Single Alg Cube Solution

This tutorial describes a simple beginner method for solving the Rubik's cube, requiring memorisation of only one short algorithm. The tutorial is designed for complete cubing beginners. It requires no pre-existing knowledge of the Rubik's cube or any understanding of algorithm notation. Everything is explained in english. The general concept for this method comes from a method called 8355, but there are some modifications to improve ease of learning.

The method is based on a short algorithm called the sexy move. In algorithm notation, the sexy move is R U R' U'. This translates into plain English as:

Rotate the right layer 90° clockwise.
Rotate the top layer 90° clockwise.
Rotate the right layer 90° anticlockwise.
Rotate the top layer 90° anticlockwise.

In order to keep reading to a minimum, the standard tutorial is presented in a short and concise style. A longer explanitory version is also available to provide a more detailed description of the steps:

[ concise version | explanatory version ]

The Steps

• Cross
• 3x Middle Layer Edges
• 3x Bottom Layer Corners
• 3x Top Layer Edges
• Final Two Edges
• 3x More Corners
• Final two corners

Terms used:

• edge A piece with two stickers. It is solved when both stickers match their neighbouring centre pieces. There are 12 edges on the Rubik's cube, each occupying a unique position on the cube when solved.
• corner A piece with three stickers. There are 8 corner pieces on the cube, and again each corner piece has a unique 'solved' position on the cube.
• side Any face which is not the top or bottom face. In this tutorial the top face will always have a yellow center sticker, and the bottom will always have a white center sticker. If the cube is held in this way, a 'side' will have a center sticker which is either red, orange, green or blue.
• front The front face of the cube is taken to be the vertical face closest to the solver. In the cube diagrams shown the 'front' face is the bottom-left side, normally with a blue sticker in the center.

During the tutorial, hold the cube with the yellow center sticker on the top face. Click on the larger cube images for animated examples...

Cross

This step involves creating a cross or '+' shape on the bottom face by solving 4 bottom-layer edges. Remember, when an edge piece is solved its stickers must match both of its neighbouring center stickers. When solving the cross make sure each bottom layer edge also has its side-facing sticker matching up with the side's center sticker. Solve the cross by repeating these steps:

1. Look in the top layer for an edge which belongs in the bottom layer. Any edge piece with at least one white sticker belongs in the bottom layer. Twist the top layer until one of the edge's stickers matches a side's centre sticker.
   
   

   If the side's centre sticker and matching edge sticker are next to each other, then twist the side 180°

   Otherwise the side's center sticker is next to the edge's white sticker so twist the side 90°

   Now repeat this step for another edge. If there are no bottom layer edges in the top layer, go to step #2.
2. Look in the bottom layer for an edge which belongs in the bottom layer but is not solved. This would include any edge (in the bottom layer) in which (1) the white sticker is on the side face, or (2) where the white sticker is on the bottom face, but the edge's side-facing sticker does not match the side's center sticker.
   
   

   Twist the side containing the edge by 180° to move it into the top layer. Now go back to step #1.

   If there are no unsolved bottom layer edges in the bottom layer, go to step #3.
3. Look in the middle layer for an edge which belongs in the bottom layer. The middle layer is the horizontal layer, sandwiched between the top and bottom layer.

   Turn a side by 90° so that the edge moves into the top layer with its bottom face sticker in the top face. This means the edge's white sticker should be face-up in the top layer.

   Rotate the top layer to move the edge away from the side which was just turned, and then undo the side turn. When the side turn is undone the edge should stay in the top layer.
   
   Now go back to step #1.

3x Middle Layer Edges

Look in the top layer for an edge which belongs in the middle layer. This is any edge piece which does not have a yellow or white sticker. Look at edge's side-facing sticker. Find the side on the cube with the same colour of sticker in the centre.

If the edge is positioned within the side, (ie. its side-facing sticker and the side's center sticker match) then twist the top layer to move it away.

Turn the side 90° so that a bottom layer edge moves into the position that the middle layer edge will occupy when solved.

Looking at the example cube above, the goal is to solve the blue-red edge into the position between the red and blue centers. Because the blue-red edge has its red sticker on a side-face, the 90° turn is done on the side with a red center sticker. This moves the red-white edge from the bottom layer into the position between the red and blue centers in the middle layer.

Now rotate the top layer so that the middle layer edge moves into the side which was just turned. In this case, the side with a red center sticker.

Undo the side turn. This drags the blue-red edge down into the middle layer so that is sits in its solved position, between the blue and red centers.

If no middle layer edges are in the top layer, then move an unsolved middle layer edge into the top layer by turning a side-face 90°. Now rotate the top layer and then undo the turn on the side-face.

3x Bottom Layer Corners

Keeping the cross in the bottom layer, rotate the cube so that the last unsolved middle layer edge is in the front-right. If all the edges in the middle layer are solved, hold the cube with any middle layer edge in the front right.

Look in the top layer for a corner which belongs in the bottom layer, but not directly below the front-right position. Using the cube image to the right as an example, this would be any corner with a white sticker, except for the blue-red-white corner. This is because the blue-red-white corner belongs directly below the unsolved blue-red position in the middle layer. These two positions form an empty 'slot' which needs to remain unsolved at this stage.

Rotate the top layer so that the corner is in the front-right position. This will place it directly above the unsolved middle layer position.

Now rotate the bottom layer, so that the place where the corner belongs is also in the front-right position.

In the example cube above, this would involve twisting the bottom layer so that the orange-white and blue-white edges are either side of the unsolved middle layer position. When the orange-blue-white corner drops down to the bottom layer in the next step, this ensures it will lie between the orange-white and blue-white edges.

Now repeat the sexy move until the corner is correctly in position in the bottom layer.

Each time the sexy move is done it swaps the top-front-right and bottom-front-right corners. At the same time the corners are also twisted into each of their three possible orientations. The first repetition of the sexy move will place the corner, but it may be incorrectly twisted. Keep repeating the sexy move until the corner is in position and correctly twisted (with its white sticker facing down). The number of repetitions required to place the corner will be either 1, 3 or 5.

If there are no bottom layer corners in the top layer, then rotate the bottom layer until an unsolved corner is in the front-right position. Do the sexy move once. The corner will now be in the top layer.

Once 3 corners have been placed in the bottom layer, the bottom two layers will be solved except for an unsolved 'slot' (corner and edge) in the front-right. The next stage will make use of this slot to solve the top layer edges.

3x Top Layer Edges

Rotate the top layer to align the side-facing stickers of as many top layer edges as possible. Always do this before inserting an edge, to check which edges are still unsolved. Try to avoid assuming that a top-layer edge is solved when its yellow sticker is facing up. Remember that both the top-facing and side-facing stickers must match their neighbouring center stickers in order for a top-layer edge to be solved.

Look at the top layer edge in the front-right of the middle layer. A top-layer edge is any edge with a yellow sticker. Imagine the 90° side turn which will place it into the top layer with the correct sticker facing up, taking a note of where it will be placed. The 90° turn will either be a clockwise turn of the right-hand face, or an anti-clockwise turn of the front face. The chosen turn should move the edge from the middle layer into either the top-front or top-right position in the top layer, with its yellow sticker facing up. Do not make the side turn just yet. Instead make a mental note of where the edge will go when the side-turn is made.

Rotate the top layer so that the edge will be placed into its correct position when the side turn is made.

To find the edge's correct position, look at its non-yellow sticker. Now find the side with a center sticker which matches. The edge will be placed directly above that side in the top-layer when solved. The top layer needs to be rotated so that this position is moved to co-incide with the position the edge will be placed into when the 90° side turn is made. Looking at the example cube above, the yellow-green edge can be placed into the top layer by turning the right face. In order to be solved the yellow-green edge must be placed into the top-back position. By doing a 90° clockwise rotation of the top face, the green-yellow edge's home position now occupies the top-right. When the 90° turn is made this places the green-yellow edge into the correct position, relative to the other edges in the top layer.

Do the 90° side turn to place the edge into the top layer.

Rotate the top layer to replace it with another unsolved edge.

Undo the side turn. This will drag the unsolved edge down into the 'slot' position in the front-right of the middle layer.

If there is no top layer edge in the front-right position of the middle layer: Turn the right face 90° clockwise. Rotate the top layer to place an unsolved edge in the top-right position. Undo the turn on the right face. This will bring a top-layer edge down into the 'slot' position in the front-right of the middle layer.

Final Two Edges

Normally, following the procedure in the previous step will only solve three edges. If the fourth top-layer edge is placed there is no unsolved edge to replace it with when undoing the side turn. Because of this, a different approach is required to solve the final two edges. There are four possible scenarios:

1. You're lucky and all the edges are solved! Go to the next step.
2. The fourth top layer edge is in place, but flipped:
   
   

   Ensuring the flipped edge remains in place, turn a side face to move the unsolved middle layer edge into the top layer.

   Rotate the top layer so that the flipped top layer edge replaces the middle layer edge.

   Undo the side turn. This will drag the flipped edge down into the slot position in the middle layer.

   At this point only two of the top layer edges will be in the correct position. Align the top layer to identify which two edges are solved. Now solve the edge in the slot position using the same procedure used to solve the first three top layer edges. The final two edges will fall into place.

3. The fourth top layer edge is in the front-right of the middle layer, and can be placed by turning the right face. In other words, turning the right-face by 90° would place the edge in the top layer with the yellow sticker facing up:
   
   

   Turn the top face so that the unsolved edge is in the top-front position.

   Do the sexy move once. This has the effect of shuffling the top layer so that only two edges are now in the correct position.

   Align the top layer to identify which two edges are still in the correct position. Now solve the edge in the slot position using the same procedure used to solve the first three top layer edges. The final two edges will fall into place.

4. The fourth top layer edge is in the front-right of the middle layer, and can be placed by turning the front face. In other words, turning the front-face by 90° anticlockwise would place the edge in the top layer with the yellow sticker facing up:
   
   

   Keeping the yellow layer facing up, rotate the cube so that the unsolved middle-layer edge is in the front left.

   Turn the top face so that the unsolved edge is in the top-front position.

   Turn the front face 180°.

   Do the sexy move once. This has the effect of shuffling the top-layer edges so that only two are solved.

   Undo the 180° turn on the front face.

   Align the top layer to identify which two edges are still in the correct position. Now solve the edge in the slot position using the same procedure used to solve the first three top layer edges. The final two edges will fall into place.

3x More Corners

Flip the cube over so that the top layer is now the bottom layer (the yellow layer is now on the bottom). Now rotate the cube so that the single unsolved corner in the new top-layer is in the front-right position. If it happens that all corners in the top layer are solved, just pick any corner. From now on the cube should not be rotated under any circumstances. Follow these steps:

1.  

   Look at the corner in the front-right of the top layer. If it does not belong in the bottom layer (it has no yellow sticker), do the sexy move once and a bottom layer corner will move into that position.

2.  

   Look at the bottom layer corner in the front-right of the top layer. Rotate the bottom layer so that the position the corner belongs in is also in the front-right. In the example diagram to the right, the bottom would be rotated so that the red and green edges are either side of the front-right corner position. This will allow the red-green-yellow corner to drop down into its home position between its neighbouring edges.

3.  

   Repeat the sexy move until the corner is correctly in position in the bottom layer. After doing this the top layer will probably look scrambled - don't worry that's supposed to happen! Repeating the sexy move later on will eventually restore the top layer.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 until there is only 1 unsolved corner left in the bottom layer.

At this point the top layer probably still looks scrambled. To unscramble it, rotate the bottom layer to position the final unsolved corner in the front-right. This time, repeat the sexy move until the top layer looks mostly solved again. If you're lucky the cube will now be solved completely, but normally there will be two unsolved corners remaining.

Before moving onto the final stage, ensure the last unsolved corner in the bottom layer is still in the front-right position. Do not align this layer until the end of the solve.

Final two corners

These are solved in a similar way to the first three. First rotate the cube so that the final two unsolved corners are in the bottom layer, occupying the front-left and front-right positions. Again, do not rotate the cube during these steps:

1. Do the sexy move until the front-right corner in the bottom layer is solved. As before, the top layer will appear scrambled.
2. Turn the bottom layer to position the last unsolved corner in the front-right position.
3. Repeat step #1. This time the top layer will return to a solved state.

Align the layers to complete the solve. This will be no more than two moves.

If you're now holding a solved cube, congratulations!

Last updated: 12^th February 2011