So, you have chosen and bought your first one. It's time to learn how to assemble it.

You can either learn how to assemble it directly from this page. So, how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's cube? Let's get started!

3x3 cube design

The 3x3 Rubik's Cube has six different colored sides and consists of 26 elements that are fastened together and move freely among themselves.

Cube elements are divided into three types

Fig.1 basic elements of a Rubik's cube

Fig.2 The crosspiece is the internal mechanism for attaching the Rubik's cube.

To solve a Rubik's cube you need to know the formulas for assembling it. Therefore, first of all you need to learn the language of rotations.

The language of rotations. What do the letters mean in the formulas for solving a Rubik's cube?

Main

1. The cube has a top, a bottom, a right, a left. When rotating, keep the cube in one position relative to you, and simply rotate the desired side. REMEMBER THIS!
2. The centers of the cube do not move anywhere, they always remain in their places relative to each other, because they are fastened together by a cross (Fig. 2).

Rubik's cube formulas are written with letters that indicate the rotation of a certain side of the cube 90° clockwise. If there is an apostrophe (’) next to a letter, the side is rotated counterclockwise. The number before the letter indicates the number of turns.

We remind you: when you rotate the sides, the cube itself remains motionless, you simply rotate the desired side.

Practice rotating the desired sides of the cube clockwise and counterclockwise. Let your fingers remember the movement, and your mind – what and where to rotate if there is a certain letter in the formula. This will make it a lot easier for you to learn assembly algorithms.

As a respite, we recommend that you learn about the differences between professional speed cubes and beginner cubes. And is it worth it for a beginner to immediately invest in the purchase of an expensive sports cube? Briefly, our opinion: on the one hand, it’s damn nice to twirl the cosmically mobile MoYu Hualong in your hands, for example. An elite cube can be a great motivation for speed building. On the other hand: beginners may not notice the difference between a budget cube and a sports one, if the budget cube is good and fast, but we don’t keep others :)

Stage one - assembling the first (bottom) layer of the Rubik's Cube.

Assembling the cross

Assembling the cross is the first step in assembling the first (bottom) layer. Take the cube at your convenience and study the position of the centers. Remember the color of the bottom and top. In our case it is blue. Until the end of the first assembly stage, keep the blue center at the bottom and the green at the top.

Your task when assembling the cross: one by one, find four on the cube ribs With blue color and move them down to blue center so that they second rib colors coincided with colors of the lateral centers. The picture shows ribs with a blue color that have become at the bottom, and their second colors yellow And red matched the colors of the side centers - this is correct.

In order to assemble a cross, you do not need special algorithms, but for example, let’s look at situations that may occur and test your understanding of simple algorithms.

Attention! As soon as you have started to perform an algorithm not an algorithm for assembling a cube, do not twirl the cube itself in your hands until you complete the combination. Centers different colors must maintain their position. For example, yellow is in front of you, blue is below, red is to the right.

Assembling corners

So, the cross is assembled. We move on to assembling the corners - the final stage of assembling the first layer. Take the cube with the cross facing down. Please note colors of the three centers, between which there should be corner, find it on the cube. In our case we are looking for blue-yellow-red corner. There is only one in the cube.

We put the corner in the top layer above the place where it should go down and do the URU’R’ algorithm. If the corner is in its place and the colors from the centers match, then we move on to the next corner. If not, then we repeat the algorithm until it becomes as we need.

Interesting fact: if the cube is solved and we repeat this algorithm (URU’R’) six times, then the cube will get confused and then solve.Let's see what happens to our corner after each algorithm. All of the following options may be available to you during assembly.

Stage two - assembling the second (middle) layer of the Rubik's cube

Hold the cube with the blue side facing down and the green center facing up.

In order to assemble the second layer, we need only one algorithm, but before executing it we need to prepare the cube - bring it to one of the two possible situations shown below. Find in the top layer any edge who has no green. Rotate the top layer (movements U or U') so that the side color of the edge matches any of the side centers. Now take the cube so that the coinciding center is facing at you, and blue, as before, remained at the bottom. In our example we found yellow – red edge. Lateral rib color – yellow. Rotate the top layer and align the edge with the yellow center. You may also have an option when you combine red edge with a red center, and yellow the rib color remains on the top side.

We take the cube with the yellow or red center towards us and get one of three possible cases.

THIRD CASE

The rib is already in place, but twisted. We need to “replace” it with any edge with green from the top layer, then again we bring to the two cases that are indicated above and solve.

The third stage of assembly is assembling the top layer of the cube

Let's approach last stage– assembly of the 3rd (top) layer of Rubik. First, we need to arrange the edges on the top layer so that they form a green cross. After assembling the first two layers, on the top layer you will get one of the four cases shown in the pictures. Find the one you have and perform the algorithm FRUR'U'F' to make a cross. You can start with a “dot” and consistently come to a “cross”.

Important! Before each start of the algorithm, hold the cube in your hands exactly as shown in the pictures!

So, at the top we have a cross.

We combine the side colors of the ribs with the side centers.

By rotating the top face (U or U’) trying to combine side ribs colors With lateral centers. All four colors must match (yellow, orange, white, red). If four do not match, then put the layer so that they match at least two ribs.

If you don't find two matching edges, then run the algorithm R U R’ U R 2U R’ U and look for the ribs again.

So, on the top layer we have a cross assembled and the ribs are correctly placed.

We put the corners in place.

Check that the corners of the top layer are in place; the corners may be twisted. But the main thing is that they have the same colors as the centers between which they stand. If so, then skip this step and move on to the next one.

If the corners need to be placed correctly, then take the cube in your hands so that there is a corner on your right that is in its place and perform the algorithm without changing the position of the cube: U R U’ L’ U R’ U’ L

If there is not a single corner that stays in its place, then do the algorithm given above from any position and the corner will appear.

