Here is my shorthand version of pogobat’s YouTube video series “How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube!“
3x3x3 Notation
6 Centers
8 Corners
12 Edges
Front face (F)
Back face (B)
Left face (L)
Right face (R)
Up face (U)
Down face (D)
Twists are normally clockwise. Twists counter clockwise are noted with an apostrophe (‘).
Solve Green Cross
Start with green center on up. Twist an edge piece with one side green to the down face. Then turn the down face to orient the edge piece of the other color under its center.
Then make the other color the front face.
2F : This puts a bottom green edge piece on top, next to green center.
F’ U L’ U’ : If the edge piece is in right spot, but oriented incorrectly. Start with the flipped edge piece at the top center (next to green center).
Solve Green Corners
R’ D’ R D: Have green corner in bottom right, below the corner it needs to go to. May be oriented wrong. Repeat the algorithm to orient the corner piece correctly.
This could take 5 times.
Top should be green and top row colors should be solved: top row complete
Solve Second Layer
Make green side down
Orient an edge piece of the top-front (neither side blue) with its center color. The other color (top) of the edge piece will be the same as one of the centers of either the left or right face.
U’ L’ U L U F U’ F’ : If left
U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F : If right
U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F : If all edges have blue before second layer is solved. Orient cube so that unsolved piece is in the center right of the front face.
Solve Blue Cross
With blue as top
F R U R’ U’ F’ : If none of the edge pieces have blue on top
F R U R’ U’ F’ : With blue L in back left corner. This makes a blue line through the middle.
F R U R’ U’ F’ : With blue line going left to right.
Finish Blue Cross
Looking at the sides of the edge pieces. They probably wont all match their center pieces.
R U R’ U R 2U R’ : If two edges do not match
R U R’ U R 2U R’ : If two matching edges are opposite sides. With one of them as front.
If the two matching edges are next to each other, orient cube so that matching pair top corner is right and away from you. Then perform
R U R’ U R 2U R’
All edge pieces of blue cross should be in correct spot and oriented correctly.
Solve Blue Corners
Get blue corners in correct spot.
U R U’ L’ U R’ U’ L : If none of the corners are in the correct spot. This should put one corner piece in the correct spot.
U R U’ L’ U R’ U’ L : With correct corner in top right front (near you)
This will get corners in correct spots, but not oriented correctly.
Orient Blue Corners
With 1 unsolved corner in upper right of front face. Keep the front face the same throughout this entire step!
R’ D’ R D : Twice
The corner should be oriented correctly. If not, without turning the up face, do R’ D’ R D another 2 times. Now turn top so that next unsolved is in upper right of front face.
R’ D’ R D : Twice
If needed do it twice more.