The FMC thread

[irontwig]

Whats a skeleton?

A solution to most but not all pieces, for example everything but three corners.

[irontwig]

Scramble : F' L R2 B2 U' D F D2 B2 D B2 F L2 U' D R2 U2 L' B2 U' B2 R' F2 B L

Premove = R'
U' F L B U' D2 L' U D' L U' B2 // (12) F2L -1 slot
R' U R B U' // (17) requires only 2-edge 2-corner swap
B' U2 R' // (20) (almost) solved

I can't find how to swap the 4 pieces. Could you help me?

Best I could find (results in 30 move total):
U' F L B.U' D2 L' U D' L U' B2 R' U R B U' B' U2 R'
.=B2 L' B R' B' R L B2 R' B' R

[porkynator]

I decided to practise some Fewest Moves lately, but so far I've only done 2 real 1-hour attempts. I decided to post them here to get some advice.

Scramble A: F2 L2 D F' R' U' R2 B2 R B2 U' R2 B2 R2 D' R2 D2 L2

Spoiler:

Solution 1 (32 HTM):

Spoiler:

D' F //2x2x1 (2/2)
R' //2 CE pairs (1/3)
D' L U2 R U' //Expands 2x2x1 to 3x2x1 and makes another 2x2x1 (5/8)
L2 R2 F L' //F2L-1+EO (4/12)
U2 R U R' U R U2 R' U2 R U2 R' //All but 3 corners(12/24)
F2 D B' D' F2 D B D' //Normal commutator, couldn't find any insertion with cancellation(s). (8/32)
Solution: D' F R' D' L U2 R U' L2 R2 F L' U2 R U R' U R U2 R' U2 R U2 R' F2 D B' D' F2 D B D' (32 HTM)

Solution 2 (30 HTM, partial):

Spoiler:

On inverse scramble
L' R' B U B' U2 //2x2x2 preserving a pair (6/6)
L' D F' D2 F D' //2x2x3 (6/12)
L2 B2 U B2 U' B //F2L-1+EO (6/18)
L2 B L B' //Makes 2 pairs 2x1x1 (4/22)
F' L2 B L2 B' L2 F L' //Pair 3-cycle (8/30)
At this point I didn't have time to find an insertion, but I knew this solution would be worse than the first one.

Heise FTW!

Scramble B: L2 B L2 B' R2 F U2 B2 D2 R2 B' D' L B2 F R' B' D' L U2 F

Spoiler:

Solution 1 (36 HTM):

Spoiler:

R L U' //2x2x1 (3/3)
B' D2 //3x2x1 (2/5)
L' F U' F2 //3x2x2 (4/9)
D B' //2 Pairs (2/11)
D2 B2 D' B L B L' F //All but a 2GLL (misaligned) (8/19)
D L2 D' L' D L' D' L D L D' L D L2 D' L' F' //2GLL (and align) (17/36)
Solution: R L U' B' D2 L' F U' F2 D B' D2 B2 D' B L B L' F D L2 D' L' D L' D' L D L D' L D L2 D' L' F' (36 HTM)

Solution 2 (25 HTM, partial):

Spoiler:

R L U' //2x2x1 (3/3)
B' D2 //3x2x1 (2/5)
L' F U' F2 //3x2x2 (4/9)
D B' //2 Pairs (2/11)
D2 B2 D' B2 D' B' L B L' //F2L-1+EO (9/20)
D2 L' D2 L D //All but 4 corners (5/25)
I really didn't want to look for 2 insertions, it's just too boring and I'm not so good at it yet.

Solution 3 (33 HTM):

Spoiler:

Premove: B'
R L U' //2x2x1 (3/3)
B' D2 //3x2x1 (2/5)
L' F U' F2 //3x2x2 (4/9)
D B' //2 Pairs (2/11)
D B' L B2 L' //F2L (5/16)
F L D L' D' F' //CLL (6/22)
R D R' D' R' L B R B' L' //ELL. Couldn't find any cancellation. (10/32)
B //Adjust (1/33)
Solution: R L U' B' D2 L' F U' F2 D B' D B' L B2 L' F L D L' D' F' R D R' D' R' L B R B' L' B (33 HTM)

This time I didn't use Heise (I usually try to start with that method), and I didn't expect the final solution to be a FreeFCE solve.

This is almost all I know about FMC techniques. 1 hour seems to pass so quickly now... I hope it will get better with practise. Suggestions?

[theZcuber]

Spoiler:

I decided to practise some Fewest Moves lately, but so far I've only done 2 real 1-hour attempts. I decided to post them here to get some advice.