The cube is almost complete, all that remains is to twist the corners.

You may have two, three or four twisted corners. Corners are twisted by a simple algorithm R' D' R D R' D' R D,

Important!!! This algorithm only works for one corner, which is located to your right. The secret is that when the corner becomes correct, you need to turn the top edge (U or U’) and substitute the next corner that needs to be twisted in its place. We can repeat the algorithm from 2 to 5 times and it will seem to you that the cube is confused, don’t worry, it will come together. The main thing is not to let go of the cube, not to twist it in your hands until you have completed the entire sequence of algorithms.

Let's consider the most difficult case with four twisted corners:

Congratulations!

Now you know exactly how to solve a Rubik's cube! Disassemble and assemble your cube according to these instructions until you remember all the algorithms!

And then a huge world of mechanical puzzles will open before you, the assembly formulas of which are based on the formulas of a 3x3 cube!

How to solve a Rubik's Cube

In a nutshell: if you remember 7 simple formulas of no more than 8 rotations each, then you can easily learn how to solve a regular 3x3x3 cube in a couple of minutes. This algorithm will not be able to solve the cube in less than a minute or a minute and a half, but two to three minutes is easy!

Introduction

Like any cube, the puzzle has 8 corners, 12 edges and 6 faces: top, bottom, right, left, front and back. Typically, each of the nine squares on each face of the Cube is colored one of six colors, usually arranged in pairs opposite each other: white-yellow, blue-green, red-orange, forming 54 colored squares. Sometimes instead of solid colors they put on the edge of the Cube, then it becomes even more difficult to assemble.

In the assembled (“initial”) state, each face consists of squares of the same color, or all the pictures on the faces are correctly folded. After several turns the cube is “stirred”.

Solving a Cube means returning it from being stirred to its original state. This, in fact, is the main point of the puzzle. Many enthusiasts find pleasure in assembling "solitaire" - patterns .

ABC of the Cube

The classic Cube consists of 27 parts (3x3x3=27):

6 single color centerpieces (6 “centers”)

12 two-color side or rib elements (12 “ribs”)

8 three-color corner elements (8 “corners”)

1 internal element - cross

The cross (or ball, depending on the design) is located in the center of the Cube. The centers are attached to it and thereby fasten the remaining 20 elements, preventing the puzzle from falling apart.

Elements can be rotated in “layers” - groups of 9 pieces. A clockwise rotation of the outer layer by 90° (if you look at this layer) is considered “straight” and will be denoted by a capital letter, and a counterclockwise rotation is “reverse” to the direct one - and will be denoted by a capital letter with an apostrophe “"”.

6 outer layers: Top, Bottom, Right, Left, Front (front layer), Rear (back layer). There are three more inner layers. In this assembly algorithm, we will not rotate them separately; we will only use rotations of the outer layers. In the world of speedcubers, it is customary to use Latin letters for the words Up, Down, Right, Left, Front, Back.

Turn designations:

clockwise (↷ )- V N P L F T ⇔U D R L F B

counterclockwise (↶ ) - V" N" P" L" F" T" ⇔U" D" R" L" F" B"

When assembling the Cube, we will sequentially rotate the layers. The sequence of turns is recorded from left to right one after another. If some rotation of a layer needs to be repeated twice, then a degree icon “2” is placed after it. For example, F 2 means that you need to turn the front twice, i.e. F 2 = FF or F "F" (whichever is more convenient). In Latin notation, instead of F 2, F2 is written. I will write formulas in two notations - Cyrillic And Latin, separating them with this sign ⇔.

To make it easier to read long sequences, they are divided into groups, which are separated from neighboring groups by dots. If a sequence of turns needs to be repeated, it is enclosed in parentheses and the number of repetitions is written at the top right of the closing bracket. In Latin notation, a multiplier is used instead of an exponent. In square brackets I will indicate the number of such a sequence or, as they are usually called, “formulas”.

Now, knowing the conventional language of notation for rotation of the layers of the Cube, you can proceed directly to the assembly process.

Assembly

There are many ways to assemble a Cube. There are those that allow you to assemble a cube with a couple of formulas, but in a few hours. Others, on the contrary, by memorizing a couple of hundred formulas allow you to solve a cube in ten seconds.

Below I will describe the simplest (from my point of view) method, which is visual, easy to understand, requires memorizing only seven simple “formulas” and at the same time allows you to assemble the Cube in a couple of minutes. When I was 7 years old, I mastered this algorithm in a week and solved a cube in an average of 1.5-2 minutes, which amazed my friends and classmates. That’s why I call this assembly method “the simplest.” I will try to explain everything “on fingers”, almost without pictures.

We will assemble the Cube in horizontal layers, first the first layer, then the second, then the third. We will divide the assembly process into several stages. There will be five of them in total and one additional one.

6/26 At the very beginning, the cube is disassembled (but the centers are always in place).

Assembly steps:

10/26 - cross of the first layer (“upper cross”)

14/26 - corners of the first layer

16/26 - second layer

22/26 - cross of the third layer (“lower cross”)

26/26 - corners of the third layer

26/26 - (additional stage) rotation of centers

To assemble the classic Cube you will need the following: "formulas":

FV"PV ⇔FU"RU- rotation of the edge of the upper cross

(P"N" · PN) 1-5 ⇔(R"D RD)1-5- "Z-switch"

VP · V"P" · V"F" · VF ⇔UR · U"R" · U"F" · UF- edge 2 layers down and to the right

V"L" · VL · VF · V"F" ⇔U"L" · UL · UF · U"F"- edge 2 layers down and to the left

FPV · P"V"F" ⇔FRU R"U"F"- rotation of the ribs of the lower cross

PV · P"V · PV" 2 · P"V ⇔RU · R"U · RU"2 · R"U- rearrangement of the ribs of the lower cross (“fish”)

V"P" · VL · V"P · VL" ⇔U"R" UL U"R UL"- rearrangement of corners 3 layers

The first two stages could not be described, because Assembling the first layer is quite easy "intuitively". But, nevertheless, I will try to describe everything thoroughly and on my fingers.

