blueknight cubing

*Remember that Ctrl+F will let you search for a word, rather than having to look through this whole list!

The Layer by Layer Method: Also known as the beginner's method, most solvers don't stick with this method for very long. A very slow f2l is this method's weak point, so most Layer by Layer solvers eventually switch to the Jessica Friedrich method.

The Jessica Friedrich Method: This is basically the same as the layer by layer method with a very fast and efficient F2L system. This is the method that most of the world class solvers use (with their own tweaks, of course). I use and teach this method.

The Keyhole Method: This method came around before Jessica Friedrich, and used to be the one that all the best speedsolvers used. Basically it's the layer by layer method, but with a cool F2L trick. An empty slot is utilized and mid-layer edges can be placed without first disturbing the first layer corners. This is actually a method which is still worth learning today, because in certain situations of a Jessica Friedrich solve, keyholing can be the quickest way to do something. Heh, keyholing... sounds dirty.

The Lars Petrus method: This is an interesting method that I used to use. Most people agree that it's not too great for speedy times, but for 'fewest moves' competition it owns. This is where you build a 2x2x2 block, extend it to a 2x2x3 block, orient the edges, further extend it to a 2x3x3 block and then you're left with a somewhat simplified last layer.

The Roux Method: This is a method I know very little about. Basically, you build two 1x2x3 blocks on the left and right side of the bottom two layers. Next, the last layer corners are placed, and by using M turns and U turns, you finish the remainder of the cube. From what I hear, it can be quite fast.

The Ortega Method: A corners first 3x3 method which is extremely useful when adapted to a 2x2. This is a very fast method for the 2x2, and very easy to learn with only 4 new algorithms. Bottom corners and top corners are permuted at once with very fast triggers. Ortega is not as good as the Guimond Method. People easily get sub-10 second solves with this method, which would be quite difficult to do with an adapted layer-by-layer kinda method.

The Guimond Method: This is a method exclusively for the 2x2 "Pocket Cube" which exploits the fact that there are a relatively limited number of cases. It's quite complex, and I haven't had a chance to completely learn it. Check out Thrawst's tutorial on YouTube for more information, he explains it really well. This method is faster than Ortega, but very hard to learn. There are about 25 algorithms in total.

Intuitive, Intuitively: I think most people know what these words mean. The only reason I include them in my terminology is because "Intuitive" is a word you will be hearing a lot when learning about the Rubik's cube. Basically it means that it is easy to handle the situation with common sense, logic, and natural problem solving skills... and that algorithms will not be needed.

Cubies: refers to each visible piece of a Rubik's cube. Corners, edges, and centers are all cubies, although each one has different numbers of stickers. A common mistake of beginners is to think each sticker moves independently, which is not the case.

Core: the interior center piece of a  cube, which is not visible. It's important that cores are good because a shitty core usually means a shitty cube.

Big Cubes: refers to any cube that is larger than 3x3x3. The 4x4 and 5x5 are the most common big cubes, although people solve all sizes of big cubes up to 20x20 and beyond.

Rubik's Revenge: another name for the Rubik's 4x4

Professor Cube: another name for the Rubik's 5x5

BLD: is simply an abbreviation for "blindsolve".

OH: is an abbreviation for "one handed". 

WCA: "World Cubing Association" the group that keeps track of all the world records, and makes all the rules. Official competitions will have the WCA's approval. 

Algorithm: (sometimes abbreviated to alg or algo) is a string of moves which is known to move certain pieces around in a desirable fashion, by using lots of these, we can solve situations which would otherwise be tantamount to impossible to handle intuitively.

2-gen Algorithm: refers to an algorithm that consists only of R turns and U turns. These algorithms are very desirable, because of how fast they can be performed. 

Commutators: are an intermediate concept. Commutators work sort of like algorithms, but they are much more versatile, and can generally be applied to many different situations, as opposed to an algorithm which is specific to only one case. Its kind of difficult to explain commutators without an example, so lets just say they are used a lot in blindsolves, and big cube solves. An understanding of commutators will be an ace up your sleeve in certain situations. BadMephisto, a user on YouTube, has a video explaining this concept.

Color Scheme: the relative colors of the stickers of a Rubik's cube. A normal cube will  have yellow on the top, green in the front, and orange on the right. White is opposite yellow, blue is opposite green, and red is opposite orange. Color scheme also refers to which colors the solver is used to using for their solve. Most people solve with white on the bottom, and a yellow on the top. Doing this helps with recognition.  

Color Neutrality: most solvers always start with the same color, to help their recognition. Some solvers, however, try to find out which color has the easiest first step, which gives them a bit of a boost off the start. These solvers are said to be "Color Neutral" meaning that they do not prefer one color over another. There is some debate over whether or not color neutrality is faster than sticking to a particular color scheme.

The Cross: The four edges of the bottom layer. This is the step where you correctly orient and place the bottom layer edges during a Layer by Layer or Friedrich Solve.

