[Help Thread] FMC Discussion

[PalashD]

E1a) The maximum length of a solution is 80 (moves and rotations).
E2d) The metric to measure the length of the solution, is Half Turn Metric.

Half Turn Metric (HTM) is defined as:

* 12a17) Each move of the categories Face Moves and Double Outer Slice Moves is counted as 1 move.
* 12a18) Each move of the categories Inner Slice Moves and Middle Slice Moves is counted as 2 moves.
* 12a19) Each rotation is counted as 0 moves.

But it is better to do the solve without cube rotations. It is easier to see insertions and cancellations.

 

[aronpm]

I had a doubt is a cube rotation counted as a move or not, also are we even allowed to turn the cube ?

Rotations do not count as a move. Some people choose to write their solutions without rotations but it doesn't matter either way.

 

[Yes We Can!]

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot to say: don't try the scramble if you haven't done weekly comp-44 yet and wish to still do it.

Spoiler

Scramble: L' R2 B F L D' R2 F L B' D2 R2 B L U F D2 F'
Solve: B' D2 L2 F' L F L2 U2 z2 U2 R2 F2 y U2 F' U' R U R2 F' R F' R U B U' B' U' L U2 R' U R U2 R' L' U2

B' D2 L2 F' L F L2 U2 (2x2x2) [8/8]
z2 U2 R2 F2 (2x2x3 + DF edge) [3/11]
y U2 F' U' R U R2 F' R F' (finish F2L) [9/20]
R U B U' B' R' (OLL) [5/25]
R U' L U2 R' U R U2 R' L' U2 (PLL) [10/35]
The bold moves cancel.

Could anyone experienced please say what could be done better? I know, the 2x2x2 block was not good but it made a 2x3x3 very easy.

 

[guusrs]

Scramble: L' R2 B F L D' R2 F L B' D2 R2 B L U F D2 F'
Solve: B' D2 L2 F' L F L2 U2 z2 U2 R2 F2 y U2 F' U' R U R2 F' R F' R U B U' B' U' L U2 R' U R U2 R' L' U2

B' D2 L2 F' L F L2 U2 (2x2x2) [8/8]
z2 U2 R2 F2 (2x2x3 + DF edge) [3/11]
y U2 F' U' R U R2 F' R F' (finish F2L) [9/20]
R U B U' B' R' (OLL) [5/25]
R U' L U2 R' U R U2 R' L' U2 (PLL) [10/35]
The bold moves cancel.

Could anyone experienced please say what could be done better? I know, the 2x2x2 block was not good but it made a 2x3x3 very easy.

At first sight I recognized this as this' weeks competition (2010-44) scramble .
So I'm not going to tell you

Gus

 

[Yes We Can!]

Hm, you're right. I should have waited to ask until the competition is over. THANKS j´ey
I now made it clear in my post that it's the weeklycomp-44 scramble.

 

[okayama]

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot to say: don't try the scramble if you haven't done weekly comp-44 yet and wish to still do it.

Spoiler

Scramble: L' R2 B F L D' R2 F L B' D2 R2 B L U F D2 F'
Solve: B' D2 L2 F' L F L2 U2 z2 U2 R2 F2 y U2 F' U' R U R2 F' R F' R U B U' B' U' L U2 R' U R U2 R' L' U2

B' D2 L2 F' L F L2 U2 (2x2x2) [8/8]
z2 U2 R2 F2 (2x2x3 + DF edge) [3/11]
y U2 F' U' R U R2 F' R F' (finish F2L) [9/20]
R U B U' B' R' (OLL) [5/25]
R U' L U2 R' U R U2 R' L' U2 (PLL) [10/35]
The bold moves cancel.

Could anyone experienced please say what could be done better? I know, the 2x2x2 block was not good but it made a 2x3x3 very easy.

After the F2L, you can construct a shorter LL as follows.