Stage 1 - cross of the first layer (“upper cross”)

The goal of this stage: the correct location of the 4 upper ribs, which together with the upper center make up a “cross”.

So, the Cube is completely disassembled. Actually not completely. Distinctive feature The classic Cube is its design. Inside there is a cross (or ball) that rigidly connects the centers. The center determines the color of the entire face of the Cube. Therefore, 6 centers are always already in place! First, select the top. Typically, assembly begins with a white top and green front. For non-standard coloring, choose what is more convenient. We hold the Cube so that the upper center (“top”) is white, and the front center (“front”) is green. The main thing when assembling is to remember what color is the top and what is the front, and when rotating the layers, do not accidentally turn the entire Cube and get lost.

Our goal is to find an edge with top and front colors and place it between them. At the very beginning, we look for a white-green edge and place it between the white top and the green front. Let's call the required element a “working cube” or RK.

So, let's start assembling. The top is white, the front is green. We look at the Cube from all sides, without letting go of it, without moving it in our hands and without rotating the layers. We are looking for RK. It can be located anywhere. Found. After this, the assembly process itself begins.

If the RK is in the first (upper) layer, then by double turning the outer vertical layer on which it is located, we “drive” it down to the third layer. We do the same if the RK is in the second layer, only in this case we drive it down not with a double, but with a single rotation.

It is advisable to drive it out so that the color of the paint turns out to be the color of the top down, then it will be easier to install it in place. When driving the RK down, you need to remember about the ribs that are already in place, and if some edge was affected, then you need to remember to return it later to its place by reverse rotation.

After the RC is on the third layer, we rotate the bottom and “adjust” the RC to the center of the front. If the RK is already on the third layer, then simply place it in front of us from below, rotating the bottom layer. After this, turn F 2 ⇔F2 We put RK in place.

Once the RK is in place, there can be two options: either it is rotated correctly or not. If it is turned correctly, then everything is OK. If it is turned incorrectly, then we turn it over using the formula FV"PV ⇔FU"RU. If the RK is “kicked out” correctly, i.e. color from top to bottom, then you practically won’t have to use this formula.

Let's move on to installing the next rib. Without changing the top, we change the front, i.e. turn the Cube towards you with the new side. And we repeat our algorithm again until all the remaining edges of the first layer are in place, forming a white cross on the top edge.

During the assembly process, it may turn out that the RC is already in place, or it can be put in place (without destroying what has already been assembled) without first driving it down, but “immediately”. Well, good! In this case, the cross will come together faster!

So, already 10 elements out of 26 are in place: 6 centers are always in place and we have just placed 4 edges.

Stage 2 - corners of the first layer

The goal of the second stage is to assemble the entire top layer, installing four corners in addition to the already assembled cross. In the case of the cross, we looked for the right edge and placed it in front at the top. Now our RK is not an edge, but a corner, and we will place it in the front at the top right. To do this, we will do the same as at the first stage: first we will find it, then we will “drive” it to the bottom layer, then we will place it in the front lower right, i.e. under the place we need, and after that we’ll drive it up.

There is one beautiful one simple formula. (P"N" · PN) ⇔(R"D" RD). It even has a “smart” name - . She must be remembered.

We are looking for an element with which we will work (RK). The top right corner should contain a corner that has the same colors as the centers of the top, front and right. We find him. If the RK is already in place and turned correctly, then by turning the entire Cube we change the front and look for a new RK.

If the RC is in the third layer, then rotate the bottom and adjust the RC to the place we need, i.e. front lower right.

Let's turn the Z-switch! If the corner is not in place, or is in place, but is rotated incorrectly, then turn the Z switch again, and so on until the RK is at the top in place and correctly rotated. Sometimes you need to turn the Z-switch up to 5 times.

If the RK is in the upper layer and is not in place, then we drive it out of there with any other one using the same Z-commutator. That is, we first turn the Cube so that the top remains white, and the RK, which needs to be kicked out, is located at the top right in front of us and turn the Z-commutator. After the RK has been “kicked out,” we again turn the Cube towards us with the desired front, rotate the bottom, place the already kicked out RK under the place we need and use the Z-commutator to drive it to the top. We turn the Z-switch until the cube is oriented correctly.

We apply this algorithm for the remaining corners. As a result, we get a fully assembled first layer of the Cube! 14 out of 26 cubes are still in place!

Let's admire this beauty for a while and turn the Cube over so that the collected layer is at the bottom. Why is this necessary? We will soon need to start assembling the second and third layers, and the first layer has already been assembled and is in the way on top, covering all the layers that interest us. Therefore, let’s turn them upside down to better see all the remaining and uncollected disgrace. Top and bottom changed places, right and left too, but the front and rear remained the same. The top is now yellow. Let's start assembling the second layer.

I want to warn you that with each step the Cube becomes more assembled, but when you twist the formulas, the already assembled sides are stirred. The main thing is not to panic! At the end of the formula (or sequence of formulas), the cube will be assembled again. If, of course, you follow the main rule - during the rotation process you cannot spin the entire Cube, so as not to accidentally get lost. Only separate layers, as written in the formula.

Stage 3 - second layer

So, the first layer is assembled, and it's at the bottom. We need to put 4 ribs of the 2nd layer. They can now be located both on the second and on the third (now upper) layer.

Select any edge on the top layer without the color of the top face (without yellow). Now it will be our RK. By rotating the top, we adjust the RC so that it matches the color of some side center. We rotate the Cube so that this center becomes the front.

