3x3x3 Rubiks Cube Solving Techniques

INTERMEDIATE METHOD
Motivation: Solving second layer using Beginners Method takes a lot of time. Using this intermediate method the Solving Time reduces significantly!

METHOD:
Step 1: Complete the Cross of the Top Layer. Rotate the cube upside down. Step 2: Complete any of the three corners of the Bottom Layer, using the Beginners Method. Step 3: The unsolved corner is known as the Dummy Position/Corner [We will use this dummy corner to help us complete any three edge pieces of the Middle Layer and after completing solving these three edge pieces we will complete the first layer by placing the corner piece belonging to the Dummy Position to do this we will be using the unsolved fourth edge position of the Second Layer, you will understand what I want to say in the next coming steps] Intermediate Method starts here: Step 4: Find an Edge Piece A present in the top layer which belongs to the Middle Layer. Notice the color of the face of this edge piece which is facing upwards lets say the color is X. Step 5: Bring this piece to the edge position above the centre having color same as X by rotating the top layer only (i.e. U moves). Step 6: Now rotate the Cube such that A which is in the top layer is also in front of you (i.e. A is at front-top edge position). Step 7: Observe where this edge piece has to go, edge position on left or right hand side of centre (with color X). Edge Piece belonging to Right hand side: Implies your lift layer is the R layer. Edge Piece belonging to Left hand side: Implies your Lift Layer is the L layer. Say the Position to which the edge piece belongs to is named as Y. Step 8: Rotate the bottom layer (D layer) to bring the dummy piece below the Y position. Step9: Use the lift concept (with a small modification) told for the beginners method to put A into the position Y i.e. i) Bring the Lift Layer Up (R move) ii) Bring the Piece towards the Lift Layer (U move) (i.e. A enters in the lift) iii) Bring the Lift Layer Down (R move)

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Made by: Sumit Sarkar

3x3x3 Rubiks Cube Solving Techniques

Step 10: Use steps 4-9 to put three edge pieces belonging to the Second Layer in their correct positions. [Note: If you find a none of the pieces in the top layer which belongs to one of the edge pieces in the second layer that means your pieces are stuck in the second layer (some may be in wrong positions and some may be in the right position but colors switched), then you would have to bring the stuck piece, say B, out of second layer using the same concept told in Steps 5-9, just use any of the random pieces in the top layer as the A piece, consider the layer in which B belongs as the Lift Layer and follow step from 59 to put this random piece into the position of B, hence bringing the stuck piece in the third layer, and now you can simply follow the steps 4-9 to place this edge piece into its correct position in the second layer.]

Rubiks Cube Hobby Group, IIT Kanpur

Made by: Sumit Sarkar

3x3x3 Rubiks Cube Solving Techniques

After Completion of Step 10 you will observe that we are left with only one edge and corner pieces to be placed in their respective correct positions. There are two approaches to do it: 1. We will first correctly place the corner using lift method told in beginners method and then we will correctly place the edge piece into its position using the method told in beginners method. [Smart Move: While using this method the solver should make sure that while putting the corner piece into its correct position we do not insert the edge piece belonging to the unsolved edge position in its correct position with switched colors as it will force us to apply the beginners method step of placing the second layer edge piece correctly twice. Once to bring this piece out of the second layer and then to put it back in correct order in the second layer.] 2. We will place both of the pieces together into the empty slot (you will see this empty slot when you rotate the bottom D Layer to bring the dummy piece just below the unsolved edge piece position of the second layer). *We wont be including this part in this session as it may be confusing at this stage of learning] STEPS TO SOLVE THE LAST CORNER AND LAST EDGE PIECE: We will first solve the Corner piece which will complete our first layer and then the unsolved edgepiece of second layer without disturbing the completed 1st layer which will complete our second layer Step 1: Bring the Dummy Piece to the position below unsolved edge piece of second later by rotating the bottom layer (i.e. using D moves) Step 2: Bring the corner piece belonging to the dummy position just above the unsolved edge piece of second layer by rotating the top layer (i.e. using U moves) Note: If white (or the color of the face in which you make the cross at the starting) is facing upwards, use the method told in beginners method to bring it to a face other than the one in discussion. Algorithmic Method to do so is to put the piece on your right-up-front corner position by rotating the cube and then apply [ R U R U2 ] Here comes the trick part, as you would have already noticed that when we use the lift method to insert the corner into its right position, the edge-piece Z next to this (meaning when you keep the white face of the corner piece facing you, then Z is the edge-piece behind this corner piece) will move along with it and enters into the edge position of unsolved edge-piece of the second layer (See the figure given in next page).

