Fewest Moves: Tips and Techniques

[Paiev]

Alright, I figured it was best to post this here:

I'm looking for some advice on improving my FMC. I did a solve a few hours ago and it was 38 turns, which while not necessarily bad, is not as good as I'd like. Here's the solve:

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

Solution:
Block building: F2 R' B2 U F D' R2
Orient two corners: D' B D B' D' B U' B' D B D' B' D B
More block building: F2 R2 U' R F'
Edges, then corners with commutators: L' U2 B' U2 B L2 D L' U' L D' L'

Besides replacing the 14 turn (with cancellations) orienting corners commutator with the 12 turn optimal alg that I just learned, how would you improve this? What are your thoughts?

Also, how do you determine where something should be inserted (i.e. how do you spot a place where an alg can be inserted with a large number of cancellations)?

Thanks

 

[MistArts]

Alright, I figured it was best to post this here:

I'm looking for some advice on improving my FMC. I did a solve a few hours ago and it was 38 turns, which while not necessarily bad, is not as good as I'd like. Here's the solve:

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

Solution:
Block building: F2 R' B2 U F D' R2
Orient two corners: D' B D B' D' B U' B' D B D' B' D B
More block building: F2 R2 U' R F'
Edges, then corners with commutators: L' U2 B' U2 B L2 D L' U' L D' L'

Besides replacing the 14 turn (with cancellations) orienting corners commutator with the 12 turn optimal alg that I just learned, how would you improve this? What are your thoughts?

Also, how do you determine where something should be inserted (i.e. how do you spot a place where an alg can be inserted with a large number of cancellations)?

Thanks

Put colored stickers (cut up post-its) on the cube to mark where the remaining stickers go. Then solve the cube and scramble it. Now go through every moves and try and find moves that at the beginning and/or end of the alg/commutator that cancels out. Go through every move and use the best one.

 

[nitrocan]

I've read insertions, but seeing that they need to be correctly oriented, it looks like it is a very small possibility that during the solve they will be on the same slice, and oriented correctly, or am I getting something wrong?

 

[MistArts]

I've read insertions, but seeing that they need to be correctly oriented, it looks like it is a very small possibility that during the solve they will be on the same slice, and oriented correctly, or am I getting something wrong?

They don't need to be on the same slice or oriented in anyway. Commutators ftw.

 

[nitrocan]

so if i dont know commutators, i probably suck at fmc right?

 

[MistArts]

so if i dont know commutators, i probably suck at fmc right?

No.... They are easy to learn. And I can get 30-50 moves solves with Fridrich/Petrus method....

Haha what about:

Sock Shoe Sock' Shoe'

Commutators all the way baby :-D

Chris

 

[AvGalen]

Simple example: R (U' L' U) R' (U' L U)
Simplest example: M U2 M' U2

Also simple, but harder to find
(R' D2 R) U (R' D2 R) U'
(R' D2 R) U2 (R' D2 R) U2
(R' D2 R) U (R' D2 R) U'
etc

And you don't need insertions/commutators to get pretty decent results. I got my 33 move official solution before I even knew about insertions and commutators. Just be original and pause between every move you do. Don't blindly apply an alg you know.

But 30 moves with Fridrich seems impossible unless you get a really really lucky F2L, a short OLL and a PLL-skip. Same for Petrus, 30 moves only happens when you get very lucky.

 

[MistArts]

Simple example: R (U' L' U) R' (U' L U)
Simplest example: M U2 M' U2

Also simple, but harder to find
(R' D2 R) U (R' D2 R) U'
(R' D2 R) U2 (R' D2 R) U2
(R' D2 R) U (R' D2 R) U'
etc

And you don't need insertions/commutators to get pretty decent results. I got my 33 move official solution before I even knew about insertions and commutators. Just be original and pause between every move you do. Don't blindly apply an alg you know.

But 30 moves with Fridrich seems impossible unless you get a really really lucky F2L, a short OLL and a PLL-skip. Same for Petrus, 30 moves only happens when you get very lucky.