Now there are two options: our working cube needs to be moved down to the second layer, either to the left or to the right.

There are two formulas for this:

down and right VP · V"P" · V"F" · VF ⇔UR · U"R" · U"F" · UF

down and left V"L" · VL · VF · V"F" ⇔U"L" · UL · UF · U"F"

If suddenly the RK is already in the second layer out of place, or in its place, but incorrectly rotated, then we “kick it out” with any other one, using one of these formulas, and then apply this algorithm again.

Be careful. The formulas are long, you can’t make mistakes, otherwise the Cube will “figure it out” and you’ll have to start assembling again. It's okay, even champions sometimes get confused during assembly.

As a result, after this stage we have two assembled layers - 19 out of 26 cubes are in place!

(If you want to slightly optimize the assembly of the first two layers, you can use this.)

Stage 4 - cross of the third layer (“lower cross”)

The goal of this stage is to assemble the cross of the last unassembled layer. Although the unassembled layer is now on top, the cross is called "bottom" because in its original state this layer was at the bottom.

First, we will unfold the edges so that they all face up in a color that matches the color of the top. If they are already all turned up so that at the top you get a single-color flat cross, we proceed to moving the edges. If the cubes are turned incorrectly, we will turn them over. There can be several cases of edge orientation:

A) all are turned incorrectly

B) two adjacent ones are incorrectly rotated

C) two opposite ones are turned incorrectly

(There cannot be other options! That is, it cannot be that there is only one edge left to turn over. If two layers of the cube are completed, and the third one remains to be turned over odd number ribs, then you don’t have to worry about it any longer, eh.)

Let's remember the new formula: FPV · P"V"F" ⇔FRU R"U"F"

In case A) we twist the formula and get case B).

In case B) we turn the Cube so that two correctly rotated edges are on the left and behind, twist the formula and get case B).

In case B), we turn the Cube so that the correctly rotated edges are on the right and left, and, again, we twist the formula.

As a result, we get a “flat” cross of correctly oriented, but out of place edges. Now you need to make a correct volumetric cross from a flat cross, i.e. move the ribs.

Let's remember the new formula: PV · P"V · PV" 2 · P"V ⇔RU · R"U · RU"2 · R"U(“fish”)

We twist the top layer so that at least two edges fall into place (the colors of their sides coincide with the centers of the side faces). If everything falls into place, then the cross is assembled, we move on to the next stage. If not everything is in place, then there can be two cases: either two adjacent ones are in place, or two opposite ones are in place. If the opposite ones are in place, then we twist the formula and get the adjacent ones in place. If the neighboring ones are in place, then we turn the Cube so that they are on the right and behind. Let's twist the formula. After this, the ribs that were out of place will swap places. The cross is assembled!

NB: a small note about the “fish”. This formula uses rotation B" 2 ⇔U"2, that is, we rotate the top counterclockwise twice. Basically, for the Rubik's Cube B" 2 ⇔U"2 = B 2 ⇔U2, but it’s better to remember exactly B" 2 ⇔U"2, because this formula can be useful for assembling, for example, Megaminx. But in Megaminx B" 2 ⇔U"2 ≠ B 2 ⇔U2, since one turn there is not 90°, but 72°, and B" 2 ⇔U"2 = B 3 ⇔U3.

Stage 5 - corners of the third layer

All that remains is to install it in place, and then turn the four corners correctly.

Let's remember the formula: V"P" · VL · V"P · VL" ⇔U"R" UL U"R UL" .

Let's look at the corners. If they are all in place and all that remains is to turn them correctly, then look at the next paragraph. If not a single corner is in place, then twist the formula, and one of the corners will definitely fall into place. We are looking for a corner that stands still. We turn the Cube so that this corner is at the back right. Let's twist the formula. If the cubes do not fall into place, then twist the formula again. After this, all the corners should be in place, all you have to do is turn them correctly, and the Cube will be almost solved!

At this stage, it remains to either turn three cubes clockwise, or three counterclockwise, or one clockwise and one counterclockwise, or two clockwise and two counterclockwise. There can be no other options! Those. It cannot be that there is only one corner cube left to turn over. Or two, but both clockwise. Or two clockwise and one counterclockwise. Correct combinations: (- - -), (+ + +), (+ -), (+ - + -), (+ + - -) . If two layers are assembled correctly, the correct cross is assembled on the third layer and the wrong combination is obtained, then again you can no longer worry, but go get a screwdriver (read). If everything is correct, read on.

Let's remember our Z-commutator (P"N" · PN) ⇔R"D" RD. Rotate the Cube so that the incorrectly oriented corner is in the front right. Rotate the Z-switch (up to 5 times) until the angle turns correctly. Next, without changing the front, we rotate the top layer so that the front right is the next “wrong” corner, and again rotate the Z-commutator. And we do this until all the corners are turned. After this, we will rotate the top layer so that the colors of its edges match the already assembled first and second layers. All! If we had a regular six-color cube, then it is already solved! It remains to turn the Cube with its original top (which is now bottom) up to get the initial state.

All. The cube is complete!

I hope you find this guide useful!

Stage 6 - Rotation of centers

Why won't the cube assemble?!

Many people ask the question: “I do everything as written in the algorithm, but the cube still doesn’t fit. Why?" Usually an ambush awaits on the last layer. Two layers are easy to put together, but the third is not easy. Everything is stirred, you begin to reassemble, again two layers, and again when assembling the third, everything is stirred. Why might this be so?

There are two reasons - obvious and not so obvious:

Obvious. You are not following the algorithms exactly. It is enough to make one turn in the wrong direction or miss a turn for the entire Cube to get mixed up. On initial stages(when assembling the first and second layers) an incorrect turn is not very fatal, but when assembling the third layer, the slightest mistake leads to complete mixing of all collected layers. But if you strictly follow the assembly algorithm described above, then everything should come together. The formulas are all time-tested, there are no errors in them.

