#1 Cheat Sheet: Solve A Rubik's Cube In 20 Moves

Rubik's Cube
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Have you ever looked at a Rubik’s Cube and wondered how to solve it? Or maybe you’ve tried to solve it but given up in frustration after getting stuck? If so, then this article is for you!

In this guide, we will be going over the beginner’s method to solve the Rubik’s Cube in 20 moves or less. This method is simple and easy to follow, and it doesn’t require any memorization of algorithms. Within two paragraphs, you’ll have the knowledge to solve this iconic puzzle.

Solving a Rubik’s Cube can be a fun and rewarding experience. Not only will you have the satisfaction of completing a challenging puzzle, but you’ll also learn some valuable problem-solving skills. So what are you waiting for? Grab a Rubik’s Cube and let’s get started!

Break Down the Cube’s Structure

The Rubik’s Cube is a classic puzzle that has captivated minds for decades. Solving it can seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it becomes a manageable challenge. The first step towards solving the cube is to understand its structure.

The Cube’s Anatomy

The Rubik’s Cube is made up of 54 smaller cubes, called cubies, arranged in a 3x3x3 grid. Each cubie has six sides, with each side having a single color. The six colors are: white, yellow, red, orange, green, and blue.

The Three Layers

The cube is divided into three layers: the top layer, the middle layer, and the bottom layer. Each layer consists of nine cubies arranged in a 3×3 grid. The top layer is the one that is visible when the cube is held in its default position, while the bottom layer is the one that is not visible. The middle layer is sandwiched between the top and bottom layers.

The Center Cubies

Each face of the cube has a center cubie that is fixed in place. These center cubies form the reference points for solving the cube. The top center cubie is white, the bottom center cubie is yellow, the front center cubie is red, the back center cubie is orange, the left center cubie is green, and the right center cubie is blue.

The Facets

Each of the six faces of the cube has nine facets, which are the colored squares that make up the face. The facets are arranged in a 3×3 grid, with the center facet being the center cubie. The facets on the top and bottom layers are visible when the cube is held in its default position, while the facets on the middle layer are only visible when the cube is turned.

Table of Cubie Types

Cubie Type	Number
Corner cubies	8
Edge cubies	12
Center cubies	6

Solve the White Cross

The first step in solving the Rubik’s Cube is to solve the white cross on the bottom face. This can be done by following these steps:

1. Orient the white edge pieces.

Hold the cube so that the white face is on top and the green face is facing you. Locate the four white edge pieces and orient them so that they match the color of the center squares on the adjacent sides. For example, the white-green edge piece should be placed on the side with the green center square.

2. Insert the white edge pieces.

To insert a white edge piece, hold the piece so that the white side is facing up and the colored side is facing the center of the bottom face. Align the piece with the corresponding colored center square and insert it into the slot between the two center squares. Repeat this process for the remaining three white edge pieces.

3. Check the white cross.

Once all four white edge pieces have been inserted, check to make sure that the white cross is complete. If the cross is not complete, you may need to repeat steps 1 and 2 until it is correct.

White Edge Piece	Color of Adjacent Center Square
White-Green	Green
White-Red	Red
White-Orange	Orange
White-Blue	Blue

Insert Edge Pieces into the Middle Layer

To insert edge pieces into the middle layer, begin by identifying an edge piece that matches the color of the side you are inserting it into. Once you have found an edge piece, you need to position it on the side of the cube that corresponds to its color.

To do this, hold the cube so that the side you want to insert the edge piece into is facing you. Then, rotate the top layer of the cube so that the empty slot on the side matches the color of the edge piece you are inserting. Once the empty slot is aligned, insert the edge piece by pushing it into the slot until it clicks into place.

Step	Instruction
1	Identify an edge piece that matches the color of the side you are inserting it into.
2	Hold the cube so that the side you want to insert the edge piece into is facing you.
3	Rotate the top layer of the cube so that the empty slot on the side matches the color of the edge piece you are inserting.
4	Insert the edge piece by pushing it into the slot until it clicks into place.

Repeat this process for all of the remaining edge pieces until all of the sides of the cube have been filled in.

Orient and Position Corner Pieces

To orient and position the corner pieces, follow these steps:

1. Identify a Misoriented Corner Piece

Look for a corner piece that is not facing the correct color upwards.

2. Bring the Corner Piece to the Top Layer

Perform the following sequence of moves to move the corner piece to the top layer:

R’ D’ R’ D R’ D’ R D’ R’ D

3. Rotate the Top Layer to Correct Orientation

Turn the top layer to position the corner piece so that the colored side matches the side of the Rubik’s Cube it will be placed on.

