Guide to Solve A Rubiks Cube [CFOP]

by **Gecko** 30/9/2013, 4:12 pm

This guide goes over how to solve a Rubiks Cube using the CFOP style method. When spelled out it goes Cross First Two Layers(F2L) Orientation of the Last Layer(OLL) and Permutation of the Last Layer(PLL). So stay Tuned to the best guide in SM to solve a rubiks cube. This will be one in a few series on how to solve a Cube, later to come: Roux

Terminology
Something you are going to need to know is a bit of terminology that will be used throughout the guide

Terms:

Understanding how the Cube works.
Now what you may think is this is pointless and there is no way this will help you solve it in the future. Abandon this idea I did not bring this guide to you and as such will not just be feeding you lies.

Follow the piece
This is what you must know is why the cube turns the way it does and why certain turns will move certain pieces to certain places.
For this part I want to to choose one corner piece

Spoiler:

This is a corner piece, obviously a piece on the corner of the cube. All you need to do is mess around with the cube and follow that one corner. This is so you can get a feel for the cube and understand why those turns do what they do.

As for the next step do the same thing with a corner to understand the corners as well.

Learning Notation
Here I am just going to post a picture showing which turns are which... I may make a video on which turns but it all depends on a few things, namely if my camera is busted.

This is which sides are coresponded to what letters which will help with F2L and the last layer.

Notation:

In this picture its hard to see but some of the Notation letters have a ' next to them this means prime and is the opposite of the normal turn.

Example: U, is the top turned towards the left of your face. U' is turned towards the right of your face.

Getting the Cross
This for some reason seems to be one of the hardest parts for people to grasp. All you need to do it take all the edge pieces on one color and match them up with the correct center.

Cross:

This shows what two sides will look like when done correctly.

Note
The black parts are cubies to ignore... for now.

There isn't really any other way to go about it other than telling you to get it, you either get it and can continue or you don't and should read my next guide based on a different way to solve it. This part lets you know whether or not you are puzzle smart as you kind have to do this intuitively.

Solving the First Two Layers: Corners
This falls under the category of beginners method which is a simplified CFOP. This is the first step in F2L. What you do is solve the corners so that the colors line up with the cross and also the adjacent pieces.

Visual:

Theres not much more to add... this is a fairly intuitive part.

Solving the First Two Layers: Edges
This is one of the easier parts and involves matching up the pairs with the corners. This cannot really be explained so I will show you in a video to be posted in a day or two.

Solving the First Two Layers: Edges
This step is much like the last except now it deal with those edges. Unfortunately due to its intuitive nature I must make a video as an explanation is not at all easy. I will have one post asap.