Not very obvious. And most likely this is exactly the point. Chinese manufacturers make Cubes of varying quality - from professional championship cubes for quick assembly to those that fall apart in your hands at the very first spins. What do people usually do if the Cube falls apart? Yes, they put back the fallen cubes, and do not worry about how they were oriented and in what place they stood. But you can’t do that! Or rather, it is possible, but the likelihood of solving a Rubik's Cube after this will be extremely small.

If the Cube fell apart (or, as speedcubers say, “gotten”) and was assembled incorrectly, then When assembling the third layer, problems will most likely arise. How to solve this problem? Take it apart again and put it back together correctly!

On a cube with two layers assembled, you need to carefully pry up the lid of the central cube of the third layer with a flat screwdriver or a knife, remove it, unscrew the screw with a small Phillips screwdriver, without losing the spring attached to the screw. Carefully pull out the corner and side cubes of the third layer and insert them correctly color to color. At the end, insert and screw the previously unscrewed central cube (do not tighten too much). Twist the third layer. If it turns tightly, loosen the screw; if it turns too easily, tighten it. It is necessary that all faces rotate with the same force. After this, close the lid on the central cube. All.

Without unscrewing, you can rotate any edge by 45°, pry one of the side cubes with your finger, knife or flat screwdriver and pull it out. You just need to do this carefully, because you can break the cross. Then, one by one, pull out the required cubes and insert them back into their places, now correctly oriented. After everything is assembled color by color, you will also need to insert (snap) the side cube that you pulled out at the beginning (or some other, but side cube, since inserting a corner cube definitely won’t work).

After this, the Cube can be mixed and calmly assembled using the above algorithm. And now he’ll definitely get it together! Unfortunately, you cannot do without such “barbaric” procedures with a knife and a screwdriver, since if, after falling apart, the Cube is folded incorrectly, it will not be possible to assemble it by rotation.

PS: if you can’t assemble even two layers, then first you need to make sure that at least the centers are in the right places. Perhaps someone rearranged the center caps. The standard coloring should have 6 colors, white opposite yellow, blue opposite green, red opposite orange. Usually the top is white, the bottom is yellow, the front is orange, the back is red, the right is green, the left is blue. But absolutely relative position colors are determined by the corner cubes. For example, you can find a corner white-blue-red and see that the colors in it are arranged clockwise. This means that if there is white on top, then there should be blue on the right, and red on the front.

PPS: if someone made a joke and not only rearranged the elements of the cube, but re-glued the stickers, then it is generally impossible to assemble the Cube, no matter how much you destroy it. No screwdriver will help here. You need to figure out which stickers were re-glued, and then re-glue them in their places.

Could it be even simpler?

Well, how much easier is it? This is one of the simplest algorithms. The main thing is to understand him. If you want to pick up a Rubik's Cube for the first time and immediately learn how to solve it in a couple of minutes, then it is better to put it aside and do something less intellectual. Any learning, including the simplest algorithm, requires time and practice, as well as brains and perseverance. As I said above, I mastered this algorithm myself in a week, when I was 7 years old, and I was on sick leave with a sore throat.

This algorithm may seem complicated to some because it contains many formulas. You can try using some other algorithm. For example, you can assemble a Cube using one single formula, for example the same Z-commutator. But collecting this way will take a long, long time. You can take another formula, for example, Ф·ПВ"П"В"·ПВП"Ф"·ПВП"В"·П"ФПФ", which swaps 2 side and 2 corner cubes in pairs. And using simple preparatory rotations, gradually collect cube, putting all the side cubes in place first, and then the corner ones.

There are a huge bunch of algorithms, but each of them must be approached with due attention, and each requires enough time to master.

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Have you tried numerous times to solve a Rubik's Cube without success? All the instructions presented on the Internet were written by professionals, but for “dummies” the solution seems very confusing? Do you think it is impossible to solve this puzzle? Following our step-by-step instructions, you will not only be able to completely solve the world's most popular puzzle without formulas, but also understand how you did it.

You will need:

Where to start

So, your goal is to solve the Rubik's Cube. It will not be possible to do this without knowing how it works, what it consists of and how it functions.

A standard 3x3 Rubik's cube is a mechanical 3D cube, each face of which is painted a different color.

The traditional option is blue, green, white, yellow, red and orange. Edges:

In total, the Rubik's cube has 20 moving elements (12 edges and 8 corners) and the solution depends directly on knowing how they can change their position.

When we rotate one side, we see that the center elements remain in place, the edge moves to where the edges should be, and the corner takes up space in the corner.

It follows from this that each element has a specific type, which does not change after rotation (the edge remains an edge, the center remains the center).

Frequently asked questions and answers

What should a Rubik's cube be like?

If you are not going to participate in competitions, you can take any cube. It is better for young people and children to buy a puzzle from Chinese manufacturers. When choosing, consider the following:
- It’s better to take the latest model cube, it has some disadvantages previous versions, and it is more advanced.
- The correct cube should spin easily and cut corners well.
- Cubes for professionals can be disassembled and customized.

How many edges does a Rubik have?

The classic Cube consists of 12 two-color side or edge elements (12 “ribs”).

How many schemes for solving a Rubik's cube?

There are many ways to solve the Cube. There are those that allow you to assemble a couple of formulas, but in a couple of hours. Others, by memorizing a couple of hundred formulas, allow you to solve a cube in 1 minute or even 20 seconds.

Basics

Our goal is to put all the elements in the right place. To determine the direction in which to turn and the “right place” of this or that square, you need to pay all your attention to the central elements, because, as we have already said, they have a fixed position.

