History of Rubik's Cube
Inventor - The Rubik’s cube was invented by a Hungarian professor of Architecture, “Erno Rubik” in 1974. He called it the Magic Cube. It started being sold in stores officially by the year 1980. Soon after that, the Cubing fever began, and people from all around the world were excited to buy the puzzle and have their try at solving it. This cubing craze led to the first Rubik’s World Championship being held in Budapest in 1982.
Read more about History of Speedcubing
Read more about Evolution Of WCA Competitions
What is the Mechanism of a Rubik's Cube?
Structure - The Rubik’s cube consists of a spherical core that holds all the pieces together, all the pieces move relative to the center core pieces. There are 20 total pieces excluding the centerpieces, which include 8 corner pieces and 12 edge pieces. The pieces move with the help of springs and screws, which attach the core to the centerpieces.
What are the Basics of a Rubik's Cube?
How to solve a Rubik's cube? - The beginner's method of solving a Rubik’s cube consists of first solving the base cross, then solving the whole first layer. After that, comes the second layer, which is continued by solving the whole top layer, step by step, solving the cube.
We have covered detailed guide on How to solve Rubik's cube in one of our blog post
What are the Benefits of Solving a Rubik’s Cube?
There are lot of benefits for solving puzzle for your brain. Solving the Rubik’s cube comes with tons of benefits like increased attention span, improved hand-eye coordination, better reflexes, and better patience level, and also keeps you mentally active. It also keeps the mind away from unnecessary distractions like mobile phones, and unwanted thoughts and helps in building focus and concentration. We have covered in-depth Benefits of Solving Rubik's Cube for you in one of our blog.
Read more about Benefits of Speedcubing on Mind & Body
What age is Rubik's Cube for?
The Rubik’s cube can be solved by all age groups, from kids who are 6-7 years old to even elderly people who are 70 years old. But the fastest solvers are generally under 20 years old, mostly because they have more time to practice. So, anyone can pick up the Rubik’s cube and learn to solve it, regardless of their age, they just need to pass the toddler stage!
How do you Solve a Rubik's Cube Step-by-step?
1. The CFOP Method/ Fridrich Method
The CFOP method, which is also called the Fridrich method, is the most used method for speedsolving. It was popularized by Czech speedcuber, “Jessica Fridrich” in 1997. It consists of solving the cross on the bottom, then simultaneously solving the first two layers, unlike the beginner's method, in which we solve the first two layers one by one. After that, the last layer is solved by a combination of 78 algorithms, consisting of 57 OLL algorithms and 21 PLL algorithms
2. The Roux Method
The Roux method is another speedsolving method discovered by Gilles Roux in 2003. The Roux method is based on the block building and corners first strategies. It is famous for its low move count, heavy use of M moves, and suitability for one-handed solving.
Read more about cfop vs roux method
3. The ZZ Method
The ZZ method is a speedsolving method designed by Zbigniew Zborowski in 2006. It was developed to have high turning speeds, and it is a combination of block-building and layer-by-layer methods.
How many types of Rubik's Cube are there?
Apart from the 3x3 Rubik’s cube, there are also a lot of different shapes and sizes of Rubik’s cube, some patented even before the original 3x3 Rubik’s cube!
1. 2x2
The 2x2 was first invented by Larry D. Nichols in 1970, it was held together with magnets, and it was not very popular. The modern design was made much later.
How do you solve a 2x2 Rubik's Cube?
There are many methods to solve the 2x2 Rubik’s cube, there’s the beginner's method for people solving for the first time. Another method to solve the 2x2 Rubik’s cube is very popular among intermediate 2x2 solvers. Advanced solvers use the CLL method, which consists of 42 algorithms in total. This is the method used by a majority of the fastest solvers of the 2x2 Rubik’s cube event.
2. 3x3
The 3x3, as mentioned above, was invented by Hungarian puzzler Erno Rubik in 1974. It began officially being sold in stores by 1980 and was a huge success.
How do you solve a 3x3 Rubik's cube?
There are many ways to solve the 3x3 Rubik’s cube. The beginner's method is the best method for people who have just gotten into the 3x3 Rubik’s cube. CFOP and Roux are the most popular speedsolving methods for 3x3
Also Read - How to Improve in 3x3
3. 4x4
The 4x4 Rubik’s cube was released in 1981. It was invented by Péter Sebestény and is also nicknamed the “Rubik’s Revenge” to attract the fans of the original Rubik’s cube
How do you solve a 4x4 Rubik's cube?
Rubik’s Revenge is solved by the beginner reduction method, but advanced cubers use a more complex, faster technique called the Yau method, which was discovered by Robert Yau in 2009. While solving the 4x4, cubers might encounter OLL and PLL parity, which can be solved by parity algorithms.
Read More about - YAU Method 4x4
4. 5x5
The 5x5 Rubik’s cube was invented by Udo Krell in 1981 and was nicknamed the “Professor’s Cube”.
How do you solve a 5x5 Rubik's cube?
The 5x5 Rubik’s cube is solved with the reduction method and it’s the most popular method used by the fastest cubers as well. It consists of solving centers and edges and reducing the cube to a simple 3x3 puzzle. Alternatively, the Yau method, which is a very popular method for the 4x4, is also efficient in the 5x5
Read also - 5x5 Redux vs Yau Methods Comparison
5. 6x6
The 6x6 Rubik’s cube is an advanced puzzle, the reason being the huge amount of pieces as compared to the normal 3x3 Rubik’s cube. Also, it is specifically more complex due to the even number of layers. The only available brand for 6x6 used to be the V-Cube before more companies started making better designs, which were more efficient, less noisy, and less bulky.
