How to Solve the Rubik's Cube in 20 Moves: A Beginner's Guide

Rubik's Cube

Enjoy the satisfaction of solving the world’s most famous puzzle, the Rubik’s Cube! While some might see it as an impossible feat, it is entirely possible to solve the Rubik’s Cube in just 20 moves. With a little patience and practice, you can master this iconic puzzle and impress your friends and family.

To begin your journey, let’s focus on the first few steps. Start by solving the white cross on the top face of the Cube. Once the cross is complete, proceed to position the white edge pieces in their correct slots. Remember, the key to success lies in understanding the mechanics of the Cube. Learn the basic moves, such as F (Front), B (Back), R (Right), L (Left), U (Up), and D (Down). With consistent practice, these moves will become second nature, allowing you to manipulate the Cube effortlessly.

As you progress, you’ll encounter various challenges. Don’t be discouraged; each obstacle is an opportunity for growth. The middle layer can be particularly tricky, but with patience and determination, you can conquer it. Remember, the 20-move solution is a step-by-step guide that will lead you to success. Visualize the end result and break down the process into smaller, manageable steps. With each solved layer, your confidence will soar, and the Rubik’s Cube will no longer seem like an insurmountable puzzle.

Laying the Foundation

Before embarking on the intricate process of solving the Rubik’s Cube in 20 moves, it is imperative to establish a solid foundation of comprehension regarding its fundamental mechanisms. The cube consists of six faces, each with nine squares, and these faces are capable of rotating independently about their respective axes. Understanding the orientation of these faces and the impact of rotations on them is crucial for achieving success in solving the cube efficiently.

Furthermore, it is essential to grasp the concept of layers. The cube is composed of three layers: the top, middle, and bottom. Each layer consists of three rows of squares, and understanding how these rows interact when the cube is rotated is vital. By manipulating the top layer, for example, one can induce transformations in the middle and bottom layers, and comprehending these relationships is critical for devising an effective solution.

Additionally, familiarizing oneself with the various algorithms used in solving the Rubik’s Cube is of paramount importance. These algorithms are sequences of specific rotations that produce predetermined outcomes on the cube’s faces. By mastering these algorithms and understanding how they interact with each other, one can systematically approach the task of solving the cube with precision and efficiency. The following table provides a brief overview of some fundamental algorithms:

Algorithm	Description
F2L	First two layers
OLL	Orient last layer
PLL	Permute last layer

Mastering the Sides

To master the sides of the Rubik’s Cube, follow these additional steps:

2. Aligning the Side Edges

Step	Moves
1.	Hold the cube with the solved side facing up and the side you want to align facing forward.
2.	If the edge piece is on the top layer, rotate the top face clockwise or counterclockwise until it lines up with its slot.
3.	If the edge piece is on the middle layer, rotate the top face twice clockwise or counterclockwise to bring it to the top layer.
4.	Insert the edge piece into its slot by rotating the top face clockwise or counterclockwise as needed.
5.	If the edge piece is on the bottom layer, rotate the bottom face clockwise or counterclockwise until it is directly below its slot.
6.	Insert the edge piece into its slot by rotating the bottom face clockwise or counterclockwise as needed.

Solving the Middle Layer

Once you’ve solved the white side and the top layer, it’s time to move on to the middle layer. This step is a bit more complex, but it’s still not too difficult. Just follow these steps:

1. Rotate the middle piece that needs to be placed in the top layer to the top

For example, if you need to place the orange middle piece in the top layer, rotate the top layer so that the orange middle piece is facing up.

2. Line up the middle piece with its corresponding color on the side

For example, if you need to place the orange middle piece in the top layer, you would line it up with the orange color on the side.

3. Perform the following sequence of moves:

Step	Move
1	R’ D R
2	U R’ U’ R U2 R’

This sequence of moves will insert the middle piece into the top layer. Repeat this sequence for each of the remaining middle pieces.