For example, the edge that is located between the red and green centers is, respectively, red-green, so you need to focus on placing an edge of the same color near the green center, and a red edge near the red central element.

The corner is always three-colored, so care must be taken to place it between the centerpieces of the corresponding colors.

Step 1. Gather the edges of one side

The first thing you need to do is choose a color to start with. IN in this example The main color is yellow, it will be represented on all diagrams. Everyone is free to choose the option that he likes best and start from there.

So, if our top central element is yellow, then the bottom, accordingly, is white (in almost all models of the Rubik's cube it is on the opposite side).

In order to solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube, you must first make a cross on its upper edge - place all the edges of the selected color (in our case, yellow) in the corresponding positions around the central element.

This must be done in a certain order so that the second color of the edge matches the nearby central element.

This step is the hardest to explain to those who don't know how to solve a Rubik's Cube. It is easier to solve this problem on your own and you will undoubtedly be able to do it after a short training.

It is at this step that most beginners stop - they collect the cross, then one side - then, unfortunately, few advance.

For those who cannot do this, below is a diagram of how to assemble the cross. Keep in mind you will have to repeat this step 4 times - once for each side.

1. Take the Rubik's Cube in your hands and turn it over so that the yellow center (or other color of your choice) is on top and white on the bottom.
2. Look for yellow edges on the bottom plane. Pay attention to both rib colors.
3. If you find a yellow edge at the bottom, rotate the layer until the edge with the yellow square takes a position under its “place” on the top edge.
4. Do one of the following:

a) Yellow “looks” down

b) Yellow looks forward

c) Rib in the intermediate layer

Note: If the yellow square is on the top layer, but it is not positioned correctly or oriented correctly relative to the nearby center, change its position by placing another element in its place.

After this, the edge will be in one of the three positions described above. Using the diagram, place it in the “correct” place. Repeat all steps for each yellow edge and make a cross on the top layer of the Rubik's cube.

Step 2. Assembling the top edge

If you were able to fold the cross, then it is worth collecting the entire top layer, that is, putting the corners in place one after another. We cannot place them as we want, because each corner has a specially designated place for it, which is determined by the colors of which it consists.

Just like the previous step, there are several solutions that we will follow.

Remember that you will have to repeat all steps 4 times - one for each corner.

1. Turn the Rubik's Cube over so that the yellow layer is at the top and the white layer is at the bottom.
2. Look in the bottom layer for a corner with a yellow square. Notice the 2 other colors on it.
3. Rotate the bottom layer so that the corner is under “its” place.
4. Use one of the solutions below:

a) yellow looks to the left

b) yellow looks to the right

c) yellow is at the bottom

Please note : If the yellow corner is not in the bottom layer of the Rubik's cube, then it means that it is in the top layer, but not in its place.

You need to put any corner from the bottom layer up (executing the first solution, for example). This way you will get a yellow corner in the bottom layer.

Repeat for each corner until the top layer is completely assembled.

Step 3. Algorithm for assembling the second face

We want to solve the second layer of the cube. Remember that the central elements are fixed, so there is no need to change their places and think about how to place them. Keep in mind that you will have to repeat the steps below 4 times - once for each edge.

1. Take the cube so that there is a white layer on top and a yellow layer on the bottom - the one we have already collected
2. Look in the top layer for an edge with no white on both sides.
3. Rotate the top layer until the color of this edge and the center piece on the side match, forming an inverted T.
4. Follow one of the solutions below, choosing an example depending on whether the edge is placed on the left or right.

There are several possible options:

1) The edge should move to the right from where it is.

2) The edge should move to the left from where it is now.

Note: If the top layer does not have an outermost element without white on either side, it means they are in the middle layer but not in their proper places.

Place any other edge from the top layer in its place. In this way you will get an edge in the top layer without a white square and you can move it according to the instructions above.

Repeat this step 4 times, once for each edge.

Step 4. Second cross

So, we have solved the first 2 layers of the Rubik's cube. Now we must ensure that the 4 outermost elements of the top layer are white, forming a cross. At this stage we will focus only on the outer elements, not paying attention to the corners.

The top edge of the cube may have four white edges, or two, or none. If all four white edges are on the top side, then you can skip this step and move on to the next one. If there are two edges, then you need to use one of the following options depending on how they are located relative to each other: next to or opposite.

1) Adjacent edges

2) Opposite edges are white

3) Not a single white square is placed correctly

If there are not a single white square in the top layer, do one of the two options described above and you will get 2 white squares in the top layer. After this, perform the necessary sequence of actions, depending on the situation.

Thus, we folded the second cross.

Step 5. How to place the second cross

At the previous stage, we folded the second cross. At this stage, we will make the side parts of the cross match the color of the central elements of the corresponding faces. We will focus our attention only on the white edges of the cube, not paying attention to the corners.

1. Rotate the top layer of the Rubik's Cube until two edges match the color of the center of their respective faces. If only one edge matches, continue rotating.
2. Use one of the examples given, depending on what position the side edges will take - sequentially or oppositely relative to each other.

a) adjacent edges

b) opposite edges

This way we have placed the second cross of the Rubik's Cube correctly.

Step 6: Place Corners

We have already put all the elements of the Rubik's Cube in place, except for the corner parts of the last layer.

The goal of the penultimate step is to place the corners correctly, without paying attention to their orientation. This way you need to know exactly when the corner is in the correct position.

So, the corner is placed correctly if the nearby central elements match the color of the 3 parts of the corner.

Let's look at a few examples of when the corners are placed incorrectly and when they are in the right position to solve a Rubik's Cube.

It is possible that all 4 corners will be in place from the very beginning (feel free to move on to the next step), or only 1 corner will be placed correctly, or none. If only one corner occupies its place, follow one of the examples below, choosing the one that will allow you to place all the elements in their place.

