Most people think solving a Rubik’s Cube is for math geniuses or kids with way too much free time. They look at the scrambled mess of plastic and see a billion impossible combinations. Actually, it's 43 quintillion. That's a lot. But you don't need to account for all of them. You just need to know how to solve a 3 by 3 Rubik's cube using a sequence of moves that actually makes sense to a human brain.
Erno Rubik, the Hungarian architect who invented the thing in 1974, didn't even know if it could be solved when he first built it. It took him a month of twisting and turning to figure out his own invention. You’re going to do it in about twenty minutes.
The secret isn't magic. It's layers. Most beginners try to solve one face at a time, usually the white side. They get all nine white stickers lined up and feel like a king. Then they realize the side colors don't match, and the moment they try to fix the second layer, the white side explodes. It's frustrating. We're going to stop doing that. We’re building a house, starting with the foundation and moving to the roof.
The language of the cube
Before you start twisting, you have to speak the language. If I tell you to turn the right side, do you turn it toward you or away from you? Cubers use a notation system created by David Singmaster. It’s simple. Each face has a letter: R (Right), L (Left), U (Up/Top), D (Down/Bottom), F (Front), and B (Back).
When you see a letter by itself, like R, you turn that face 90 degrees clockwise. If you see an apostrophe, like R', that’s "R-prime," meaning counter-clockwise. Think of it like looking at that specific face directly. If you were staring at the right side of the cube, which way would the clock go? That’s your move.
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One more thing: the centers never move. This is the part that trips everyone up. The white center will always be opposite the yellow center. Green is always opposite blue. Red is always opposite orange. If you have a cube where red is next to orange, someone swapped the stickers, and you should probably throw it in the trash because it's unsolvable.
Making the white cross (the right way)
The goal here is to get a white cross on the top face, but—and this is the "big" but—the edges of that cross must match the side center colors. If you have a white-green edge piece, the white part stays on top, and the green part must touch the green center.
I usually tell people to start with the "Daisy." It’s the easiest way to learn how to solve a 3 by 3 Rubik's cube without memorizing 500 algorithms. Move all four white edge pieces so they surround the yellow center. It looks like a flower. Don’t worry about the side colors yet. Just get them there. Once you have your Daisy, look at one white edge. If the side color is red, rotate the top layer until that red edge matches the red center. Then, flip that face 180 degrees. Now that white edge is on the bottom, perfectly aligned with the white center and the red center. Repeat this for all four edges.
Suddenly, you have a white cross on the bottom. It’s perfect. It’s symmetrical. It’s the foundation of everything else.
Sorting the corners
Now we need to fill in the corners to finish the first layer. Find a corner piece in the top layer that has white on it. Let's say it's the White-Red-Green corner. Rotate the top of the cube until that corner is directly above the spot where it needs to go—right between the red and green centers.
Now, use the "Sexy Move." That’s actually what the cubing community calls it. It’s the most important four-move sequence you’ll ever learn: R U R' U'.
Keep doing those four moves. Eventually, that corner will drop into its slot with the white side facing down. It might take one try; it might take five. Just keep going. Once all four corners are in, the entire bottom layer should be white, and you’ll see little "T" shapes on every side of the cube. If you don't see those T-shapes, your corners are in the wrong spots. Swap them out and try again.
The middle layer is where people quit
This is the "make or break" point. You have the bottom layer done. Now we need to put the four edge pieces into the middle layer. Flip the cube over so the white side is on the bottom and the yellow center is facing the ceiling.
Find an edge piece on the top layer that doesn't have any yellow on it. Let’s say it’s the Green-Orange edge. Line up the green side of that edge with the green center so it makes a long vertical line. Now, look at where it needs to go. Does it need to move to the right (into the orange side) or the left?
If it needs to move to the right, use this: U R U' R' U' F' U F.
It looks like a lot, but you’re basically moving the piece away, lifting the slot, putting the piece back, and then re-inserting the corner you accidentally bumped out. If you need to move the piece to the left, just do the mirror image: U' L' U L U F U' F'.
Sometimes, the piece you need is already in the middle layer but it's flipped the wrong way. Don't panic. Just "insert" a random yellow edge piece into that spot using one of the algorithms above. That will kick the piece you need up to the top layer, and you can solve it properly.
The yellow cross: the top floor
Now the bottom two layers are done. You’re close. Look at the top (yellow) face. You’ll see one of four things:
- Just the yellow center dot.
- An "L" shape (three yellow pieces).
- A horizontal line of yellow.
- The full cross.
If you have just the dot, or the L-shape, or the line, we use one sequence: F R U R' U' F'.
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If you have the L-shape, hold the cube so the "L" is in the back-left corner (like it's pointing at 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock). If you have the line, hold it horizontally. Do the move. Eventually, you’ll get the yellow cross. Don’t worry if there are extra yellow corners; we only care about the cross for now.
Positioning and orienting the final pieces
We have the cross, but the edges might not match the side colors. Swap them around by turning the top layer until two edges match their side centers. If they are opposite each other, do this move from any side: R U R' U R U2 R'. (Note: U2 just means turn the top layer twice). Now two adjacent edges should match. Hold the cube so the matching edges are at the back and on the right. Do that move one more time. Now all four edges should line up with their colors.
Next: corners. We need to get them in the right place, even if they aren't turned the right way. A corner is in the "right place" if its colors match the three centers it's touching. Find one that's correct. If none are correct, do this: U R U' L' U R' U' L.
Once you have one correct corner, hold it in the front-right position and repeat the move until all four corners are in their proper home.
Finally, the home stretch. This is where most people mess up and have to start over. Flip the cube back over so White is on top. Find a yellow corner that isn't solved and put it in the bottom-right. Do the "Sexy Move" (R U R' U') until that yellow corner is facing down.
CRITICAL: The rest of the cube will look like it's scrambled. Do not panic. Keep the same front face. Rotate the bottom layer only to bring the next unsolved corner to that bottom-right spot. Repeat the moves. Once the last corner flips, the rest of the cube will magically fix itself.
Moving beyond the basics
Once you've mastered this beginner method, you'll probably want to get faster. The world record for a 3x3 is currently held by Max Park, who solved it in 3.13 seconds in 2023. He doesn't use the method I just described. He uses CFOP (Cross, F2L, OLL, PLL).
- F2L (First Two Layers): Instead of doing corners then edges, you pair them up and slide them in together.
- OLL (Orientation of the Last Layer): Learning 57 different algorithms to solve the yellow top in one go.
- PLL (Permutation of the Last Layer): Learning 21 algorithms to shift the pieces into their final spots.
It’s a lot of memorization, but it's how people get under 10 seconds. For now, just focus on the feeling of that last turn when the colors finally align. It’s a rush.
Actionable steps for your first solve
Don't try to memorize everything in one sitting. It's a physical skill as much as a mental one.
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- Get a decent cube. If you're using an original 1980s Rubik's brand cube that feels like it’s filled with sand, buy a "speed cube" online for ten bucks. It'll change your life.
- Master the notation. Spend five minutes just doing R U R' U' until your hands move without you thinking about it.
- Focus on one layer a day. Spend Monday on the cross and corners. Tuesday on the middle layer. By Friday, you'll be doing the whole thing.
- Keep the orientation. The biggest mistake is rotating the whole cube in your hands. Pick a front face and stick with it during your algorithms.
Solving the cube isn't about being a math whiz. It's about muscle memory and patience. Once you do it for the first time, you'll realize the only thing standing between you and a solved cube was just a bit of persistence.