Scramble A: F2 L2 D F' R' U' R2 B2 R B2 U' R2 B2 R2 D' R2 D2 L2

Spoiler:

Solution 1 (32 HTM):

Spoiler:

D' F //2x2x1 (2/2)
R' //2 CE pairs (1/3)
D' L U2 R U' //Expands 2x2x1 to 3x2x1 and makes another 2x2x1 (5/8)
L2 R2 F L' //F2L-1+EO (4/12)
U2 R U R' U R U2 R' U2 R U2 R' //All but 3 corners(12/24)
F2 D B' D' F2 D B D' //Normal commutator, couldn't find any insertion with cancellation(s). (8/32)
Solution: D' F R' D' L U2 R U' L2 R2 F L' U2 R U R' U R U2 R' U2 R U2 R' F2 D B' D' F2 D B D' (32 HTM)

Solution 2 (30 HTM, partial):

Spoiler:

On inverse scramble
L' R' B U B' U2 //2x2x2 preserving a pair (6/6)
L' D F' D2 F D' //2x2x3 (6/12)
L2 B2 U B2 U' B //F2L-1+EO (6/18)
L2 B L B' //Makes 2 pairs 2x1x1 (4/22)
F' L2 B L2 B' L2 F L' //Pair 3-cycle (8/30)
At this point I didn't have time to find an insertion, but I knew this solution would be worse than the first one.

Heise FTW!

Scramble B: L2 B L2 B' R2 F U2 B2 D2 R2 B' D' L B2 F R' B' D' L U2 F

Spoiler:

Solution 1 (36 HTM):

Spoiler:

R L U' //2x2x1 (3/3)
B' D2 //3x2x1 (2/5)
L' F U' F2 //3x2x2 (4/9)
D B' //2 Pairs (2/11)
D2 B2 D' B L B L' F //All but a 2GLL (misaligned) (8/19)
D L2 D' L' D L' D' L D L D' L D L2 D' L' F' //2GLL (and align) (17/36)
Solution: R L U' B' D2 L' F U' F2 D B' D2 B2 D' B L B L' F D L2 D' L' D L' D' L D L D' L D L2 D' L' F' (36 HTM)

Solution 2 (25 HTM, partial):

Spoiler:

R L U' //2x2x1 (3/3)
B' D2 //3x2x1 (2/5)
L' F U' F2 //3x2x2 (4/9)
D B' //2 Pairs (2/11)
D2 B2 D' B2 D' B' L B L' //F2L-1+EO (9/20)
D2 L' D2 L D //All but 4 corners (5/25)
I really didn't want to look for 2 insertions, it's just too boring and I'm not so good at it yet.

Solution 3 (33 HTM):

Spoiler:

Premove: B'
R L U' //2x2x1 (3/3)
B' D2 //3x2x1 (2/5)
L' F U' F2 //3x2x2 (4/9)
D B' //2 Pairs (2/11)
D B' L B2 L' //F2L (5/16)
F L D L' D' F' //CLL (6/22)
R D R' D' R' L B R B' L' //ELL. Couldn't find any cancellation. (10/32)
B //Adjust (1/33)
Solution: R L U' B' D2 L' F U' F2 D B' D B' L B2 L' F L D L' D' F' R D R' D' R' L B R B' L' B (33 HTM)

This time I didn't use Heise (I usually try to start with that method), and I didn't expect the final solution to be a FreeFCE solve.

This is almost all I know about FMC techniques. 1 hour seems to pass so quickly now... I hope it will get better with practise. Suggestions?

I'll take a shot at these, but I don't feel like searching for insertions right now (and IF is down).

[ardi4nto]

Best I could find (results in 30 move total):
U' F L B.U' D2 L' U D' L U' B2 R' U R B U' B' U2 R'
.=B2 L' B R' B' R L B2 R' B' R

Found better insertion here, results in 29 move total:

Scramble : F' L R2 B2 U' D F D2 B2 D B2 F L2 U' D R2 U2 L' B2 U' B2 R' F2 B L

Premove = R'
U' F L B U' D2 L' U D' L [1] U' B2 // (12) F2L -1 slot
R' U R B U' // (17) requires only 2-edge 2-corner swap
B' U2 R' // (20) (almost) solved

On [1]: U - L2 F' L' F L' U2 R B' R' U2 - U' (J-perm with U conjugate)

[Pyjam]

Erik, Ardianto, thanks to both of you.

[jla]

SCRAMBLE: D' L F2 B2 U F' U R' F2 B2 D B2 U B2 D F2 D2 B2 L2

y' R' L' U' R2 U2 L' //2X2X2 (6/6)
F' D2 R D //3X2X2 (4/10)
R' F R D R2 D' F R //F2L3 (8/18)
U F2 U' F2 //EP (4/22) (One move cancellation to first corner comm)
R B R' F' R B' //COMM (6/28) (One move cancellation to second corner comm)
R U' L2 U R2 U' L2 U //COMM (8/36)

What could I've done better?

[Pyjam]

L D R2 F' D2 L2 B D' F R' B2 D B2 D' R2 L2 B2 L2 U' D2 F2

I was starting a ZZ solve :
U B' R' B' U2 B...
R2...

I let you play.

[Zaterlord]

How do you use insertions?

[Pyjam]

What could I've done better?

After U F2 U' F, use 2 insertions to cycle the corners.

How do you use insertions?

You ask me?