4. Insert the Corner Piece

Case	Sequence
Front Bottom Right Corner	D F’ R D’ F
Front Bottom Left Corner	D F R’ D’ F’
Back Bottom Left Corner	D’ F’ R’ D F
Back Bottom Right Corner	D’ F R D F’

Perform the sequence of moves shown in the table corresponding to the case you encountered.

Complete the Middle Layer

Once you have solved the bottom layer, you can move on to the middle layer. The goal of this step is to place the four edge pieces (the pieces that have two colored sides) in their correct positions and orientations.

To do this, follow these steps:

Identify the location of the edge piece you want to solve. It will be one of the four spaces in the middle layer.
Hold the cube so that the desired edge piece is facing you.
Perform the “F” move. This will move the top layer clockwise.
Perform the “U” move. This will move the top layer counterclockwise.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the edge piece is in the correct position. You may need to repeat these steps several times.}
Once the edge piece is in the correct position, perform the “F'” move. This will move the top layer counterclockwise, returning it to its original position.

Tips for Solving the Middle Layer

Here are a few tips to help you solve the middle layer:

Be patient. It may take some time to get the hang of it.
Practice on a real Rubik’s Cube. It is easier to learn the moves by experimenting with a physical cube.
Look for patterns. Once you start to understand the patterns of the Rubik’s Cube, it will become easier to solve.
Don’t give up! With a little practice, you will be able to solve the Rubik’s Cube in no time.

Solve the Yellow Cross

The following steps will guide you in solving the yellow cross on the top face of the Rubik’s Cube:

1. Identify the Yellow Center Piece

Locate the center piece on the top face of the cube that is colored yellow.

2. Position the Yellow Edge Pieces

Identify the four edge pieces that have yellow on one side and another color on the other. Rotate the top face until one of these edge pieces is aligned with the yellow center piece.

3. Insert the Edge Piece

Hold the cube with the yellow center piece facing you and the edge piece facing down. Perform the following sequence of moves:

Move	Notation
Rotate the top face clockwise twice	R2
Rotate the cube down	D
Rotate the top face counterclockwise twice	R’2
Rotate the cube up	U

This will insert the edge piece into its correct position, forming part of the yellow cross.

4. Repeat for Other Edge Pieces

Repeat the steps 2-3 for the remaining three edge pieces, aligning them with the yellow center piece and inserting them using the same move sequence.

5. Fix Orientations if Necessary

Once all four edge pieces are inserted, check their orientations. If any edge piece has the yellow side facing down, perform the following sequence of moves:

Move	Notation
Rotate the top face clockwise once	R
Rotate the cube down	D
Rotate the top face counterclockwise once	R’
Rotate the cube up	U

6. Finish the Yellow Cross

If the yellow cross is not yet complete, continue rotating the top face until the remaining yellow edge pieces are aligned with the center piece and can be inserted using the move sequence described in step 3. Once the yellow cross is complete, move on to the next step.

Permute Yellow Corners

The next step in the endeavor to solve the Rubik’s Cube is to permute the yellow corners: the yellow corners should occupy their rightful places on the top layer. However, even within their correct location, they might be misoriented: they possess three faces, one of them facing up and two facing down, and it is possible that the colors on the downward faces do not match the corresponding colors of adjacent middle layers. The following algorithm will permute the yellow corners correctly:

Hold the cube such that the yellow face is on top and the correct positions of all the yellow corners are facing you.
If none of the yellow corners are correctly positioned, execute the sequence [R U R’ U’ R B R’ B’ R B R’ B’] three times in a row.
If only one yellow corner is correctly positioned, execute the sequence [R U R’ U’ R B R’ B’ R B R’ B’] one time with the correctly positioned corner facing the Front-Right.
If two yellow corners are correctly positioned, execute the sequence [U2 R U R’ U’ R B R’ B’ R B R’ B’] one time.
Hold the cube such that the yellow face is on top and the misoriented downward-facing faces of the yellow corners are facing either the Front or Right side of the cube. If all three downward-facing faces are correctly oriented, proceed to Step 7.
Execute the sequence [R U2 R’ U’ R U’ R’ U2 R] until all the downward-facing faces of the yellow corners are correctly oriented.
Flip the cube over such that the yellow face is on bottom and the corner with the misoriented downward-facing faces is at the Front-Right.

If the current downward-facing face color…	…execute the sequence…
Matches the Front face	[R U R’ U’ R U2 R’]
Matches the Right face	[R U R’ U’ R U2 R’]
Matches the Back face	[R U2 R’ U’ R U’ R U2 R’]
Matches the Left face	[R U R’ U’ R U2 R’]

Execute the sequence in the corresponding row one time for each of the two misoriented downward-facing corner faces. Once completed, all the yellow corners will be in their correct positions and correctly oriented.