Setup: R' U
Pair 3-cycle: L' F' L U L' F L U'
Solve all: R U

results in 32 moves.

 

[mrCage]

After the F2L, you can construct a shorter LL as follows.

Setup: R' U
Pair 3-cycle: L' F' L U L' F L U'
Solve all: R U

results in 32 moves.

That LL is optimal according to the cube explorer (which gave other/alternative solution ...)

Per

 

[Cubenovice]

Weekly 44 scramble

L' R2 B F L D' R2 F L B' D2 R2 B L U F D2 F'

R' F R L' D2 B' 2x2x2 6 - 6
L B L2 B2 U B U' 2x2x3 7 - 13
Instead of doing EO I saw the following opportunity to almost finish F2L:
zy' U' R' B U B' F2L - 1 edge 5 - 18
But how to turn this into a good ending?

Fixing the last slot with LL edges oriented takes me about 7 moves, but then I still need Asune and a G-perm so I end up around 45 HTM.

Can you please give me some pointers or examples on how to finish this "F2L - 1edge" in a proper way?

 

[okayama]

Weekly 44 scramble

L' R2 B F L D' R2 F L B' D2 R2 B L U F D2 F'

R' F R L' D2 B' 2x2x2 6 - 6
L B L2 B2 U B U' 2x2x3 7 - 13
Instead of doing EO I saw the following opportunity to almost finish F2L:
zy' U' R' B U B' F2L - 1 edge 5 - 18
But how to turn this into a good ending?

Fixing the last slot with LL edges oriented takes me about 7 moves, but then I still need Asune and a G-perm so I end up around 45 HTM.

Can you please give me some pointers or examples on how to finish this "F2L - 1edge" in a proper way?

Here is your start, without cube-rotation:

2x2x2 block: R' F R L' D2 B'
2x2x3 block: L B L2 B2 U B U'
F2L minus 1 slot: L' F' U L U'

Consider the inverse scramble with the following pre-scramble.

Turn pre-scramble: U L' U' F L U B' U' B2 L2 B' L' B D2 L R' F' R (inverse of your start)
Inverse scramble: F D2 F' U' L' B' R2 D2 B L' F' R2 D L' F' B' R2 L

F2L minus 1 slot: (done)
Orient edges + pair: L F L' F'
Finish F2L: L2 D' L2 D
OLL: U L2 U2 L' U2 L' U2 L2 U

Inverse of the moves above is what you want.

(Final solution)
2x2x2 block: R' F R L' D2 B'
2x2x3 block: L B L2 B2 U B U'
F2L minus 1 slot: L' F' U L U'
Solve all: U' L2 U2 L U2 L U2 L2 U' D' L2 D L2 F L F' L'

results in 34 moves. This technique is what is called "NISS".

 

[irontwig]

After the F2L, you can construct a shorter LL as follows.

Setup: R' U
Pair 3-cycle: L' F' L U L' F L U'
Solve all: R U

results in 32 moves.

...Or if you suck at at block-cycles like me:
R U R2 F.R F2 U F (LLEF)
At dot: F' R' B' R F R' B R

 

[cuBerBruce]

From Tomoaki's explanation of his FMC #317 solution:

Finish F2L: D' L D L'
All but 3 corners: U * F L F' L' U' F'
Correction: B2

Insert at *: U' L D' L' U L D L' (8 moves cancel!!)

Welcome to the "free insertion club," Tomoaki!

I call an insertion that doesn't increase the total number of moves of a solution as a free insertion.

 

[Cubenovice]

Thank you Okayama-san!

Not only have you nicely finshed my F2L, you have given a very clear example of NISS too.
At first sight the inverted moves didn't seem to give a fundamentally different cube but the result was indeed much better.

But isn't this solution quite lucky with the PLL skip?
I understand that exploring more endings gives a larger chance of a skip but still...

 

[okayama]

Welcome to the "free insertion club," Tomoaki!