1) 3 corners are not in their position (a)

2) 3 corners are out of position (b)

3-4) None of the corners are placed correctly

If none of the 4 corners is in its “right” place, do one of the examples described above - this way you will be able to put one of them in place. Next, follow the steps depending on what you got.

Thus, we solved a 3x3 Rubik's cube, putting the corners in their positions. The last step is to rotate the corners of the last layer to solve the puzzle completely.

Step 7. How to assemble

At the previous stage, we put all the elements in their places. All that remains is to rotate the corners to solve the Rubik's cube and solve it completely. At this point there may be two, three or four misdirected corners left in the final layer.

If there are 2 incorrectly oriented corners, follow one of the examples below depending on the situation that arises.

Be sure to read this before rotating the faces of the cube.

Very important! This step is not as easy as the others, but it is also much more difficult. There are a few things to know before you get started. Option 1 has several sub-options, so first of all you need to understand which one is right for you. To solve this step, follow the first sequence of actions. After that, take the necessary steps depending on the red table option you have received.

Option 1. Two corners are not oriented correctly. Please note that the “neighboring” corner needs to be rotated clockwise.

Option 2-3. Three corners are oriented incorrectly.

If 2 corners are not oriented correctly, solve the Rubik's Cube following the first example - this way you will get only 2 incorrectly oriented corners. Finally, perform a sequence of actions, depending on the situation you have.

Option 4. All corners are not oriented correctly.

If none of the 4 corners are oriented correctly, follow the first example given. Then choose a solution that suits your situation.

If you did everything correctly and followed our instructions so far, then congratulations! You solved the Rubik's cube yourself!

And other logic games.

And here, by the way, there is something to prove yourself in:

• You can become the fastest. The current record is 5.5 seconds. People who do high-speed assembly are called speedcubers.
• Maybe you want to become the most original? Rubik's cube is solved with eyes, legs, etc. closed. There are also records here and you can beat them.
• And the most creative and inventive ones draw with the help of a Rubik's cube and, by the way, create real masterpieces of incredible beauty.

We hope we inspired you and helped you understand how to solve a Rubik's cube. If you are interested in thinking games and puzzles, you will probably be interested in learning the secrets of playing dominoes. A mixture of options 1 and 2 is suitable for us, option 2 as a last resort.
If you lubricate it very thinly, its sides will begin to fit together too tightly. The thick one takes away the rotation speed. If you mix two types of lubricant, this is the optimal consistency.

I can't solve a Rubik's cube...

Many people ask the question: “How to solve a Rubik’s cube, if I took it apart, I can’t put it back together?” Most often this happens on the last layer. You may not be following the algorithms exactly. But if you follow the diagrams exactly, you should get it together. If not, the problem may be the following - Chinese manufacturers make cubes of varying quality - from professional to those that fall apart in your hands at the very first rotations. If the cube falls apart, it must be assembled correctly.
On a cube with two layers assembled, use a flat screwdriver or a knife to pry up the lid of the central cube of the third layer, remove it, and use a small Phillips screwdriver to unscrew the screw (do not lose the spring attached to the screw). Carefully pull out the corner and side cubes of the third layer and insert them correctly color to color. At the end, insert and screw the previously unscrewed central cube (do not tighten too much). Twist the third layer. If it turns tightly, loosen the screw; if it turns too easily, tighten it. It is necessary that all faces rotate with the same force. After this, close the lid on the central cube.

So you've already read introductory part and are ready to start solving the Rubik's cube!

At this stage (step 1), the most important thing is to understand the principle of assembling the cube, select the starting side and assemble a cross on it.

Step 1: Gather a cross on the starting side

Start side- this is the side from which assembly begins. When the first layer is solved, it will be assembled and all the colors on it will match.

You can choose the starting side of any color. Sometimes when choosing the starting side (especially when collecting on minimum quantity rotations) before assembling, look at which color is more profitable to start with. In speed assembly, they usually always start with the same one, for example, always with white.

Usually, when I solve a Rubik’s cube, I start solving it from the white side, I’m just used to it, and among speedcubers it is considered that it is most profitable to start with white, because white is the brightest color and is easier to find with your eyes on a disassembled cube. In fact, it doesn’t matter at all to you what color you start with; I would even recommend starting from different sides at first in order to focus on the method, and not on the colors.

So, choose the color of the starting side. The first time, let it be white so that you don’t get confused with the algorithms, since I will give all the pictures for the case when the initial side is white.

Find the side of the Rubik's Cube with the white center. This is where the white side will be.

As you can see in the original drawing, the final goal of this step is a assembled white cross with four side elements containing white. But not everything is so simple, you also need to the second color of each white side piece matched the color of the center of the sides.

There are people who can solve the cross themselves without a technique. Therefore, if you wish, try to assemble the cross yourself.

If you can’t assemble the correct cross, try first assembling the wrong white cross, without the side stickers matching the centers. Just a white cross.

Then all you have to do is swap either 2 adjacent or 2 opposite side elements. How to change them is written at the end of this page.
If you can’t assemble the cross without a match, then read on...

Method of collecting the cross

You may ask why I didn’t just give instructions right away, but suggested that we try it ourselves first? The fact is that there is no such technique for collecting the cross! Very high degree freedom, if you painstakingly install piece by piece, then for this you need to write a large methodology, and the assembly will be slow. If you were able to come up with the idea of ​​the cross yourself, then, most likely, you yourself will develop for yourself in the future some kind of instruction in the subconscious that you will follow.

Cube solving champions solve the cross this way: they are given 15 seconds before assembly (preinspection time), during which they can examine the cube and choose the most advantageous start. During these 15 seconds, they calculate how they will assemble the cross. And when the assembly itself begins, it takes 1.5 - 2 seconds to complete the cross!

