[Help Thread] FMC Discussion

Congratz Mirek, nice return :)
My solution was completed too late, but i published, because a good example for NISS.

Scramble: R2 B D B2 D U B F2 R' B L2 U' F2 B R D2 B' R2 D B2 D2 B' U D' L R' B' D' B2 L2
D’L2D’F2U’R’LF2D2RLF’R2L’B’R’LUR’FR’DB2RL (25 moves)
NISS solve,
inverse scramble with premoves L2D,
R’L’B2D
switch to normal scramble,
D’F2U,
(this is my best start, but the continuation a hard case)
switch to inverse scramble,
RF’RU’L’RBLR2FL’R’D2F2L’RU2, one move cancel.
 
In a Spanish FMC page I usually participate in we had this scramble:
D' F2 L F' D' R U' B' U' L' F2 D' R2 D' L' B R D2 F L' B U R2 D2

My skeleton was something like this:

2x2x2: F D' B' L
2x2x3: R F U F' U2
EO: F2 R' D'.F2 D
Leave 3 corners + a twisted one: R F R2 F R F R F'

OK, I inserted R B R' F2 R B' R' F2 at (.) to solve a corner and take the twisted one out of its place. But now I can't insert the 3-cycle that remains efficiently, so I just solved it with an A9. What would you do with my skeleton?
 
Last edited:
D' F2 L F' D' R U' B' U' L' F2 D' R2 D' L' B R D2 F L' B U R2 D2

2x2x2: F D' B' L
2x2x3: R F U F' U2
EO: F2 R' D'.F2 D
Leave 3 corners + a twisted one: R F R2 F R F R F'

OK, I inserted R B R' F2 R B' R' F2 at (.) to solve a corner and take the twisted one out of its place. But now I can't insert the 3-cycle that remains efficiently, so I just solved it with an A9. What would you do with my skeleton?

You may want to take another look at the twisted corner cycle, the first one I found cancels 4 moves instead of your 2:

2x2x2: F . D' B' L
2x2x3: R F U F' U2
EO: F2 R' D'.F2 D
Leave 3 corners + a twisted one: R F R2 F R F R F'

at . insert B' U2 B D' B' U2 B D to cancel 4 moves

I did not check further :)
 
I found a 7-move 2x2x3 for FMC #361, and figured it was probably optimal. Actually, the optimal 2x2x3 was only 6 moves: D' L D2 L2 F' D2. I had also found an 8-move 2x2x3 (U' L' R D2 U' B U L2) which was actually optimal for the DF 2x2x3 block. However, I couldn't find a really good finish for either block. The best I could come up with was 30 moves. Anyway, it doesn't look like anyone else found the 6-move block either, or else found it but didn't use it.

I note FMC #356 had a 5-move 2x2x3 block.

And my congrats too on the Mirek-ulous 21-mover.

Just did my first FMC, im terrible (49 moves). Can you give me some tips?

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

1x2x2: U' F2 D2 L R' F2 (6/6)
2x2x2: D (used for 2x2x3) R (2/8)
2x2x3: L D' U' F2 U (5/13)
Orient Edges: D2 R' D' R (4/17)
F2L slot 3: D' F' D2 F2 (4/21)
F2L slot 4: D F D2 F' D2 F D' F' (8/29)
OLL: R' D' R D' R' D2 R (7/36)
PLL: F2 d' F D' F D F' d F2 L D' L' D' (13/49)
Tips please?

L' D2 L2 completes the 2x2x3 much more efficiently than L D' U' F2 U.
(An interesting continuation is D F2 (finish cross) F D2 F2 D2' F (3rd slot) leaves only 6 pieces to solve.)

F2L slot 4: 8 moves is a lot of moves just to solve 2 pieces.

OLL: First of all, if you orient edges as a separate step, you should probably be looking at COLL/EPLL instead of OLL/PLL at the very least. But learn about other FMC techniques for finishing a solve.

Second, you ought to know alternative ways to do OLLs, and how symmetry and inverses can sometimes allow you to do do something a different wayif/when applicable. For a sune, the inverse mirror alg, applied from the correct angle can be used in place of it. F D2 F' D' F D' F' not only gets you three moves canceling with the previous alg, but leaves a J-Perm instead of a G-Perm. Solving J-Perm F2 U F U' F R2 B' D B R2 D2 gets another canceled move. This rather obvious alternative to have tried alone shortens the solution by 6 moves!

Usual tips: Read the FMC guide thread (and browse this thread too). Read the Wiki. Look at other people's FMC solves.
 
New PB, 33 moves. I got this scramble while doing an average btw, had to FMC it. Someone really good could probably sub 25 this.

