioned between the front and left sides.

2. Use the sequence R U R’ U’ R’ F R2 U’ R’ U’ R U R’ F’ to insert the edge piece.

3. Repeat these steps until all the bottom edges are permuted and the cube is solved.

How To Solve Any Rubik’s Cube In 20 Moves

The Rubik’s Cube is a classic puzzle that has been enjoyed by people of all ages for decades. While it may seem like a daunting task to solve, with a little practice, anyone can learn how to do it in 20 moves or less. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps on how to solve a Rubik’s Cube in 20 moves. We will also provide some tips and tricks to help you along the way.

First, let’s take a look at the different parts of the Rubik’s Cube. The cube is made up of 26 smaller cubes, called cubies. The cubies are arranged in a 3x3x3 grid. Each face of the cube is made up of 9 cubies. The center cubie on each face is fixed in place. The other 8 cubies can be moved around.

The goal of the Rubik’s Cube is to rotate the cubies until each face is made up of one color.

People Also Ask

What is the fastest way to solve a Rubik’s Cube?

The fastest way to solve a Rubik’s Cube is to use the Fridrich method. This method was developed by Jessica Fridrich in 1997 and is the current world record method. The Fridrich method is a 7-step method that uses a combination of algorithms to solve the cube in an average of 20 moves.

What is the easiest way to solve a Rubik’s Cube?

The easiest way to solve a Rubik’s Cube is to use the beginner’s method. This method is a simple 3-step method that teaches you how to solve the cube one layer at a time. The beginner’s method is not the fastest method, but it is a good way to learn the basics of solving the cube.

What are some tips for solving a Rubik’s Cube?

Here are some tips for solving a Rubik’s Cube:

  • Start by solving the white face.
  • Use the middle layer to help you solve the other faces.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment.
  • Practice makes perfect.