4 Simple Moves to Solve a Rubik's Cube

Are you ready to conquer the Rubik’s Cube? With this ingenious method, you’ll master its enigmatic facade in just four astounding moves. Prepare to witness the transformation of this perplexing puzzle into a solved masterpiece, unlocking its secrets with effortless grace. Let us embark on this thrilling journey together, where each twist and turn unfolds the path to triumph.

In this extraordinary feat, we’ll harness the power of the renowned Fridrich Method, a cornerstone in the Rubik’s Cube solving community. This technique meticulously orchestrates a series of intuitive moves, each building upon the previous one like a symphony of cubes. Through this masterful approach, we’ll navigate the cube’s intricate labyrinth, transforming it from a jumbled enigma to a cohesive marvel.

As we unravel the Rubik’s secrets, you’ll discover the elegance and efficiency hidden within its colorful squares. Each move becomes a stepping stone towards solving this enigmatic puzzle, empowering you with a sense of accomplishment that will resonate long after you’ve mastered the cube. So, join us on this captivating journey to conquer the Rubik’s Cube in four awe-inspiring moves. Prepare to witness the transformation of a chaotic puzzle into a solved masterpiece, a testament to your newfound solving prowess.

Understanding the Rubik’s Cube Notation

The Rubik’s Cube notation, also known as Singmaster notation, is a standardized system for representing moves on the cube. It was developed by David Singmaster in the early 1980s and has since become the standard notation used in Rubik’s Cube competitions and tutorials.

The notation consists of a single letter followed by one or two apostrophes. The letter indicates the face of the cube that is being rotated, while the apostrophes indicate the direction of the rotation. The six faces of the cube are denoted by the following letters:

Face	Letter
Front	F
Back	B
Left	L
Right	R
Up	U
Down	D

The direction of the rotation is indicated by the number of apostrophes following the letter. A single apostrophe (‘) indicates a clockwise rotation, while two apostrophes (”) indicate a counterclockwise rotation. For example, the notation “F” indicates a clockwise rotation of the front face, while “F'” indicates a counterclockwise rotation of the front face.

It is important to note that the notation is always written from the perspective of the person holding the cube. This means that the front face of the cube is the face that is facing the person, and the other faces are rotated around it.

Layer by Layer Strategy

Step 1: Solve the White Cross

* Position the white face up and the green face facing you.
* Rotate the top layer to align a white edge piece with its corresponding face color (e.g., blue, red, orange).
* Insert the white edge piece into the bottom layer by twisting the top layer accordingly.
* Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the remaining three white edge pieces.

Step 2: Solve the White Corners

* Position the white face up and the blue face facing you.
* Identify a white corner piece that is not in its correct position.
* Use the following algorithm to insert the corner piece:
* Rotate the top layer F’
* Rotate the middle layer U
* Rotate the bottom layer R’ U R F
* Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the remaining three corners.

Step 3: Solve the Middle Layer

* Position the white face up and the green face facing you.
* Identify an edge piece in the middle layer that is not in its correct position.
* Use the following algorithm to insert the edge piece:
* Rotate the top layer F’
* Rotate the middle layer U
* Rotate the bottom layer R’ U R F
* Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the remaining four edge pieces.

Step 4: Solve the Yellow Cross

* Position the yellow face up.
* Rotate the top layer until two yellow edges are adjacent.
* Use the following algorithm to complete the yellow cross:
* Rotate the top layer F’ R’ F R
* Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the yellow cross is formed.

Solving the Top Face

1. Align Edge Pieces

Position any edge piece on the top face by rotating the top two layers. Once aligned, insert it into the corresponding space on the top face by rotating the top face. Repeat this process for the other three edge pieces.

2. Rotate Corner Pieces

To correctly orient the corner pieces, hold the cube with the top face facing you. If the corner piece is correctly oriented but in the wrong location, rotate the top face to align it with the appropriate spot. If the piece is in the correct spot but incorrectly oriented, perform the following algorithm: U R U’ R’ U F U’ F’. Repeat until the corner piece is in its correct position and orientation.

3. Correctly Position the Final Corner Piece

Incorrect Orientation	Correct Algorithm
Clockwise (yellow edge facing front, white side facing left)	U R U’ R’ F R F’
Counterclockwise (yellow edge facing front, white side facing right)	U R’ U’ R F R F’

Positioning the Side Edges

The fourth step in solving the Rubik’s Cube in four moves involves positioning the side edges correctly. This step requires careful observation and strategic moves.