Rubiks Cube Hobby Group, IIT Kanpur

Made by: Sumit Sarkar

3x3x3 Rubiks Cube Solving Techniques

IMPORTANT: Hence one should make sure that the Z is not the piece belonging to the unsolved edgepiece of second layer, because if we use lift method here to insert the corner piece in correct position this edge-piece may enter into the position in a wrong orientation (see the figure given below) and then we would have to apply the old method used in beginners method twice, first to take the piece out of the second layer and then correctly putting it back in the second layer and that will cost us more time.

Rubiks Cube Hobby Group, IIT Kanpur

Made by: Sumit Sarkar

3x3x3 Rubiks Cube Solving Techniques CASE 1: The edge-piece in Z-position is not the piece belonging to the unsolved edgepiece of the Second Layer (OR) If the Z Piece is the edge-piece belonging to the unsolved edge-piece of the Second Layer + The color of the face (not facing up) and color of the centre above which this Z-piece is positioned are same ( SPECIAL CASE see the figure given in this section in next page)
Step 3: Rotate the cube so that white face of this corner piece is facing you (as done in the Beginners Method), now using the lift method, you can place this corner piece into its correct position For people who are not aware of the Steps involved in Lift method (steps 4&5), the steps are as follows: Step 4: The corner position where this corner piece belongs to define the lift layer i.e. the R (right hand side) Layer or L (left hand side) layer where this position belongs to is called as the lift layer. Step 5: If is the Lift Layer then the steps involved are: 1. Take the corner piece in top layer away from the lift 2. Bring the lift layer up 3. Bring the corner piece into the Lift layer 4. Put back the Lift Layer down The above steps in Algorithmic Language will look like this: a) If Lift Layer is R (i.e. the corner piece has to go to the right-front-down corner position) 1. U move 2. R move 3. U move 4. R move i.e. * U R U R + b) If the Lift Layer is L (i.e. the corner piece has to go to the left-front-down corner position) 1. U move 2. L move 3. U move 4. L move I.e. * U L U L + Step 6: Now put the last Edge-Piece belonging to the unsolved edge-piece of the second layer using the method known to you which puts the edge piece into its position in second layer without disturbing the completed first layer and the other three edge pieces. (The method used in beginners method)

Rubiks Cube Hobby Group, IIT Kanpur

Made by: Sumit Sarkar

3x3x3 Rubiks Cube Solving Techniques

CASE 2: The Z Piece is the edge-Piece belonging to the unsolved edge-piece of second layer + The color of the face (not facing up) and color of the centre above which this Z-piece is positioned are not same (see the figure given below)
Step 3: Rotate and then hold the cube such that the white face is now facing either towards left or right (but the piece must remain in the front layer i.e. the piece remains in the up-front-right or up front-left corner positions) Note: Observe the case as shown in diagram.

Rubiks Cube Hobby Group, IIT Kanpur

Made by: Sumit Sarkar

3x3x3 Rubiks Cube Solving Techniques

Step 4: To put the corner piece into its correct position we now use these algorithms For white face on left hand-side: Apply algorithm L U L For white face on right hand-side: Apply algorithm R U R Step 6: Rotate the bottom layer to make it look correct (i.e. red face is near red centre and same is true for other colors too) (use D rotation moves) Step 7: Now Insert the edge-piece (which is definitely not stuck in the second layer) belonging to the unsolved edge-piece position of second layer, using the method told in the beginners method of solving which puts the edge piece into its position in second layer without disturbing the completed first layer and the other three edge pieces

Rubiks Cube Hobby Group, IIT Kanpur

Made by: Sumit Sarkar