I got 28 with a PLL skip (kind of worked for) with Petrus in one of the weekly competitons.

I just dugged it out....

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

Solution: L' D R B2 U' R2 F' B' U' B F2 y2 F' U' F U2 R U y' l F U ' F' R' F R U l' y R U' (28)

Explanation:
2x2x2: L' D R B2 U' R2 (6)
2x2x3: F' B' U' B F2 (11)
Pseudo F2L: y2 F' U' F U2 R U (17)
OLL: y' l F U' F' R' F R U l' y (26)
Undo Premove: R U' (28)

 

[nitrocan]

do you just come up with the commutators during the solve, or you just know what to do already?

 

[MistArts]

do you just come up with the commutators during the solve, or you just know what to do already?

They are intuitive. Take X Y X' Y' as a commutator. X Solves one piece. Y replaces that piece or push it out. X' solves the pusher and Y' pulls back.

It basically Insert, replace, Uninsert, unreplace.

 

[nitrocan]

i know what commutators are, but i just suck at them. for example, if i were to do a 3 edge cycle and orient two of the edges, i would never be able to do that. (any hints? ) and if they are in separate layers, then its just impossible)

 

[AvGalen]

Simple example: R (U' L' U) R' (U' L U)
Simplest example: M U2 M' U2

Also simple, but harder to find
(R' D2 R) U (R' D2 R) U'
(R' D2 R) U2 (R' D2 R) U2
(R' D2 R) U (R' D2 R) U'
etc

And you don't need insertions/commutators to get pretty decent results. I got my 33 move official solution before I even knew about insertions and commutators. Just be original and pause between every move you do. Don't blindly apply an alg you know.

But 30 moves with Fridrich seems impossible unless you get a really really lucky F2L, a short OLL and a PLL-skip. Same for Petrus, 30 moves only happens when you get very lucky.

I got 28 with a PLL skip (kind of worked for) with Petrus in one of the weekly competitons.

I just dugged it out....

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

Solution: L' D R B2 U' R2 F' B' U' B F2 y2 F' U' F U2 R U y' l F U ' F' R' F R U l' y R U' (28)

Explanation:
2x2x2: L' D R B2 U' R2 (6)
2x2x3: F' B' U' B F2 (11)
Pseudo F2L: y2 F' U' F U2 R U (17)
OLL: y' l F U' F' R' F R U l' y (26)
Undo Premove: R U' (28)

No, that wasn't Petrus. Petrus doesn't use premoves. And getting a PLL skip would be lucky.

 

[nitrocan]

for example, how would i cycle DF FR and UR, and change the orientation of UR and FR (lets say the direction of the cycle doesn't matter)

 

[AvGalen]

I wouldn't do it on that location. The shortest commutator I could find was R (U' R2 L2 D) R' (D' L2 R2 U)

 

[ErikJ]

u M D' L D M" D L'
or
U' M2 D R' D' M2 D R D' U

 

[nitrocan]

i don't understand how you got these, can you explain?

 

[ErikJ]

I made them? they are commutators. it's really easy to insert edge cycles because M can cancel with an L or and R move. so instead of being 2 moves it's only 1.

 

[nitrocan]

i mean what is the logic between that algorithm? did you do a 3 cycle with setup moves?

 

[ErikJ]

I'll explain the second one.....U' M2 D R' D' M2 D R D' U

U' lines up FD with RU

M2 puts FD at UB (RU)

D R' D' replaces the UB slot with the other edge (FR)

M2 undoes the first M2 which places the UB edge (FR) at the FD slot

D R D' undoes the 3 moves used to put FR at UB

U' undoes the setup move

 

[AvGalen]

R (U' R2 L2 D) R' (D' L2 R2 U) = R (U' M2 U) R' (U' M2 U).
(P = R, Q = U' M2 U)

I can't explain other than that I used intuition and by referring you to any good commutator tutorial