Introduction

The Skewb Cube is one among the many puzzles that were modified after the success of the Rubik’s Cube. The Skewb consists of a cube with different colours of the faces and with cuts through the centre, orthogonal to the main diagonals. The mechanism holds it together and allows turns of the half-cubes generated by the cuts. Any turn of half-cube by 1200 or 2400 will result in forming a cube again with a changed colour pattern. 

Though solving a Skewb would seem complex at first sight, there are some easy solutions and algorithms that we cover in this article.  

Skewb Notations

Before we jump into how to solve the Skewb cube, there are a few notations that you should familiarize yourself with. 

Method 1

Step 1: Solve the first layer. 

The first step is to start solving with the white face of the Skewb. To get through this step, you need to first understand how your Skewb works and how the pieces interact with each other. To get started with the first step, you should ensure that the white centrepiece remains on the top layer.

Observe your Skewb and look for the white, orange and green corner pieces. 

1. If your white corner piece is on the right-hand side and is facing you, you can simply twist it to the upper layer. 
2. Similarly, if the white pieces are on the left-hand side, you can twist it to the upper left side. If the white corner piece is at the bottom, you can twist the cube to move it to the left or right and then twist it again to bring it to the upper layer. 

Step 2: Solving centrepieces

Once the white face is solved, you need to now focus on the centrepieces of each face. Turn and hold your Skewb in such a way that the solved white face (completed in step 1) is at the bottom of the cube. 

Notice the colour of the centrepiece, which is now the top face. In our case, it is the orange piece. Now, rotate your Skewb such that the orange corner pieces on the bottom layer face you. 

Ensure that the top centrepiece matches the bottom corners which are facing you. Now, to switch the front and top centres, use the algorithm stated below. 

Now, note the colour of the centrepiece on the top face and rotate your Skewb such that the bottom corners match the colour of the centrepiece on top.

Repeat the above steps and the algorithm again until all the centres are in their correct places. If you started this step with the white face as we mentioned, then you should ideally have the yellow centre on top. This will tell you that you have completed step 2 successfully. 

Step 3: Solve the last layer. 

This is the last step in solving the last layer of the Skewb. If you have followed the above steps correctly, you would have the yellow centrepiece on the top layer. You would face either of these cases. 

Case 1: If you already have two yellow corners on the top layer, then you can easily finish the last layer with one algorithm. Perform the algorithm mentioned below twice. 

Case 2: If you do not have any yellow corners on the top layer, you need to perform an algorithm twice to rotate the four yellow corners onto the top layer, thereby completing the Skewb. 

Read More - How To Solve Rubik's Cube - Beginner's Method

Method 2

In this second method, we shall use the classic Rubik’s Cube face notations. However, instead of faces, these notations will be applied to the corners of the Skweb.  

Step 1: Solve the first face

The first step is quite intuitive. You need to experiment and familiarize yourself with the Skewb by bringing the matching corners around the centrepiece of the same colour. 

Once three of the four corners are solved, but the last one is oriented wrong, then you can use either of the algorithms stated below to rotate the corner pieces of the top layers. 

Algorithm 1

Algorithm 2

After performing the appropriate algorithm, you should have a complete face on the top layer. You should not worry about the other unsolved pieces at this stage. 

Step 2: Solving the centrepieces

If you have performed step 1 correctly, you should have solved the first face. In the next step, you need to align the remaining five centrepieces in the right places. Hold your cube in such a way that the solved face is facing upwards. Rotate the corner pieces facing you clockwise or counterclockwise as many times necessary. 

Algorithm 1 

Algorithm 2 

Step 3: Solving the remaining four corners

To solve the bottom corners of the Skewb, you can use another algorithm that rotates the corners on the right counterclockwise, and the corners on the left clockwise. Hold your Skewb such that the solved side is facing up. And use the algorithms below until the entire Skewb is in a solved state. 

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Conclusion

Skewb is, algorithmically speaking, quite easily solvable. There are many tutorials and articles available on the internet that mention the use of many different algorithms. However, the steps covered in this article are more user-friendly in terms of the number of algorithms. As a cuber, you cannot always rely on just one method to speed solve the Skewb. The methods and the approach change based on the scramble. So keep learning, and happy cubing!