Intermediate Solution to the Rubik's Cube

Written by James Hamory

Images by Jasmine Lee, Lance Taylor, and Speedsolving.com
Introduction
There are many different methods for speedsolving the Rubi!s cube. The one you "ill be learning here
is the Jessica #ridrich $ethod, also no"n as %#&' (%ross, #)L, &LL, 'LL*. It is +ust a step up from
the beginner!s method, using intuitive pairing and more algorithms.
Extended Notation
In addition to L, R, #, ,, -, and ., there "ill be more notation.
/, y, and 0 denote rotations of the entire cube. / goes "ith R. /! goes "ith R!. Imagine doing an
R turn, but rotating the "hole cube instead of the layer. (cont.* y goes "ith -. y! goes "ith -!. 0
goes "ith #. 0! goes "ith #!.
1 lo"ercase letter (l, r, f, b, u, d* denotes a turn of that ind including the middle layer (double
layer turn*. r "ould be the e2uivalent of L /. d! "ould be the e2uivalent of -! y.
$ is the middle layer3slice bet"een the L and R layers. If you turn the $ slice, the only sides
not disturbed are L and R. $ goes lie an L. $! goes lie an L!. $) is +ust a double turn.
Learn about more notation here4 http433"""."orldcubeassociation.org3regulations35notation
The Solution
The Cross
The %ross in the Intermediate method is the same as in the ,eginner!s method. ,ut "hat you "ant to
start "oring on is lo"ering your move6count for the cross. In W%1 competitions each competitor is
given 78 seconds of inspection time before he3she starts the solve. When you!re practicing to get faster
at home, you should use that 78 seconds to plan out your cross. 9ou should find "hat cross you "ant to
start on by looing for edges that are already matched up (e.g. if you see that one edge is already solved
on the yello" face, you should consider starting "ith yello" cross*.
1fter you have found the cross you "ant to start "ith, you should plan out the e/act moves you "ould
perform to solve that cross. :o" there are t"o "ays you should plan out your cross. 9our solution to
the cross should be either move6optimal or speed6optimal. 1 move6optimal cross solution is the one
"ith the fe"est moves needed to solve that cross. 1 speed6optimal cross solution "ould be one that can
be performed the fastest, being finger tric friendly. &ften the best cross solution "ould be a mi/ of
move6optimal and speed6optimal. What I do is find a move6optimal solution, then t"ea3 mae small
changes to it so that the solution can be done 2uicly (sometimes the move6optimal solution is also
speed6optimal, and vice versa*.
1lso, another thing you "ant to start doing is solving the cross on the bottom, the . face. When you!re
solving "ith cross on bottom you can see the - layer and loo ahead into #)L. With this vie" your
brain can plan out your ne/t step "hile your fingers solve the cross. This "ill come "ith practice. If
you!re having trouble solving the cross on bottom, one thing you can do is rotate the cube "hile
performing your cross solution so that "hen you!re done, the cross ends up on the bottom any"ay, and
you don!t have to do a cube rotation in6bet"een %ross and #)L.
F2L (First 2 Layers
#)L is a concept of solving the first layer corners and the second layer edges at the same time. There
are four first layer corners and four second layer edges, maing four #)L slots being solved in this step.
What you!ll be doing is, "hile holding your solved cross on bottom, pairing up matching first layer
corners (the ones "ith the cross color on them* "ith the second layer edges (the ones "ithout the last
layer color on them*. 1fter pairing them up, the pair "ill be inserted into the correct #)L slot. This
process "ill be repeated three more times for the three remaining pairs.
There are t"o "ays to solve the #)L in the Jessica #ridrich method4 #irst "e have "hat!s called an
intuitive #)L, in "hich the solver identifies all situations as one of three elementary cases. Since this is
done by intuition, any variations or mirrors of those elementary cases can be easily taen be accounted
for "ith this method, so there are very fe" !difficult! situations. Secondly, "e have algorithmic #)L (or
#ull #)L* in "hich the solver identifies each situation as one of forty6one possible cases. $ost intuitive
solvers, given enough time, "ill eventually find the !ideal! set of moves for most cases, but there are
some algorithms that are non6intuitive that are also very fast. #or this reason, advanced solvers tend to
trade in their intuitive #)L for a more algorithmic #)L. In this Intermediate method you "ill using
Intuitive #)L.
;Intuitive #)L is easy to learn, and much faster compared to the beginner!s method. This is the biggest
step you "ill ever tae in getting faster at the Rubi!s cube. The basic idea is that all cases can be boiled
do"n to +ust < cases and their mirrors.;