Position Yellow Edges

The next step is to position the yellow edges on the top face of the cube. To do this, first hold the cube with the white face down and the yellow face up. Then, rotate the top face of the cube until one of the yellow edges is aligned with the center piece on the front face.

Once you have aligned a yellow edge, rotate the middle layer of the cube until the yellow edge is directly above its corresponding center piece on the bottom face.

Finally, repeat this process for the other three yellow edges.

8. Insert the Yellow Corners

The final step is to insert the yellow corners into their correct positions on the top face of the cube. To do this, first hold the cube with the white face down and the yellow face up. Then, rotate the top face of the cube until one of the yellow corners is aligned with the center piece on the front face.

Yellow Corner	Orientation	Algorithm
Front Left	Up and to the right	D L D’ L’ D’ R D R’
Front Right	Up and to the left	D’ R D R’ D L D’ L’
Back Left	Up and backwards	D2 R D R’ D’ L D’ L’
Back Right	Up and forwards	D’ L D L’ D’ R D R’

Once you have aligned a yellow corner, rotate the middle layer of the cube until the yellow corner is directly above its corresponding center piece on the bottom face. Then, insert the yellow corner into its correct position by rotating the top face of the cube clockwise or counterclockwise as needed.

Repeat this process for the other three yellow corners.

Orient Yellow Edges

Now, let’s tackle the orientation of the yellow edges. The goal here is to have the yellow faces of the edge pieces facing upwards, matching the color of the center piece. Here’s a detailed guide:

1. Find an Edge Piece to Orient

Start by finding an edge piece on the top layer that has a yellow face. This piece should not be in its correct position.

2. Position the Edge Piece

Move the edge piece so that its yellow face is directly above the center piece of the same color on the bottom layer.

3. Orient the Edge Piece

Perform the following sequence of moves to orient the edge piece correctly:

Sequence	Description
U R U’ R’	Flips the edge piece over
R U R’ U’	Rotates the edge piece 180 degrees

4. Insert the Edge Piece

Once the edge piece is oriented correctly, insert it into the correct position on the side of the cube.

5. Repeat for Other Edges

Repeat steps 1-4 for the remaining yellow edge pieces until all edges are oriented correctly.

6. Rotate the Bottom Layer (Optional)

If necessary, you may need to rotate the bottom layer of the cube to align the oriented yellow edges with the corresponding side pieces.

7. Check Orientation

Once you have completed these steps, all of the yellow edge pieces should be facing upwards and matching the color of the center pieces.

8. Move on to the Next Step

With the yellow edges oriented, you can move on to the next step of the cheat guide: orienting the yellow corners.

Solve the Last Layer

1. Inspect the Top Face

Look at the top face of the cube and identify the colors that need to be matched with the side faces.

2. Rotate the Top Face

Rotate the top face clockwise or counterclockwise to align the edge pieces with the matching colors on the side faces.

3. Insert the Edge Pieces

Hold the side of the cube that corresponds to the color of the edge piece you want to insert. Rotate the top face until the matching color on the edge piece aligns with the side face color. Push the edge piece into place.

4. Insert the Corner Pieces

Holding the side of the cube that corresponds to the color of the corner piece, rotate the top face to align the two matching colors on the corner piece with the corresponding side face colors. Push the corner piece into place.

5. Orient the Last Corner Pieces

Sometimes, the last corner pieces may be inserted but not oriented correctly. Rotate the top face one clockwise or counterclockwise to correct their positions.

10. Solve Corners by Double Twists

Step 1: Hold the cube with the top face facing you and a misaligned corner piece on the left.

Step 2: Perform a clockwise ‘D’ twist followed by a clockwise ‘U’ twist.

Step 3: Release and perform an anti-clockwise ‘U’ twist followed by an anti-clockwise ‘D’ twist.

Step 4: Repeat steps 2-3 until the corner piece is aligned correctly.

Step 5: Apply the same steps for other misaligned corners.

D Twist	U Twist
Clockwise	Clockwise
Anti-Clockwise	Anti-Clockwise

Cheat How To Solve A Rubik’s Cube In 20 Moves

The Rubik’s Cube is a classic puzzle that has been enjoyed by people of all ages for decades. While it may seem like a daunting task to solve, with a little patience and practice, it is entirely possible to master the Rubik’s Cube in 20 moves or less. There are many different methods for solving the Rubik’s Cube, but the most popular and easiest to learn is the beginner’s method. This method involves solving the cube layer by layer, starting with the top layer. Once the top layer is solved, you can move on to solving the middle layer and then the bottom layer.

There are many different resources available to help you learn how to solve the Rubik’s Cube, including books, websites, and videos. You can also find many tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through the steps of solving the cube. With a little practice, you will be able to solve the Rubik’s Cube in 20 moves or less in no time.