Conquering the Corners

Once you have your yellow cross and white corners in place, you’re ready to conquer the rest of the cube’s corners. Remember that you’re always working on the face directly opposite the white face. So, if your yellow cross is on the top face, you’ll be working on the bottom face now.

To solve the corners, you’ll use the following algorithm:

Algorithm	Description
R U R’ U’ D R U’ R’	Inserts a corner piece into the bottom face

To use this algorithm, follow these steps:

1. Hold the cube so that the white face is facing you and the unsolved corner is on the bottom face.
2. Rotate the right face clockwise (R).
3. Rotate the top face clockwise (U).
4. Rotate the right face counterclockwise (R’).
5. Rotate the top face counterclockwise (U’).
6. Rotate the bottom face clockwise (D).
7. Rotate the top face clockwise (U’).
8. Rotate the right face counterclockwise (R’).

This will insert the corner piece into the bottom face. Repeat this algorithm for the other three corners until all four corners are solved.

Orienting the Edges

This step involves rotating the faces of the cube to ensure that all the edge pieces are facing the correct way. First, you need to identify the misoriented edges, which will have one side facing the correct color and the other side facing an incorrect color.

Once you have identified the misoriented edges, there are two possible scenarios:

Scenario 1: The misoriented edge is adjacent to the top layer

In this case, you can use the following algorithm to orient the edge correctly:

R U R' U' R U2 R'

Scenario 2: The misoriented edge is not adjacent to the top layer

In this case, you need to first bring the edge to the top layer using the following algorithm:

D L D' R D L' D' R'

Once the edge is on the top layer, you can use the algorithm from Scenario 1 to orient it correctly.

Repeat these steps until all the edges are correctly oriented. Here’s a table summarizing the algorithms for orienting edges:

Scenario	Algorithm
Edge adjacent to top layer	`R U R' U' R U2 R'`
Edge not adjacent to top layer	`D L D' R D L' D' R'` (to bring edge to top layer) `R U R' U' R U2 R'` (to orient edge)

Fixing the Final Corner

Now, let’s focus on fixing the final corner. To do this, first, you need to rotate the bottom layer of the cube so that the corner you want to fix is in the front, right position. Next, perform the following sequence of moves:

1. R’ D R D’ R’ F R2 U’ R’ U’ R’ F’ R U2 R’

This sequence will move the corner piece to the top layer of the cube.

2. D R’ D’ R

This sequence will rotate the top layer of the cube so that the corner piece is now in place.

3. R U R’ U’ R U2 R’

This sequence will orient the corner piece correctly.

4. R U R’ U’ R U2 R’

This sequence will insert the corner piece into the bottom layer of the cube.

5. F R’ F’ R2 U’ R’ U’ R U R’ U2 R’ F R F’

This sequence will bring the corner piece to the front, right position of the bottom layer.

6. Complete the Algorithm

#	Move
1	U R U’ R’ F R’ F’
2	R2 U’ R’ U’ R U R’ U’ R U R’ F R F’
3	R U R’ U’ R’ F R2 U’ R’ U’ R U2 R’
4	R U R’ U’ R U2 R’ F R’ F’ R2 U’ R’ U’ R U R’ U’ R U2 R’

This sequence will insert the corner piece into the bottom layer of the cube and complete the cube.

Perfecting the Edges

Now that you’ve correctly positioned all six corner pieces, it’s time to refine the edges. There are two distinct cases to consider: when the edge piece is in the proper position but needs to be rotated, or when the edge needs to be both positioned and rotated.

Solving Edge Orientation Only

For edges that need only be rotated, use the following algorithm:

Algorithm
R U R’ U’ R’ F R2 U’ R’ U’ R U R’ F’

This algorithm performs a double rotation on the target edge, leaving it in the correct orientation.