Identifying the Misplaced Edges

To begin, examine the cube and identify the side edges that are misplaced. These edges will have two different colors, one on the top face and one on the side face.

Moving the Edge to the Correct Layer

Once you have identified the misplaced edge, you need to move it to the correct layer. This can be achieved using the following moves:

1. Down-Face Rotate (D): Rotate the down face clockwise or counterclockwise to match the color of the misplaced edge to the color on the side face.
2. Front-Middle-Back (FMB): If the edge is on the left or right face, perform the following sequence to move it to the front face: D’ F D F’
3. Mid-Slice Rotate (MS): If the edge is on the back face, perform the following sequence to move it to the front face: U R’ U’ R

Inserting the Edge into the Correct Slot

After the edge is on the front face, you need to insert it into the correct slot. This is achieved using the following moves:

1. Front-Upper-Front’ (FUF’): Rotate the front face twice to orient the edge correctly.
2. Back-Middle-Back’ (BMB’): Rotate the back face twice to insert the edge into the correct slot.

Repeat these steps for all four side edges to complete the fourth step of solving the Rubik’s Cube in four moves.

Inserting the Corner Pieces

Now that you have four edge pieces in place, it’s time to insert the corner pieces. This can be a bit trickier than the edge pieces, but it’s still relatively easy if you follow the steps carefully.

To insert a corner piece, you need to first find its correct location. The corner pieces are the only pieces with three different colors, so they’re easy to identify.

Once you’ve found the correct location for a corner piece, you need to rotate the bottom layer of the cube so that the opening is facing you. Then, insert the corner piece into the opening and rotate the bottom layer back to its original position.

Step 5: Inserting the Last Corner Piece

The last corner piece is a bit trickier to insert than the others because it has to go in the back corner. To insert it, you need to:

Hold the cube so that the back corner is facing you.
Rotate the top layer of the cube clockwise one time.
Rotate the bottom layer of the cube counterclockwise one time.
Insert the corner piece into the opening.
Rotate the bottom layer of the cube clockwise one time.
Rotate the top layer of the cube counterclockwise one time.

Once you’ve inserted the last corner piece, you’re almost done! All that’s left is to orient the corner pieces correctly.

Aligning the Top Edge Pieces

Before aligning top edge pieces, you must rotate the top face to situate one of the corner pieces directly above its matching colored center on the side face.

Hold the cube with the white face on top and the matching color of the corner piece facing you.
If the corner piece is in the front-right position: Perform the following sequence: U R’ U’ R U2 R’ U’ R.
If the corner piece is in the front-left position: Perform the following sequence: U L’ U’ L U2 L’ U’ L.
If the corner piece is in the back-right position: Perform the following sequence: U B’ U’ B U2 B’ U’ B.
If the corner piece is in the back-left position: Perform the following sequence: U F’ U’ F U2 F’ U’ F.

Resolving the Permutation and Orientation of the Top Edge Pieces:

If one of the top edge pieces is correctly positioned but facing the wrong way, perform one of the following sequences:

Permutation	Sequence
R to Rb	R U R’ U’ R’ F R2 U’ R’ U’ R U R’ F’
R to Rf	R U’ R’ U R U’ R’ F R U R’ U’ R’ F’
L to Lb	L’ U’ L U L’ U R’ U’ R U R’ L U L’
L to Lf	L’ U L U’ L U R’ U’ R U R’ L’ U’ L

If two adjacent edge pieces need to be swapped, perform the following sequence: R U R’ U’ R’ F R2 U’ R’ U’ R U R’ F’.
If two opposite edge pieces need to be swapped, perform the following sequence: R U R’ U’ R’ F R2 U’ R’ U’ R U2 R’ U’ R’ F’.

Completing the Yellow Cross

1. Identify the Center Piece

Locate the yellow center piece on the top face of the cube.

2. Rotate the Bottom Face

Turn the bottom face until the edge piece that matches the yellow center is directly below it.

3. Align the Edge Piece

Insert the edge piece into the corresponding slot on the bottom face, aligning it with the yellow center.

4. Turn the Bottom Face

Turn the bottom face away from you to complete the yellow cross.