F2L: "First two Layers" Pretty self explanatory. The first two layers is the most time consuming step of a solve. Wanna get faster? Work on your F2L.

OLL: "Orientation of the Last Layer" This is the step where you make all last layer pieces face the same direction. (All the stickers on the top should be the same color at the end of this step, but around the edge of the top layer isn't necessarily done.) There are 57 possible cases for the OLL.

2-look OLL: An intermediate method for the OLL, in which the solver orients the edges with a certain algorithm, and the corners with another. A total of nine algorithms must be learned  in order to use a reliable 2-Look OLL.

Last Edge Control: This is a powerful technique for the intermediate cuber, The last edge pair is placed in such a way that it also orients the last layer edges. This effectively reduces the 2-Look OLL to a single step. However; it too, takes time and is not perfect. Last Edge Control is also sort of the 'lazy way out' of learning all 57 OLLs, in some cases.

PLL: "Permutation of the Last Layer" This is the step in which the last layer cubies are moved to their 'solved' positions, without affecting their orientation. There are 21 possible cases for the PLL. 

2-look PLL: An early intermediate method for the PLL, in which the solver permutes the corners with a certain algorithm, and the edges with another. A total of seven algorithms must be learned in order to use this method effectively. 

4-Look LL: A combination of 2-Look PLL and 2-Look OLL. It's not very fast, but certainly better than nothing.

3-Look LL: Usually refers to a 2-Look OLL used with full PLL. This is quite fast, and most intermediate/advanced solvers settle into this niche.

Parity: Refers to an extra step that must be performed to solve a certain problem. This term most often refers to the orientation parity on a 4x4, which is a sonofabitch to solve. However, it is also used in blindsolving, and comes up often in all big cubes.

ZBF2L: "Zborowski's First two Layers" This is an advanced F2L technique that involves placing the last edge pair such that the edges in the LL are already oriented. This is similar to last edge control, but much more complicated, and a fair bit faster. 

COLL: "Corner Orient Last Layer" This is an advanced method in which the corners are oriented and permuted at the same time with one algorithm. The edges must already be oriented, and will likely have to be permuted afterward, but the only possible PLLs that can exist after a COLL are Ua, Ub, H, and Z; all of which are super fast. This method is often used in conjunction with ZBF2L. Can you say sub-15?

MGLS: "Makisumi-Garron Last Slot" This is a relatively new advanced method that I'm still trying to get my head around.. From what I understand, it is similar to ZBF2L, but goes a step beyond. MGLS is a 2 step technique consisting of an ELS and CLS. ELS - The edge piece of the last slot is placed, while orienting the edges in the top layer. CLS - The corner piece of the last slot is placed, while orienting the corners in the top layer. This method seems like it would be extremely fast. Apparently, only a couple of people have learned this method in full.  

POP: is when due to rigorous speedsolving, a piece 'pops' out of the cube. See the rules section above for more information on pops. 

DNF: "Did Not Finish" a term used mostly in blindsolves, when the solver makes a mistake, and therefore did not actually finish.

AUF: "Adjust Up Face" sometimes after PLL the top face still needs to be turned to compete the solve. Some cubers do this before the PLL. This term is not necessarily exclusive to PLL situations. 

+2: "The dreaded +2 second penalty" This occurs when the solver is in a hurry to stop the timer... so much so, that they miss the last turn of the solve! Oh noes!! If the cube is one turn away from being solved, the solver is penalized two whole seconds! It might sound like a no brainer, but you might actually find yourself doing this a lot. Officially, if one of the faces is more than 45 degrees off of where it should be, you're going to get penalized.

PB: "Personal Best" Need I say more? Most speedsolvers keep track of their personal best time for each event. What's mine? 16.20 seconds.

WR: "World Record" The current world record is held by Erik Akkersdijk, at 7.08 seconds, completely blowing the old record of 8.72 (Nakajima) out of the water.

NR: "National Record" national records are within a particular country. It's easier to set a national record than a world record.

"Official/Unofficial" World Records: an official world record can only be achieved in a WCA approved competition. Unofficial world records are recorded by certain websites, like speedcubing.com, but are not really considered to be valid world records. You can submit your records at speedcubing.com to try to get your name on the list.

"Lucky": a lucky solve is a blessing and a curse. This is when you "skip" a step by chance, which makes your time faster. It's nice when it happens because your time is usually a quite few seconds lower than average, but it also kind of sucks because lucky solves usually aren't considered valid.

Stackmat: a digital timer, which has become the official timer of the WCA. Originally, the stackmat was developed for another sport... cup stacking. *sigh*, and people think speedcubers are nerds.. there's guys that actually compete at stacking cups. It is made to clip onto a large rubber mat, which provides grip so that the cups don't shift around too much... hence "Stackmat".

JNetCube: A popular timer program which takes averages, and does some other stuff.

CCT: "Calcube Timer" another timer program, does all kinds of neat things. One of it's nicest features is that it is compatible with a stackmat via an audio cable.

