TIe worId's besL-seIIIng Loy Isn'L u gume, u doII or u spud: IL's u IumbIe urrungemenL oI z6 cubes,

InvenLed by u HungurIun urcIILecLure proIessor buck In 1q;q.

n LIe ; yeurs sInce Erno RubIk IIrsL creuLed IIs Iumous cube, IL's soId over o mIIIIon unILs,
mukIng LIe mun IImseII u IouseIoId nume und propeIIIng IIs cuboId conundrum InLo LIe IIsLory
books. AILIougI ILs LIree-dImensIonuI nuLure mukes IL u LrIcky prospecL Ior begInners, pros cun soIve
IL weII under u mInuLe. TIe worId record? A mere .66 seconds.
Hurd us LIuL muy be Lo beIIeve, muLIemuLIcIuns Iuve proved IL's uIwuys possIbIe Lo soIve ubsoIuLeIy
uny cube urrungemenL, no muLLer Iow scrumbIed, In zo moves or Iess. DecIdIng wIIcI zo Is LIe Iurd
bIL -- buL we're Iere Lo IeIp.
Sqouring op to the Cobe
L's nuLuruI Lo LIInk oI LIe cube us IuvIng sIx Iuces, eucI wILI nIne cubes. BuL don'L. nsLeud, LIInk oI
IL us z6 cubIeLs, grouped InLo LIree cuLegorIes: cenLers, edges, und corners.
CenLers Iuve one coIored sIde, und ure IIxed LogeLIer by LIe cube's InLernuI spIndIe. TIey cun move
uround buL cun'L swup pIuces, und LIere ure sIx oI LIem, one per Iuce. GeL In LIe IubIL oI LIInkIng oI
LIese us IIxed poInLs LIuL IndIcuLe LIe proper coIor Ior eucI Iuce.
TIe LweIve edge cubes Iuve Lwo sIdes und cun be Iound In LIe mIddIe oI u Iuce. Corners, meunwIIIe,
Iuve LIree sIdes, und LIere ure eIgIL oI LIem -- Iour on LIe Lop, Iour on LIe boLLom.
Sturt ut the beginning
TIere ure IoLs oI good meLIods Ior soIvIng u RubIk's Cube, buL some ure eusIer LIun oLIers. MosL oI
LIe begInner-upproprIuLe ones sLurL LIe sume wuy: soIve LIe Lop Iuce.
How? PIck u coIor (uny coIor), und IInd LIe correspondIng cenLer cubIeL. TIen move ouL LIe cubIeLs
LIuL don'L IIL, und move In LIe ones LIuL do. I you geL one In LIe rIgIL pIuce buL wILI LIe wrong
orIenLuLIon, move IL ouL und come buck Lo IL IuLer. Once you're done, you'II Iuve noL onIy LIe Lop Iuce
one unIIorm coIor, buL LIe Lop LIree cubIeLs on eucI sIde Iuce wIII uIso muLcI; II noL, you Iuve un
edge or corner In LIe wrong pIuce.
Go "throogh the keyhole"
HuvIng soIved one Iuce, you're probubIy preLLy reIucLunL Lo undo your good work. BuL someLImes you
need Lo sLep buckwurds Lo move Iorwurds, und LIuL's LIe prIncIpIe beIInd LIIs Iundy LIp.
AILer soIvIng LIe Lop Iuce, LIe sLundurd nexL sLep Is Lo LuckIe LIe boLLom, opposILe Iuce. One good wuy
Lo do LIuL Is Lo deIIberuLeIy move un edge pIece ouL Irom LIe uIreudy IInIsIed Lop, mukIng u
"keyIoIe." As you muneuver pIeces Lo soIve LIe boLLom Iuce, you'II IInd LIuL II you move LIem
LIrougI LIe keyIoIe eucI LIme, you won'L dIsLurb LIe resL oI LIe Lop. Once you're done wILI LIe
boLLom, IL's u sImpIe muLLer Lo move LIe keyIoIe pIece buck InLo pIuce.
evelop yoor intoition
SLuck? TIuL's noL surprIsIng. Once you've goL LIe Lop und boLLom Iuces down, muLLers geL more
dIIIIcuIL.
We suggesL sLoppIng LIere, rescrumbIIng LIe cube, und sLurLIng over. Once you've gone Irom u
compIeLe cubescrumbIe Lo u coupIe oI IInIsIed sIdes, you'II Iuve ubsorbed mosL oI LIe prIncIpIes und
meLIods you'II need Lo IInIsI up LIuL eIusIve mIddIe Iuyer. BuL II you're sLIII sLuck, LIere ure
some greuL, sLep-by-sLep LuLorIuIs on LIe Web -- buL be prepured Lo memorIze some preLLy compIex
move sequences. I you cun Ione your own InLuILIon wILIouL deLuIIed guIdes, you'II be u beLLer soIver.
on't Iorget: lobe yoor Cobe
Are your LwIsLs jusL noL us smooLI us you LIInk LIey sIouId be? Muybe your cube Is runnIng dry.
TwIsL LIe Lop Iuce LIrougI q degrees, und use u IIuL-bIuded screwdrIver Lo genLIy pry ouL one oI LIe
edge pIeces. Spruy u smuII umounL oI sIIIcon-bused IubrIcunL -- uvuIIubIe Irom your IocuI Iome
ImprovemenL sLore -- InLo LIe gup. RepIuce LIe edge pIece, und gIve your cube u good scrumbIIng.
You sIouId IInd IL mucI smooLIer, und your soIvIng LImes sIouId pIummeL.