Same on Top
-! R -) R! -) (R -! R!*
&pposite on Top
R - R!
,ottom %olor -p
- R -) R! - R -! R!
;'lease note that this is not an algorithmic method. I provide the algorithms above so that you can do it
a fe" times, and watch "hy it "ors. &nce you understand ho" the algorithms above "or, you "ill
be able to use similar moves to solve the ;< main cases; (#or each of the < main cases, there are =
different possible arrangements, so +ust no"ing the the algorithms above "ill :&T "or. 9ou must do
a slightly different moves for each case.*
The rule is that you have to have both the corner and it!s corresponding edge together in the top layer,
but not touching each other. If these conditions are met, the algorithm that you need to place the pair
"ill be one of the follo"ing three cases (or something very similar*.;
6 Lance Taylor, bluenightcubing.com
Here is a very good #)L video tutorial by badmephisto4
http433""".youtube.com3"atch>v?6/bc1$fW"$
I highly recommend "atching this if you are having trouble "ith Intuitive #)L.
!LL (!rientation o" the Last Layer
#or the Intermediate method, you are going to be doing )6Loo &LL. The ;) loos; are the t"o
algorithms you are going to use each time you do &LL. &ne alg for the edges, one for the corners. That
means you "ill need to no" all < edge cases and all @ corner cases. 9ou should already no" the edge
cases and t"o of the corner cases, but if you don!t, here are all of the algorithms you "ill need to no"
to do )6Loo &LL.
When you get to &LL, you "ill first orient the edges, using one of these three algorithms. If all four
edges are already orientated, move on to orienting the corners.
State #
F R $ R' $' F'
State 2
F $ R $' R' F'
State %
F $ R $' R' F' $ or $' F R $ R' $' F'
(State )* alignment (State 7*
1fter all the edges are oriented, then you "ill orient the corners using one of these seven algorithms. If
all four corners are already oriented, move onto 'LL.
State #&
R' $' R $' R' $2 R
This algorithm is no"n as the 1nti6Sune.
State 2&
R $ R' $ R $2 R'
This algorithm is no"n as the Sune.
State %&
(R $ R' $' (R $' R' $2 (R $' R' $2 R $ R'
This algorithm is sometimes called the Superman.
State '&
r $ R' $' L' $ R $' x'
This algorithm is sometimes called the %hameleon.
State (&
x $ R' $' L $ R $' r' (this is just the Chameleon backwards)
This algorithm is sometimes called the Triple Sune.
State )&
R $2 R2 $' R2 $' R2 $2 R
This algorithm is sometimes called the ,runo.
State *&
R $2 R' $' R $ R' $' R $' R'
This algorithm is sometimes called the .ouble Sune.
+LL (+ermutation o" the Last Layer
Just lie &LL, you are going to be learning )6Loo 'LL. That means you "ill be doing a =6Loo Last
Layer ()6Loo &LL, )6Loo 'LL*. #or )6Loo 'LL, you are going to need to no" the ) corner cases
(you should already no" 7 of them*, and = edge cases (you should already no" ) of them*. There are
other 'LLs you could learn no", but all you need to no" are these A.
When you get to 'LL, you "ill first permute the corners, using one of these t"o algorithms. 9ou!ll
notice that both of these algs not only s"ap t"o corners, but also t"o edges. When you!re setting up to
do one of these algs, don!t "orry about "here the edges are because you "ill solve them in the ne/t
step.
State #& ,d-acent Corners S.a//ed
L $' R' $ L' $2 R $' R' $2 R
This algorithm is no"n as the L 'erm (Sometimes Ja 'erm*.
State 2& !//osite Corners S.a//ed
F R $' R' $' R $ R' F' (R $ R' $' (R' F R F'
This algorithm is no"n as the 9 'erm.
1fter all the corners are solved, then you "ill permute the edges using one of these four algorithms. If
all four edges are already permuted, then you are doneB
State #
R2 $ R $ R' $' R' $'
R' $ R'
This is the -a 'erm. It
cycles < edges
cloc"ise4
-RC-#C-L
State 2
R $' R $ R $ R $' R'
$' R2
This is the -b 'erm. It!s
+ust the -a 'erm
bac"ards. It cycles <
edges anti6cloc"ise4
-LC-#C-R
State %
02 $ 02 $2 02 $ 02
This is the H 'erm.
State '
02 $ 02 $ 0' $2 02
$2 0' $2
This is the D 'erm.
That is the Intermediate #ridrich $ethod. With practice you should be able to get times under <E
seconds, or even faster. Improving at #)L "ill drop the most time off your solves, so mae sure to
practice #)L a lot. 1t first your times "ill be slo"er than "hat you got "ith the ,eginner!s method, but
once you have gotten used to this method, your times "ill drop rapidly.
Next Ste/s
If this intermediate method is too easy and boring for you then chec out the follo"ing.#ind the
1dvanced solution here4 cubeflip."ebs.com3solutionsdo"nloads
http://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Wikipedia for cubing? er! helpful.
http://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/"ompetitions_#eneral $nformation about %fficial W"& 'World
"ube &ssociation( )ubik*s "ube "ompetitions+
,ast edited -/..//..