If you are a Rubik’s Cube Virgin secretly fascinated with the Cube, this article is for you.

How I went from having never touched the Cube to solving the it under 2 minutes in 15 days.

And how, YOU can do it too.

So, like everybody, the Cube had always held some sort of enigma over me. In spite of the incessant and almost obsessive persuasions of my brother (or maybe because of it!), I just never tried my hand at it apart from the occasional one or two spins.

I had never solved the entire cube. EVER. Maybe, I had got one face right by some stroke of mad luck but that was it. And of course, like the typical novice, I only cared about getting the face right with no consideration absolutely to if it was correct or not. (its only later I learnt that even if you have a complete face, it can be wrong!)

One dat, after watching a video of insane cube skills that my Mom was showing my brother, I asked my self the question if I can learn to solve the cube by the end of the month. Let’s see if after 15 days, the answer was still in the affirmative?

(If you’re interested here is the link video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI3FF1OINVw)

At that point of time, life was a little stagnant and quite boring. And well, this felt like a cheap interesting rush. Fifteen days. Let’s see what we have!

While surfing for some guides I came across this article on medium: of a person’s quest to solve the cube under 20 seconds in a month, and I thought to take up the challenge for myself.

My month-long quest to solve a Rubik’s Cube in under 20 seconds

While his challenge was amazing, he was already a cuber and was able to solve the cube in about 40 seconds.

As a baby in the cubing world, I kept my goal realistic. My primary aim was to first learn how to solve it, and then reduce the time.

Day 1:

I don’t know how much I’ll be able to achieve but let’s get this shit started!

Bought a cube and have started with the puzzle. This will be my first solve if I get it right. I have no idea at all how do we handle this stuff. So I am referring this Youtube Tutorial.

Easiest Beginner Tutorial. Well yeah!

For today, I just want to solve this once. Even that would be an achievement.

So first step for me was to understand how the cube works. So for a person acquainted with the cube, these factors may be obvious but as I was completely foreign to the cube world, this was the first and foremost point. The video taught me the basic method to solve the cube, which took me an hour. (Yes, I know its a disgrace but I just would sabotage the cube at every next third or fourth step and would be back to square one.)

So I solved the first cube of my life. Never had I known this happiness and I know now why people obsess over this so much. I don’t know if I am EVER going to learn how to do the solve without external help.

The major points that I realised I first needed to keep clear were:

1. Positions: While solving the cross, your piece is only correct if it corresponds to that face’s centre piece. Otherwise, even if you get the face right, it doesn’t mean anything.
2. The moves: What does R and R’ stand for. And how to execute those moves. For a while I was doing B’ as B and vice-versa and messing my cube. So that is important.
3. Faces: We should absolutely understand the position of each color. Yellow and white being opposite to each other is alright. But what is at left of orange? And what is at right of blue? This needs to be crystal clear in our heads.

Day 2:

I am still following the video that I attached above. And the method that he follows is:

1. White Cross: Starting with the Daisy that is making the cross on the yellow (opposite) face and then shifting it to the White Face.
2. White Edges
3. 2nd Layer, edges of the coloured faces.
4. OLL (Orienting Last layer): Top (Yellow) Face.
5. PLL (Permuting Last layer): Getting the top layer right

I solved the cube around 6 times today (while watching the video) and learnt two algorithms by heart. Still learning the Right Sune but I don’t want to over-do it. I know this might end up with me forgetting the two also.

While the Cross and the White edges need to be solved intuitively (I recently found out that there are algorithms but I don’t want to go there). I started learning steps for the 3rd step: top to tight and top to left. Still have a lot to learn.

But yeah, baby steps.

White Cross:

It is important to understand the fundamentals here. Getting just the cross shame is not enough, it has to be correct.

Since the Centre pieces on each face DO NOT MOVE, it means that all your pieces should align with the centre colour on that face.

Hence your white cross will be correct cross only if it matches with simultaneously with the other faces.

My aim is to learn first the basic algorithms and then work on finishing the others.

But most importantly, now I feel comfortable holding the cube in my hands. Till yesterday, what had felt like an uncomfortable and foreign element, seems somewhat familiar.