Solving Edge Orientation and Position

For edges that need to be both positioned and rotated, follow these steps:

1. Hold the cube with the incorrect edge facing up and the target side facing towards you.
2. Perform the following algorithm to insert the edge:

Algorithm
R U R’ U’ R U2 R’

3. This algorithm will move the edge piece to the middle layer of the facing side.
4. If the edge piece is not oriented correctly, perform the algorithm described in the previous section to rotate it.
5. Finally, insert the edge piece into its correct position on the bottom layer using the same algorithm as in step 2, but in reverse:

Algorithm
R’ U’ R U R’ U2 R

Triumphant Last Moves

8. Completing the Cube with the Yellow Cross

Now, you only need to complete the final layer by aligning the corner pieces. Address the cross:

Hold the cube so that a yellow corner is on the top layer’s front-left corner.
Rotate the top layer clockwise until the yellow corner is aligned with its corresponding color on the side face.
Insert the corner by performing the following sequence:

Front	Right	Front’	Right’
R	D	R’	D’

Troubleshooting Your Solution

If you’re having trouble solving the Rubik’s Cube, here are a few things to check:

9. Check for Parity Errors

Parity errors occur when the number of corner pieces with a certain color on the top and bottom layers is odd. This makes it impossible to solve the cube using the standard algorithm. There are several ways to fix parity errors:

Type of Error	Fix
One corner piece with the same color on the top and bottom layers	Swap the adjacent edge piece on the same layer to fix the parity.
Two corner pieces with the same color on the top and bottom layers	Swap the two corner pieces on the same layer.
Three corner pieces with the same color on the top and bottom layers	Perform the “sune” algorithm twice.

Tips for Expediency

1. Practice Regularly

The key to solving the Rubik’s Cube quickly and efficiently is consistent practice. Dedicate a specific time each day to solving the cube, and gradually increase your solve times.

2. Focus on One Method

There are numerous methods for solving the Rubik’s Cube, but it’s best to focus on mastering one method thoroughly. Attempting to learn multiple methods can lead to confusion and slow progress.

3. Learn Skips and Tricks

Advanced solvers use skips and tricks to reduce the number of moves required to solve the cube. These techniques can save precious seconds and significantly improve your solving times.

4. Analyze Your Solve

After solving the cube, take a few moments to analyze your approach. Identify any areas where you could have been more efficient and make adjustments to your strategy next time.

5. Learn Finger Tricks

Developing fast and precise finger tricks can greatly enhance your solving speed. Practice moving the cube smoothly and confidently to minimize wasted motions.

6. Use a Timer

Using a timer will help you track your progress and motivate you to improve. Set a goal to solve the cube in a certain time and strive to beat it.

7. Focus on Your Own Progress

Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone progresses at their own pace. Focus on your own improvement and celebrate your achievements along the way.

8. Stay Patient

Solving the Rubik’s Cube in 20 moves takes time and effort. Be patient with yourself and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results.

9. Use a High-Quality Cube

A well-lubricated, high-quality cube will make solving easier and faster. Invest in a good cube and take care of it to ensure optimal performance.

10. Practice the PLL Skip

One of the most significant skips that can save a considerable amount of moves is the PLL skip. This technique involves recognizing and manipulating the corners to avoid the final permutation phase (PLL). Mastering the PLL skip requires practice and the ability to recognize specific patterns. The table below summarizes the six PLL skip cases:

Case	Corner Arrangement	Moves
1		U R U’ L’ F’ U’ F
2		U R U’ L’ U2 R’ U’ L
3		F’ R’ F R U R U’ F’
4		F R’ F R U’ R’ U F
5		R U R’ U R U2 R’
6		R U R’ U R’ U2 R

How to Solve the 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, it is actually possible to solve the cube in just 20 moves. With a little practice and patience, you’ll be able to master this iconic puzzle in no time.

There are many different methods for solving the Rubik’s Cube, but the beginner method is one of the easiest to learn. This method involves solving the cube one layer at a time, starting with the top layer. Once you have solved the top layer, you can then move on to the middle layer and finally the bottom layer.

There are a number of different resources available to help you learn how to solve the Rubik’s Cube. There are books, websites, and even YouTube videos that can teach you the steps involved. With a little effort, you’ll be able to master this classic puzzle in no time.