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

2x2: B' D2 B2 D2
2x3: R' U F' U2 F
Cross + F2L #3: U' B' U B2
F2L #4 + OLL: L U2 L F' L' F U' L2
PLL: U2 L U2 L' B L U L' U' L' B' L2
 
R F' L2 B' D B2 L D' R F2 B' R' L B F D2 F2 R B' L2 D' L' F R' L'

2x2x1: U R B'
Other 2x2x2: R' D2 B2 D2
2x2x3: B R'
F2L-1: U L' B L
Edges: L U' L' U B' U' B
19 moves leaves 5 cycle. Should be about 30 moves after insertions I guess. That was found pretty much linearly first go
 
The scramble from "Swedish Championship 2011": B' F' R2 D2 F' D2 F' U2 F U2 L2 R B D U L F L' R2 D U (21f)

Must have been a pretty easy one since the two winners (Simon Westlund and Henrik Buus Aagaard) had 27 moves, plus after that there were three 29 move solutions.
 
The scramble from "Swedish Championship 2011": B' F' R2 D2 F' D2 F' U2 F U2 L2 R B D U L F L' R2 D U (21f)

Must have been a pretty easy one since the two winners (Simon Westlund and Henrik Buus Aagaard) had 27 moves, plus after that there were three 29 move solutions.

LOL scramble...
Within 3 minutes:

2 move cross
or
5 move X cross, 2 additional moves build two pairs...
Gotta look into this when I get home from work!
 
The scramble from "Swedish Championship 2011": B' F' R2 D2 F' D2 F' U2 F U2 L2 R B D U L F L' R2 D U (21f)

Must have been a pretty easy one since the two winners (Simon Westlund and Henrik Buus Aagaard) had 27 moves, plus after that there were three 29 move solutions.
My first try:

2x2x2 block: L2 B L R F'
Pseudo 2x2x3 block: L U' B' L2 U

And more:

2x2x2 block: U2 L2 B L R U F'
Pseudo F2L minus 1 slot: U2 R' L2 U L
All but 3 corners/edges: U' R
(or All but 3 corners: U2 F2 L F L' F U R)

Should be 26~27. :)
 
My 7 move start:
L' R' B R F'
U' B'
X-cross with 2 pairs could give a nice continuation...
Scramble: B' F' R2 D2 F' D2 F' U2 F U2 L2 R B D U L F L' R2 D U

NISS solve with Cubenovice's start

(Inverse)
Pre-scramble: F R' B' R L

2x2x3 block: U2 L2 U2
F2L minus 1 slot: B2 L B L B2 L B' L2
Finish F2L: B' L' B L
LL: L B L U' L' U B' L'

results in 27 moves.
 
From Swedish Championships 2011:

Scramble: B' F' R2 D2 F' D2 F' U2 F U2 L2 R B D U L F L' R2 D U (21f)

L' R' B R F' (5) x-cross
U' B' U2 R' U' R . (6(11)) 2nd pair prepared for 3rd.
B' L B2 L' (4(15)) 3rd pair 4th prepared
U' L U L' (4(19)) F2L leaving 3 corner cycle
insert at .
R D R' U2 R D' R' U2 (8 canceling into 7 moves)
Correct layer:
B (1)

So solution is:
L' R' B R F' (5) x-cross
U' B' U2 R' U' R2 . D R' U2 R D' R' U2 (13(18)) 2nd pair prepared for 3rd.
B' L B2 L' (4(22)) 3rd pair 4th prepared
U' L U L' (4(26)) F2L done OLL skip PLL forced.
B (1(27))

Simon's solution had a different insertion but at the same place in the solution, I don't remember the commutator he used.
The obvious 29 move solution would be to do the 3 corner cycle in the end with the common 9 move speed alg.
 
Last edited:
Might as well post my solution:

L' B R F' [2x2x2]
L U' B' U [Peudo 2x2x3]

Switch to inverse:

L U [2x2x3+EO]
B2 L' B2 [F2L-1]
L' B' L B L [Leaving four corners]

Which gives this skeleton:
L' B R F' L U' B' U L' B' L' B L B2 L B2 U'.L'

.=U B' U' F U B:U'*F'
:=R D' R' U2 R D R' U2 (Really stupid; *=U2 F D2 F' U2 F D2 F' cancels one more move)
 
From Swedish Championships 2011:

Scramble: B' F' R2 D2 F' D2 F' U2 F U2 L2 R B D U L F L' R2 D U (21f)
L' R' B R F' (5) x-cross
U' B' U2 R' U' R . (6(11)) 2nd pair prepared for 3rd.
B' L B2 L' (4(15)) 3rd pair 4th prepared
U' L U L' (4(19)) F2L leaving 3 corner cycle

Found this one too, it was really just a straight forward continuation of the X-cross + 2 pairs I already posted yesterday.
 
I just managed an 11 move F2L-1 with 2 oriented edges but cannot find a good ending.

Generator: F' R' F2 R2 B R' F R' D2 L F L2 D2 R U' (15f*)
Yeah, this already tells something...

Took me 21 moves for a final 32 HTM.

Looking forward to your solutions!
 
Back
Top