Therefore, I will not give a complete methodology, but simply various cases with their descriptions, and how to solve them:

The cross consists of 4 movable side elements that need to be assembled around a white center (the white center does not move). These elements on a shuffled cube can be anywhere, but in any case they are side elements, and you can easily find them (side elements containing white). Now I will give examples of how to different cases make sure they fall into place.

At this stage, we do not pay attention to other elements of the cube, namely the side ones without white color and any corner ones. You need to assemble exactly the white cross and for this we mentally divide the cube into 3 layers.

Before you start assembling the cross, look at the side where the white center is, it is possible that next to the white center there is already a side element with white, as in the picture.

In this case, we just need to rotate the top edge IN, so that the side color of the element matches the side center. The remaining options for the case when there is white are similar. Just turn the top until the color matches

If there are already two or more side elements with white on the initial side, then rotate the top until the side centers coincide with greatest number elements.

Now I will move on to typical cases. The important thing here is not to memorize cases, but to understand the logic of the process, then you will remember everything without effort.

Examples:

A: The element is in the first layer

Image	Algorithm	Explanation
	P' V P V'	The piece is unfolded correctly, but is out of place. First you need to understand where “his” place is. Its place is where the orange side center is. In our case, the piece needs to go to the back plane, since the orange center is located opposite the red center. Therefore, we make the algorithm P’ V P V’. The logic here is this: we lower this piece into the 2nd layer, then turn the top so that its place is exactly where the piece was, and return the piece to the top layer. Then we move the top layer back so that everything falls into place.
	P' V' F' V	The piece is turned incorrectly, that is, not white at the top, and it must be moved to another place (in our case, to the left plane. We do the same as in the previous case, lower this piece into the 2nd layer, then turn the top so that when returning the piece, already unfolded correctly, it is in its place and then we return the top to its original position.

B: the element is in the second layer

B: The element is in the third layer

Image	Algorithm	Explanation
	H2 Z2	The piece with white and green colors (the white is not visible, it is at the bottom) must be moved from the third layer to the first. In this case, when white is in the lower plane, moving it to the upper plane is very simple, you just need to do a double 180-degree rotation of the side plane in which it is located. But before that, we will first transfer it to where it will go exactly to its place. We rotate the lower plane 180 so that it is under its place, then the rear plane 180 degrees.
	1. N’ F’ P F 2. P V F’ V’	In this case, the white piece is more difficult to move to the top layer because it is not deployed correctly.

How to make a correct cross from an incorrect one (so that all the side colors coincide with the corresponding centers)

You have assembled a white cross and see that not all the colors on the sides match. Rotate the top side and see what matches. At least 2 colors must match. When you find that two colors match, but 2 others do not, then, therefore, you need to swap the other 2 colors.

There are only 2 cases possible:

Having learned how to assemble a cross, take the cube apart again and try a couple more times to assemble the cross yourself in white or any other color, and then move on to.

One of the most famous childhood puzzles is the Rubik's Cube. Every child has always wondered how Can you solve a Rubik's cube completely? . Very often, most people failed to assemble it, and such fun was put aside in a drawer. Only a few were able to complete the puzzle quickly and easily.

The most common version of the cube is the cube, which consists of fifty-four small cubes. Each side consists of nine cubes, which are colored in colors such as yellow, white, blue, green, red, orange. The main essence of the puzzle is the ability to assemble a toy so that each side corresponds to a specific color.

One of the modern cartoons called “The Fixies” details that a hero named Nolik recklessly said that he could easily assemble it. But he didn’t succeed, and Nolik and his friend Fire disassembled and reassembled the cube, securing it in such a way that it was impossible to disassemble it again. This method deprived them of the most important thing - interest in the assembly process.

The history of the creation of the Rubik's cube

The inventor of this puzzle is University of Architecture teacher Erno Rubik. He came up with his masterpiece at the age of 30 in order to prepare teaching aid for students. With the help of the invention, the author wanted to introduce students to the theory of groups in mathematics. The puzzle received awards and prizes in 1980 for the originality of the invention.

The project itself was created over several years. Even the author himself understood that assembling his invention was not so easy. In 1975, the inventor managed to obtain a patent. And the first batch arrived in the USSR in 1981. This toy was very popular and in short supply among the inhabitants of the USSR.

Nowadays, puzzle solving enthusiasts participate in various puzzle assembly competitions. Only a man named Mats Valk managed to solve the Rubik's cube in 5.55 seconds, which is an absolute record in history. at the moment time.

How to quickly solve a Rubik's cube

In this part of the article, readers will learn how to learn how to assemble a puzzle. The steps to solve a Rubik's Cube include:

1. Assembling a cross on one of the faces of the cube. Usually the top edge is chosen. To build a cross, you need to select any color whose fragment is in the center of the face. Then try to build a cross around it. In order for the cross to be assembled faster, it is necessary that its “branches” continue on the next faces, which consist of two similar fragments of the figure.

2. Direct layer-by-layer assembly of the cube. It is necessary to assemble a side of the same color. The puzzle fragments must form a special “belt”, which is located near the assembled edge. Then you need to assemble the second “belt”.

3. You need to assemble the cross on the side that is opposite the side containing the cross. And then completely assemble the side containing the second cross.

4. Arrange the corner parts of the cube so that all three sides match the edges in color.

5. Arrange the sides of the cube according to color.

It is believed that smallest number There are twenty steps to complete this puzzle.

Having mastered the simple method, you can move on to Jessica Friedrich’s method, which is more complex. According to this method, solving a Rubik's cube goes like this:

• The cross is assembled on the starting side.
• The first and second layers are assembled.
• Assembling the remaining layers.

Thus, the process of solving a Rubik's cube is quite exciting and educational. Having learned to assemble such a puzzle, you can amaze both friends and ill-wishers with your intelligence.

The implementation of these methods in practice is presented in the video below.