Here are some Best 6x6 Speed Cubes
How do you solve a 6x6 Rubik's cube?
The reduction method is the most popular method for solving the 6x6 Rubik’s cube. It is used by beginner cubers as well as advanced cubers. It consists of solving centers and edges, reducing the cube to a 3x3 Rubik’s cube. A solver can be faced with OLL or PLL parity while solving a 6x6, which can be fixed by applying a parity algorithm.
Read our blog on Improving On 6x6 and 7x7 Cube Solving
6. 7x7
The first 7x7 was invented by Panagiotis Verdes and the only brand that used to make 7x7 Rubik’s cube was the V-Cube.
How do you solve a 7X7 Rubik's cube?
The method for solving a 7x7 is the same as for solving a 5x5 and a 6x6, the reduction method. It just takes more time to complete as the puzzle size increases. The 7x7, unlike the 6x6, does not encounter OLL and PLL parity.
Checkout Best 7x7 Speed Cubes Review
7. Megaminx
Square-1, Pyraminx, Megaminx, Skewb
The Megaminx is a dodecahedron-shaped puzzle, which has 12 faces, each face being a regular pentagon. The Megaminx was invented by multiple people independently. It consists of 11 pieces on each side, a centerpiece, 5 corner pieces in the shape of rhombuses, and 5 edge pieces in the shape of trapezoids.
How do you solve a Megaminx cube?
A megaminx cube can be solved by simply applying 3x3 intuition. Solving layers by layers, repeatedly, until just a top layer is left. After that, there are specific megaminx algorithms that you have to learn, which are very simple to learn if you are already familiar with the 3x3 Rubik’s cube.
Read our Guide on - How To Get Faster At Megaminx
What is the Trick to Solving a Rubik's Cube?
1. Speedcubing Method
The speedcubing method consists of cutting down the moves that are used up in the beginner's method. It consists of a lot of methods, all of them focusing on solving the cube as fast as possible. The speedcubing method is more complicated than the beginner's method, with more algorithms to learn and more techniques to master, but it reduces solving times by a huge margin.
2. Beginner’s Method
The beginner's method is the go-to method for learning how to solve a Rubik’s cube for a first-timer. It consists of a layer-by-layer approach, with a minimal amount of algorithms that have to be learned. It is considerably slower than the speedcubing methods but it is fairly easy to learn and master.
What is the Importance of Rubik's?
Benefits
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For Children - The Rubik’s Cube is very beneficial for children as it encourages better development of the brain, increasing patience level, concentration, hand-eye coordination, and many more different aspects of brain development.
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For Adults - For adults, the Rubik’s cube is a really good tool to keep the brain active and prevent stress and anxiety. The Rubik’s cube is also proven to prevent cognitive disabilities that come with old age.
What is Special about Rubik's Cube?
Interesting & Fun facts
The most interesting fact about the Rubik’s cube is that it has 43 quintillion possible combinations, or to be more precise, 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 combinations that can exist for a puzzle that can fit in the palm of your hand! And if that isn’t mind-boggling enough, there’s another fun fact, each of these 43 quintillion combinations can be solved in 20 moves or less! The Rubik’s cube is also one of the best-selling toys in the world, so that's another fact to keep in mind!
Check out How Large is the Number of Permutations for a Rubik's Cube
What Cool Things can you do with a Rubik's Cube?
The Rubik’s cube can be used to make beautiful color patterns. The checkered pattern and cube in a cube are two of a huge amount of pretty patterns. Another cool thing that you can do with the Rubik’s cube is trying to solve it blindfolded, there are plenty of tutorials to solve the puzzle blindfolded, and it can be an impressive hobby if you can learn how to do it! The Rubik’s cube can also be used to do cool magic tricks and is also widely used to make Rubik’s cube mosaics.
Competitions & Records
1. Speedcubing competitions
Speedcubing competitions are a platform for cubers to showcase their skills and get official solving times on the WCA website! Competitions are also very rewarding for the best cubers in the competitions with a lot of awards and cubes being given to the winners!
2. Blindfolded Solving
Blindfolded solving is an official group of events at competitions, with 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, and 3x3 multiple blindfolds being the official events. It consists of solving the 3x3 blindfolded as fast as possible and the awards are given for a single solve, unlike the average of all solves, which is considered for other events.
3. Multiple Blindfolded
In the multiple blindfolded events at competitions, the cuber is required to choose the number of cubes that he/she will attempt to solve. Then the cuber memorizes the scrambled cubes and then lowers the blindfold to solve them all. There is a limit, however, 10 minutes for a single cube and 60 minutes for the whole attempt.
4. Fewest Moves Solving
In the Fewest moves challenge, the competitors have to attempt to solve the Rubik’s cube with as few moves as possible. In the official FMC event, competitors find the possible solution with the fewest number of moves and write it down, all within a time limit of one hour.
What is the Rubik's Cube World Record 2022?
The current 3x3 Rubik’s cube world record in 2022 is held by Yusheng Du of China, solving the cube in just 3.47 seconds! This record has been held by him for more than 4 years since he set it at Wuhu Open in 2018.
About Author
Sarthak Masta
Sarthak Masta is a speedcuber from Raipur. He started cubing in 2013 and now has 9 years of cubing experience. Apart from cubing, Sarthak enjoys making music and singing. He has attended a total of 7 competitions in Raipur and has gotten 10 podiums, with 2 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 4 bronze medals.
