Solve The Rubik's Cube (JPerm "Simplified" Method)

Using LBL (Layer By Layer) 4 Algorithm Solution (Thanks to JPerm)

This page has everything you need to be able to solve the Rubik's Cube (Assuming you own a Rubik's Cube!). As a speed cuber it's hard to relate to "old school" techniques, so I've devised a set of "moves" which will allow you to learn the basics and hopefully get you solving well below 2 minutes after only a week or so of learning using a much simplified version of the original solve methods used back in the 1980's before the more advanced solving methods were devised.

The cube pictures will be in relation to the cube looking at 3 sides Up (top), Front (left side) and Right (right side), in this example Up is Yellow, Front is Red and Right is Green. When learning we always use White as the first side to solve as the pieces are the easiest to identify. So remember when performing moves to turn the side which is represented in RED so it's facing you before you carry out the moves.
Any places in BLACK should be completely ignored until they are coloured!

With all cubes there are 6 sides, each split into 9 parts consisting of a centre piece (fixed in one place), 4 edge pieces and 4 corner pieces. Each side can only turn in 2 directions upon it's axis, that being like a clock, clockwise and anticlockwise. Each turn of the cube is represented by a ¼ turn based on a letter (B D F L R U). So visualize each side as being a clock face facing you, if we use the Front face or " F " and we want to turn the cube ¼ a turn clockwise, we would just use " F ". If we wanted to turn the Front face anticlockwise ¼ turn we would just use " F' ". And if we wanted to turn the Front side ½ turn we would simply use the move " F2 ".

Note: You have to remember moves are based on the idea that you are moving them as if you are facing them, so doing a " B " or "Back" move would actually be ¼ a turn anti-clockwise as it's facing away from you at the time of the move. This is where a lot of new cuber's make mistakes when trying to learn moves as they move the face in the wrong direction, the only time you don't need to worry about it is when its followed by a 2 ie. " B2 " as this is ½ a turn which would be the same as using " B2' ".

Below is how the cube is coded (for what we will learn):-

F = Front Face (always the side facing you)
B = Back Face (always the side facing away from you)
U = Upward Face (always the top of the cube)
D = Downward Face (always the bottom of the cube)
L = Left Face (always left side of the cube)
R = Right Face (always right side of the cube)

Example: If the moves were " F F F F " then you should be turning the Front face clockwise 4 ¼ turns and getting it back where it started. We can reduce " F F F F " and moves by using " F2 F2 " which changes the 4 ¼ turns into 2 ½ turns, which is quicker and easier to understand and reduces the chance of errors.

NOTE : You need to learn the following algorithms before really anything else as the more intuitive it is to you, the faster you will be able to recognise situations and solve the cube and less likely to make mistakes as you learn.

" U R U' R' " aka " REVERSE SEXY ", so if you see " REVERSE SEXY*2 ", this would be the 4 moves repeated twice.
" U' L' U L " aka " REVERSE LEFT SEXY ", so if you see " REVERSE LEFT SEXY*2 ", this would be the 4 moves repeated twice.
" R U R' U R U2 R' " aka " SUNE ", is only needed in Stage 5 and is used to switch 2 top layer edge pieces and may need to be used twice to complete Stage 5.
" U R U' L' U R' U' L " aka " CORNER ROTATE ", is only used in Stage 6 and used to switch 3 top layer corners of the cube anticlockwise (front left, back right and back left).

Stage 1: The Rubik's bottom "Cross" (can be solved intuitively).

Always as a starting block, learning the Rubik's Cube is based on White being your starting side, as this is the easiest colour to see and locate on the cube, and is always on the Down side (bottom). As a beginner, you may find it easier to solve the white cross on top then flip the cube when you have finished the cross, but I would suggest learning with cross down as advanced cube techniques generally use cross down algorithms.

Stage 2: Bottom Corners (can be solved intuitively).

In the next stage you will be looking for any 4 corner pieces that do NOT include Yellow as we don't need any pieces that are to do with the Upper section of the cube for the minute.

Stage 3: Middle Edges.

Next is the middle edge pieces, once these are done you will have completed the first two layers of the cube.

Stage 4: Cross on top.

This is where we need to form the cross like you did for the white side. You are only going to need to use additional " F " moves with REVERSE SEXY that are simply repeated to make the cross. Ignore any corner pieces on top at this stage.

Stage 5 - Correcting Edge Colours On The Cross.

You now need to focus on the edges of the cross pieces, rotate the top to see if all edge pieces align with the side colours. You will only have three conditions and again only require one set of moves to fix all edges.

1) All edge pieces align up when U is rotated, in which case go to Stage 6.
2) Two opposite edge pieces only align up, use Stage 5a then Stage 5b.
3) Two Adjacent edge pieces only align up, use Stage 5b.

Stage 6 - Correcting Corner Positions.

When cross is aligned you need to check to see which following condition is true then execute Stage 6a accordingly. Ignore corner orientation until Stage 7..

1) All corners are already in their respective position, go to Stage 7.
2) No corner pieces are in the right location, go to Stage 6a.
3) One corner piece is in the right place, rotate the whole cube left or right until the correct corner is in front right position then Execute Stage 6a until the other 3 corner pieces are in their correct corners.

Stage 7 - Rotation Of Corners.

The final part requires you to flip the cube so that white is on top, locate one of the bad corner pieces in the bottom front right by rotating the cube left or right. The total number of REVERSE SEXY moves will be 6 or 12 and REVERSE SEXY moves during this will make the top of the cube scrambled until you successfully finish 6 or 12 REVERSE SEXY moves or all the bottom corners.

If the bottom right corner piece has yellow facing you then execute 7a.
If the bottom right corner piece has yellow to the right then execute 7b.
After each corner piece is corrected, rotate the bottom later D (do not rotate the cube!) to any leftover twisted corners and apply the required execution of 7a or 7b according to it's position and hopefully solving the cube!

Well Done! If you've done all moves carefully and correctly then you should have solved your Rubik's Cube! This set is a simplistic set of moves I've personally found thanks again to JPerm, there are a lot more conditions that when they arrive would allow you to perform a "skip", this is where a set of moves will skip you having to do certain combinations to achieve the same result. I will add some tips 'n' tricks below soon to give you some idea's on how to improve your cubing and speed etc.
In the meantime, have fun!