I am a little suspicious about my goal though (of solving under a minute). I am thinking of making it under 5 minutes but I feel like I may be able to achieve it.

I’ll have to work a lot for it though.

I have spent around 3 hours on the cube today.

Guys, if I can do it so can you. Really.

Day 3:

Wow. After wondering if I’ll ever be able to achieve my goal, I am already feeling pretty darn confident about it. Although, my right hand aches terribly.
I have learnt four algorithms:

The Top to Right: U R U’ R’ F R’ F R
The Top to Left: U’ L’ U L F’ L F L’
The Right Sune: R U R’ U R U2 R’
The Hook: F U R F’ U’ R’
The Bar: F R U F’ R’ U’

And am practicing for the first PLL algorithm: R’ F R’ B2 R F’ R’ B2 R2 (which helps us get the headlights, which you will see later)

Wow. And I am feeling so good about it. Though I still cannot solve the cube without looking at the algorithms which is pretty sad, I feel quite positive about it. I thing I can achieve my goal in the 12 days I still have left.

For those of you wondering, I had been solving the cube almost obsessively. In the Subway ride to and from work, lunch break at work and after coming home. Hence, my cube has worn out somehow and I have to order another cube. Also, I think I use my left hand too less (as I am right-handed, I depend too much on it) so today I practiced a few times where I consciously tried to use my left hand a lot more.

Day 4:

So I have learnt the minimum algorithms you need to know to solve the cube. I can now solve the cube WITHOUT looking at the algorithms.

Also, today I timed myself for the first time and realised I cans solve the cube in 3:45 (Average). So yeah. A long way to to to one minute but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And I think we’ve already taken a couple of them! :D

3 DAYS! 3 days are all you need to learn to solve the cube. If you are interested and have been putting it off since forever, DON’T. Just get yourself a cube and start solving. I promise you will love it.

Day 5 & 6:

I took a break from the cube. I had been cubing almost obsessively and the obsession had been real. And since I felt I was losing my passion, losing the absolute urge I had for the last 5 days, I decided to give it a rest. Even though my time is still 3 and a half minutes and I have a huge LOT of algorithms to learn, I knew I needed this 2 day break. So yeah. If you are doing this, remember your reason to do it should be love. So when my heart is not in it, I don’t go for it. So Ciao for today guys, Hasta Mañana!

Day 7:

Okay, I need to buckle up. Only 8 days left to go and I have to reduce my timing to about half of what its right now. Sounds crazy! But then, that’s the fun. So lets get this rolling!

I now know the basic algorithms that you need to know to solve the cube. However, on thinking a bit about my cube solving, I realised I need to work on two things:

1. It takes me almost a minute only to solve the cross which is honestly, quite sad.
   I currently use the beginner’s method of solving a daisy (that is making a cross on the yellow face and then shifting the cross to the white side). So, first things first, I need to start making the cross on the white side directly(a much quicker way to do it). There is a standard a belief that any cross can be solved in maximum 8 moves. So that’s the first thing that we need to work on.
2. I need to reduce my cube rotations. Right now, I spend a LOT of time in turning the cube back and forth in my hand. I need to understand the cube a lot better, to know how its going to be.
3. My cube somehow has already worn out and is a huge pain to move. Need to get a better, smoother cube.
   (Edit: There are Cube Lubes and ways to make your Cube smoother. I haven’t tried those but I have read they are pretty efficient.)
4. About the algorithms: There are 57 OLL and 21 PLL Algorithms. However, you can shrink the OLL Algorithms to 10 if you are okay with stringing two algorithms back to back. This is also called the ‘two-look OLL’. My plan is to lean these 10 Algorithms in the next one week.
5. I know currently only 5 PLL Algorithms. The more you know, the more efficient you are. Again with the ‘two look PLL’, I can make do with 10 algorithms. But that I will start with after the cross and the OLL.

Also, I have started practicing the white cross on the white side, and avoiding the daisy step altogether.

