2-3-4 Edge Pairing for Yau

This is a technique I have developed out of my 4-4 technique for edge pairing. I haven't heard anyone talk about this though I'm sure someone has done it this way. It feels very Yau to blend the steps of last cross dedge with first edge pair.

I give one clean example and then three "unlucky" examples where this technique kinda falls down. I filmed 17 solves to get the 3 bad ones. That's how "lucky" this is and about how often I can finish cleanly doing 4 pairs at a time.

I'm sorry about the video. When I turn on the camera I seem to turn into an ID10t and can't say exactly what I want and can't solve the cube well. I can't seem to look ahead or even recognize things. I hope you can take something out of this.

Never thought of matching up an extra pair while doing the last cross leg. Makes sense; I'll try it out. Thanks =)

I've seen this technique used for Yau before by Cyoubx. It's a good alternative to 3-2-3

Cool does Cyoubx have a video for this? I'd love to see it as he probably executes it far better than I do.

Edit: Never mind I see he does something like it on his yau walkthroughs.

Sorry I don't have time to watch your video now, but does anyone else do this?

I've been doing 2-chain for the first three cross edges, and placing each three in FR/LR, DR/DL, BR/BL (obviously completing the partial cross on left), then finishing centres using slices, M moves, or things like R' r U r' R combos. Once you get used to it centres are fine (hardly more difficult than before), and since you have a lot of freedom each 2-chain is fairly efficient. You can then finish the cross as another 2-chain, and your edge pairing step now only has 4 edges left to solve, which often gives you very easy cases. I haven't done any move count tests but it seems pretty viable.

I don't practice 4x4 enough to get really serious about pairing so I came up with a comfortable method to lookahead. I always put a last cross wing at LF,turn u , place the edges at Rf and RB, u' R'F'Ry',two pair without worrying about the back. It does not have many cases so it is easy and thoughtess.

I used this method for yau for around a year I believe. I switched about one month ago. Ever since I switched, I went from ~1:05 average to ~58 average with 3-2-3.

I prefer 3-2-3 for the lookahead. After the first 3 pairs, all unpaired edges are on the U layer, which is very convenient. Plus, if you have an unlucky case it's usually after the first 3 pairs so you're not stuck with offset centers, no need to come up with a way to fix the centers without ruining all the paired dedges.

This is what I like to do, except I make my last cross edge as I solve my last two centers (if possible). I absolutely love it when there is one dedge solved, because I don't really have to think about slicing first then completing the edge pairing.

I hate it when there are 2 dedges solved. Anyone have a method for this?

Awesome.

mcw0805 said:

I hate it when there are 2 dedges solved. Anyone have a method for this?

Click to expand...

I do. It involves cuss words. What I do when starting this with two deges solved is I count 1-2-crap.

Before the first slice I put in the edge for the first pair and count 1, put in the edge to make the second pair and count 2, put in garbage that won't make a pair and say crap. That usually corrects it so I can get all the pairs done correctly on the slice back.