The 2x2 Rubik's Cube solution
Step 1: Solving the first layer
This step is identical to step 2 of
the 3x3 cube solution. Choose a color to start with (Most popular
color to start with is white or yellow In this guide I choseyellow).
Choose a corner that has this color (yellow in our case), and bring
the other 3 corner pieces to it. Make sure that you solve the
corner pieces correctly in relation to each other (also the side
colors of the corner pieces should fit each other, not only the
yellow. See image- right/wrong).
There are 3 different cases to solve a corner piece to its correct
position without harming the other corners:
F D F'
R' D' R
R' D2 R D R' D' R
Step 2: Orienting the last layer pieces
Flip the cube upside down (the
solved layer should be on the bottom now). In this step the goal is
to orient the last layer pieces. The result should be that the
opposite color to the color we started with will be completed (In
our case: the opposite color to yellow is white). Note that unlike
the first step, here the permutation of the corners does
not matter, meaning that they don't have to be correctly solved
in relation to each other (side stickers don't have to fit).
There are 7 possible cases of last layer orientations (not including
the already oriented case):
(The gray color means the sticker is not the upper face color. The
bars to the sides show where the upper face color is. In our case
it's white, not yellow. It doesn't matter of course.)
Case #1
R' U' R U' R' U2 R
Case #2
L U L' U L U2 L'
Case #3
R2 U2 R U2 R2
Case #4
F [R U R' U'] [R U R' U'] F'
Case #5
F [R U R' U'] F'
Case #6
[R U R' U'] [R' F R F']
Case #7
[F R U' R' U' R U R' F']
It is best to learn all the 7 algorithms. However, it is possible to
completely solve this step using only 1 algorithm the first
algorithm. The idea is to execute this algorithm from different
angles until its suitable case shows up, then execute it one more
time and solve the step. It is possible to solve all possible cases
within 3 executions, or 2 if you use also its mirror algorithm (case
#2).
The first algorithm orients 3 corners counter-clockwise and leaves
the 4th corner intact (its mirror algorithm, case #2, does the
same, but clockwise). Before executing, try to think from which
angle executing this algorithm will leave only 1 oriented corner
(can be done within 1 execution from all cases), than just apply
the suitable algorithm (case #1 or #2). You can execute algorithm
#1 twice instead of the using #2 algorithm when it's needed (in a
case a clockwise rotation needed case#2). Doing counterclockwise twice for the corners will be just like doing a clockwise
orientation, which will solve them.)
Note that 6 of these 7 algorithms are exactly the same algorithms
being used in the speedsolving method of the Rubik's cube. You
can see it is the same 7 possible cases when all the edges of the
3x3 are oriented: OLL algorithms page. However, since there are
no edges to preserve, we can use shorter algorithms from other
cases of the traditional OLL of the 3x3 Rubik's cube, as long as
they rotate the corners as we need:
For the first case best algorithm is the anti-Sune (OLL
algorithm #26)
For the second case best algorithm is the Sune (OLL
algorithm #27)
The third case is special: a shorter algorithm can be
applied, which does exist in the 3x3 OLL, however OLL
algorithm #21 is very nice)
For the fourth case best algorithm is the easiest L (OLL
algorithm #48)
For the fifth case best algorithm is the first T (OLL algorithm
#45)
For the sixth case best algorithm is the second T (OLL
algorithm #33)
For the seventh case best algorithm is the first Fish (OLL
algorithm #37)
Step 3 (and last): Permuting the last layer pieces
In this step the goal is to permute
the last layer pieces so they will be also correctly solved in
relation to each other, and not only correctly oriented. This step is
very similar to step 5 of the 3x3 solution (beginner's method) (-
also the same algorithm can be applied, it is just that the one I
show here permutes the corners clockwise and not counter-
clockwise).
The way to solve this method is by looking
for 2 corners that are correctly permuted in relation to each other
(can be easily recognized by the fact that 2 correctly solved
corners in relation to each other has thesame color on their
mutual face. Look for the same color in 2 adjacent corners). If
you don't have 2 corners that are correctly permuted, just execute
the following algorithm below from any angle that you want. After
that execution, 2 correctly permuted corners will show up.
Then:
o Do some U turns so the 2 adjacent same colors will line
up with their color on the bottom layer. Rotate the cube so
that this solved color will be on the right face- see image
above.
o Do U' once.
The effect of this move is that the front-left corner will
become "solved" now, and the 3 other corners will require a
clockwise rotation between them. This is exactly what the
next algorithm does.
o Execute the following algorithm: (This is the Aa-perm
algorithm. l' replaced for L' because no middle layer)
L' U R' D2 R U' R' D2 R2
Thats it! You have just solved the 2 by 2 Rubik's cube!
Congratulations! Keep practicing on solving the first layer and
learn the algorithms by heart, so you could solve the 2x2 cube
without needing them written around you (They are also useful for
3x3 speedcubing!). If you didn't solve the 3x3 Rubik's cube yet,
it's just about the time to start, you already have much of the
basics! Congratulations!