Eastsheen: an alternative brand of cube puzzles. Many people feel that they are superior to Rubik's Cubes. Eastsheen does not make 3x3 cubes, but they do make 2x2s, 4x4s, and 5x5s. Some major differences are that Eastsheen big cubes are smaller and lighter, and generally turn much smoother than Rubik's big cubes. As for the 2x2, not only does it turn much nicer but it's also much larger than the Rubik's 2x2; a wise move in my opinion. One other distinguishing feature is that Eastsheen cubes have a dark pink side, rather than an orange side. I kinda like it, but it can be distracting when you're used to normal colors.

V-Cubes: Verdes Cubes is a company which has recently began producing very high quality 5x5, 6x6, and 7x7 puzzles. Lately, everyone has been buying these cubes and are generally very impressed by the quality and the challenge. No other company has been able to produce anything higher than 5x5, so the launch of V-Cubes in the summer of 2008 was a very exciting event to the cubing community. An interesting feature of the 7x7 is that it has a unique "pillowed shape" which is designed to keep the corners closer to the core (for improved stability).

DIY Cube: "Do it Yourself Cube" have adjustable tension in the springs, and a much more solid mechanism with higher quality pieces than normal Rubik's brand cubes. Because of the adjustable nature of the cube, they are very popular as speed cubes. They also come in all kinds of funky colors. The white DIY cubes are very popular.

Megaminx: not really a cube, but not far from. This is a puzzle in the shape of a dodecahedron, consisting of 12 faces, 20 corners, and 30 edges. The reason I mention it here is because it is a popular puzzle amongst cubers, and believe it or not, it can be solved using the Jessica Friedrich method.

Cubesmith Tiles: are custom stickers that you order from California. They are very durable and never peel, so your cube looks very professional all the time. You can also get normal stickers from Cubesmith for much cheaper, which are still superior to normal Rubik's stickers.

Ooops! Did you find a mistake? Please let me know about it so that I can improve the website!

 Okay, first you should know that these are a very, very basic and simplified set of rules. For the full set of rules, click the link below. I thought I would add this section for beginners to read, just so they know what they are getting themselves into. If you don't, you might start forming bad habits which are hard to beat later on. For intermediate to advanced people, you should know better and read the full set of official rules. Nothing listed below is wrong, at least I don't think it is, but there is a lot more to it than I'm writing here.

World Cubing Association Competition Regulations (the official rulebook)

 

  Speedsolving

 Your scrambles should be generated by a computer program, not just done by yourself. There are two main programs for this purpose- JNetCube and CCT. Both are great, and they also work as timers. I highly recommend using one or both of these programs for practicing speedsolving. This is also helpful because it will get you very familiar with using notation.

 In competitions, you get 15 seconds to look at your cube and plan your first few moves. You can't move any pieces during this time. Any more than 15 seconds, and your cheating! Be safe, and inspect quick. Should really only take 5-10 seconds anyways.

 When you start the timer, your palms should be flat on the table. You can't be touching the cube until the timer starts either! Same deal for stopping the timer. Once you finish, let the cube fly, and slam your hands palms down onto the table as dramatically as possible. You can't still be touching the cube when you stop the timer!

 Regarding POPs: If your cube breaks and some pieces fall out, you can do one of two things. Repair the puzzle and try to salvage your solve.. or stop the solve altogether. Stopping the solve won't give you a 'do over' though, so there is no reason not to continue.

 Regarding Penalties: You can get penalties by doing goofy stuff, including breaking any of the rules above. Most often though, you'll get a penalty from stopping the timer before you do the last turn of a solve. +2 seconds! Tough luck. See? That's why I'm telling you this kinda stuff! Sometimes you can even get disqualified too, if you mess up bad enough. My advice is don't form bad habits, practice like you were at a competition.

 Also, if you're just chillin' and solving at home try to get a timer that measures to the nearest hundredth, and try to do large averages of at least 12 solves. The more solves are in your average, the more meaningful the number you get is. At a competition, you'll be asked to do an average of 5, but being comfortable with larger averages will help your consistency. Consistency is good.

  

  Blindsolving

 What's blindsolving? If you don't know, you won't believe me. Skip this part.

 A lot of the same rules.. For a blindsolve you do not get the 15 second inspect. You actually get as long of an inspect as you want, but it's being timed, so be quick.

 You're not allowed to jot down notes in competition, but if you're practicing blindsolves at home, this might be helpful.. Just make sure you shake off that crutch quick! You don't want to rely on something that you can't use!

 You can't mod your cube so that you can feel the differences in the pieces either, so don't even think about it.

 NO PEEKING DAMMIT!!! Run down to Wal-Mart and get one of those sleeping masks, they are pretty good for blindsolves because they completely blank out all vision, and they are very comfortable to wear, which is important because you don't want to be distracted. If we catch you peeking, everyone will think your a douche. Anyways, I think this rule really ought to go without saying.

 Ooops! Did you find a mistake? Please let me know about it so that I can improve the website!