Note: You need to know your cube. It makes everything a lot easier. Where each of the colors are, what is opposite to what and what is adjacent to what helps you in making decisions a lot faster, reduces the number of cube rotations for inspection and also helps you reduce the number of futile/waste moves. So firstly, understand your cube. You should be able to tell the position of all the colors. This is one thing I have realized and I would like you all to work on it if you are a beginner as I am.

Also, for the two look OLL, I am referring to

Bob Burton’s Cubewhiz.com

You could look at it. I have also added my own personal sketches. Whatever suits you guys. Remember, you know how you learn the best. And practice.

Also, for anybody wondering. I am giving approximately an hour to cubing everyday (mostly on my transit to office, in the subway and for sometime after coming home). The time varies. For the first three days I gave more than 3 hours to it and lately, just one. So, work at your own speed. Whatever suits you but don’t lose track of the goal.

OLL Algorithms: You only need to know these 8 to solve this stage. In case of the ‘The Hook or the Bar’ (last sketch), you will need to string it with another algorithm to solve.

Day 8:

The two look OLL looked easy but they are taking me some time to learn. I am getting confused between a few and the movements. One huge aspect of cubing is muscle memory. So while you consciously make you brain learn the algorithms, you hands have learnt to do it too. And there would be times when your hands would act upon it before you consciously make moves. For me, that is one of the utmost joys of cubing!

Day 9:

After OLL my yellow face is perfect. I now have only the top row that is messed up.

I solve PLL in two stages, in first I try to get all the corner pieces in their correct places (which are called headlights) and then get the final, centre edge pieces in their correct order:

Stage 1:

After OLL, you will have either of two cases:

1. Case 1- No headlights: Hold the cube in any way and do the first algorithm: R’ F R’ B2 R F’ R’ B2 R2. . By this you will arrive on case 2.
2. Case 2- Headlights on at least one face: Hold the cube such that the face with headlights is at your back and do the same algorithm again. Now you will arrive on the second stage of PLL.

(Headlights: when you have correct edge pieces for a face )

Stage 2:

Now that everything is solved only our centre edge pieces need to be solved. There would be four cases:

1. When one face is solved and the pieces need to rotate clockwise-
   Hold the cube with the solved piece at the back and do this:
   R2 U R U R’ U’ R’ U’ R’ U R’ .
2. When one face is solved and the pieces need to rotate counterclockwise- Hold the cube with the solved piece at the back and do this:
   R‘ U R U R U R U’ R’ U’ R2.
3. None of the faces are solved and the pieces need to be swapped on adjacent faces-
   Hold the cube so that the face with which you have to swap your current face with is at your right:
   M2 U M2 U2 M2 U M2
4. None of the faces are solved and the pieces need to be swapped on opposite faces-
   Hold the cube in any way and:
   M2 U M2 U M’ U2 M2 U2 M2

There! Your Cube is solved!

Day 10:

As you know, I was learning to solve the cross on the white side, which I can now do, but damn slowly, so my speed is still not getting any faster!

And I think, finally I have learnt the the OLL algorithms. My lack of drive combined with the long days at work had made this step stretch over quite a few days. I aim to get back to my older learning speed otherwise I am never going to achieve this goal!

Day 12–14:

It has been practice, practice, practice! And a huge low for my passion. Important points are though:

1. I downloaded an App that gives me new scrambles and helps me time myself. That has been a huge incentive and made me really want to cube again.
2. Solving the cross on the white side while initially had felt like a not-very-important step has actually been decently helpful. While it doesn’t greatly reduces the time for me, it definitely increases the skill and reduces the number of decisions I have to take.
3. The algorithms are a pain. I keep mish-mashing them and since my muscle memory hasn’t really imbibed them yet, it isn’t working well. But the key to it is really only practicing more and more.

Day 15:

I am using an app called Cube Timer that gives me scrambles and also helps me time my solve.

The Result of my last cube solves!

You can see how irregular it has been but has slowly reduced. On lucky scrambles I have even done it under 1 and a half minute!

It has been a bumpy ride but a very exhilarating one at that!

Hope you enjoy yours as much and more as I did mine.

Happy cubing! :D