I call an insertion that doesn't increase the total number of moves of a solution as a free insertion.

Wow thanks. Of course that was not intended, but just happened.
I'm curious about other membes of the club (and their insertion).

FYI, I once got a 9-moves cancellation at Weekly competition 2010-21.

Thank you Okayama-san!

Not only have you nicely finshed my F2L, you have given a very clear example of NISS too.
At first sight the inverted moves didn't seem to give a fundamentally different cube but the result was indeed much better.

But isn't this solution quite lucky with the PLL skip?
I understand that exploring more endings gives a larger chance of a skip but still...

Yes, just lucky. I quote some comments for NISS in this thread:

Hey, while we're on the subject, how do you know when NISS will yield good results? ...(snip)... Any general guidelines for when to try a switch?

It doesn't work al the time, but sometimes it does, so it is worth a try, especially when you're stuck on a good start.

As far as I know, there's really no guarantee that NISS will help you, so I find that you should avoid overusing it.

 

[cuBerBruce]

Wow thanks. Of course that was not intended, but just happened.
I'm curious about other membes of the club (and their insertion).

FYI, I once got a 9-moves cancellation at Weekly competition 2010-21.

Wow! That was a "better than free" insertion in Weekly Comp 2010-21. I haven't followed the weekly comp much lately, so I wasn't aware that you were already in the free insertion club.

I'm not aware of anyone besides the two of us who are members of the free insertion club. My free insertion was in Fewest Moves Challenge #224, after which I started this thread in the Yahoo FMC group.

 

[Tim Major]

FYI, I once got a 9-moves cancellation at Weekly competition 2010-21.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/fewestmoveschallenge/message/1970
hehe. Amazing result o.O

 

[hello1215]

Can someone give me an example of a corner commutator, tell me how to cancel moves in a solve with a commutor, and how to find them easeliy?

 

[irontwig]

http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?13599-The-FMC-thread&p=454750&viewfull=1#post454750

 

[Faz]

I suck at FMC


D2 L F R D2 R2 U2 R' F2 D' F' U' F B' D R' D2 U F' B' R B U L U'

F’ R’ L2 B2 D’ L’ D L D2 L’ D F’ L F L2 U’ R U L2 U’ R’ U L U L U’ F’ D’ F U’ F’ D F – 33


Solution (18 moves to 2 3 cycles of corners, then complete fail insertions.) Can anyone help find better insertions?


F’ R’ L2 B2 D’ L’ D L D2 L’ D F’ L F L . L U L U’ @

. L U’ R U L2 U’ R’ U
@ U F’ D’ F U’ F’ D F

 

[Olivér Perge]

I suck at FMC

Yeah, but you can try 180 different solutions in an hour. More than enough for a PLL skip, which is low 30 if not sub30 with your awesome F2L.

 

[okayama]

I suck at FMC


D2 L F R D2 R2 U2 R' F2 D' F' U' F B' D R' D2 U F' B' R B U L U'

F’ R’ L2 B2 D’ L’ D L D2 L’ D F’ L F L2 U’ R U L2 U’ R’ U L U L U’ F’ D’ F U’ F’ D F – 33


Solution (18 moves to 2 3 cycles of corners, then complete fail insertions.) Can anyone help find better insertions?


F’ R’ L2 B2 D’ L’ D L D2 L’ D F’ L F L . L U L U’ @

. L U’ R U L2 U’ R’ U
@ U F’ D’ F U’ F’ D F

Solution: F' R' L2 B2 D' L' D L D2 L' D F' L F L F' U [B' U' D B D' F D B' D' U B] L U' (30 HTM)

Your skeleton: F' R' L2 B2 D' L' D L D2 L' D F' L F L U @ L U'
@ U' F' U B' U' F . U B
. F' D B D' F D B' D'

Looking back on the solution, [B' U' D B D' F D B' D' U B] is interesting, 5 moves setup + F + inverse 5 moves.