5. Rotate the Top Face

Move the top face until the edge piece adjacent to the yellow cross is facing you.

6. Position the Edge Piece

Turn the top face one quarter turn to align the edge piece with the corresponding slot on the side face.

7. Insert the Edge Piece

Case	Solution
Edge piece is in the correct orientation	Simply insert the edge piece into the slot.
Edge piece is in the opposite orientation	Turn the top face one quarter turn and then insert the edge piece.
Edge piece is in the wrong position	Turn the top face half a turn and then repeat step 6.

8. Rotate the Bottom Face

Turn the bottom face to align the yellow cross with the corresponding colors on the side faces.

Orienting the Yellow Corners

Now that the edges are in place, it’s time to orient the yellow corners. This step is a bit trickier than the previous ones, but it’s still relatively simple.

Step 1: Position a White-Faced Corner Piece

Hold the cube with the yellow face up and a white-faced corner piece facing you. This piece should be adjacent to the red edge you just aligned.

Step 2: Perform the “R U R’ U’ F R F'” Algorithm

This algorithm will rotate the white-faced corner piece counterclockwise. Repeat the algorithm until the corner is oriented correctly.

Step 3: Repeat for the Other Three Corners

Rotate the cube to position the remaining three yellow corners facing you. Repeat the “R U R’ U’ F R F'” algorithm until all four corners are oriented correctly.

Step 4: Permute the Yellow Corners (Optional)

If the yellow corners are in the correct position but not in the correct order, you can use the following algorithm to cycle them:

Algorithm
R U R’ U’ R B R’ B’

Permuting the Yellow Corners

To permute the yellow corners, you need to perform the following steps:

1. Position the Desired Corner

Hold the cube so that the front face has the desired corner color and the left face has that color’s matching edge.

2. Orient the Desired Corner

If the desired corner is not oriented correctly, perform the following sequence: R U R’ U’

3. Rearrange the Front Edge

If the front edge has the desired corner color, skip this step. Otherwise, perform the following sequence: U R U’ R’

4. Insert the Desired Corner

With the correct color and orientation of the desired corner and the front edge arranged, perform the following sequence: U R U’ L’ U R U’

5. Position the Second Corner

Repeat steps 1-4 for the second corner.

6. Rearrange the Left Edge

If the left edge has the desired corner color, skip this step. Otherwise, perform the following sequence: L’ U L U’

7. Insert the Third Corner

With the correct color and orientation of the third corner and the left edge arranged, perform the following sequence: U L U’ R’ U L U’

8. Position the Fourth Corner

Repeat steps 1-4 for the fourth corner.

9. Insert the Fourth Corner (Detailed)

If the fourth corner is on the bottom face, perform the following sequence: U R’ U’ L’ U R U’ L
If the fourth corner is on the right face, perform the following sequence: F’ L F L’ F’ L F L’
If the fourth corner is on the back face, perform the following sequence: B’ R B R’ B’ R B R’

Solving the Final Layer

To complete the Rubik’s Cube, we need to solve the final layer, which consists of the top face and its surrounding edges.

1. Orienting the Final Edge Pieces

Hold the cube with the unsolved layer on top and the solved layers on the bottom and front. Look for an edge piece that is not correctly oriented. If it is on the top face, rotate the top face clockwise or counterclockwise until the piece is facing the correct direction. If the edge piece is on the side, use the following algorithm:

R U R' U' R U2 R'

2. Positioning the Final Edge Pieces

Once the edge pieces are oriented correctly, they need to be positioned in their correct places. Use the following algorithm to move an edge piece to its correct slot on the top face:

R U R' U' R U2 L' U' L

3. Permuting the Final Corner Pieces

After the edge pieces are in their correct positions, the final step is to permute the corner pieces so that they are in their correct slots and have the correct orientation.

If the corner pieces are already in their correct slots but have incorrect orientations, use the following algorithm:

R' D R D' R' D R D'

If the corner pieces are in incorrect slots but have correct orientations, use the following algorithm:

R' D R D' R' D2 R' D2 R2

4. Orienting the Final Corner Pieces

If any corner pieces still have incorrect orientations, use the following algorithm:

R D R' U2 R D' R' U2 R' D R

5. Positioning the Final Corner Pieces

If the corner pieces are in incorrect slots but have correct orientations, use the following algorithm to swap two adjacent corner pieces: