My easily discouraged 8-year-old son is trying to get into speed cubing with a 2x2x2 cube, but can't get to the point of solving it with no instructions in front of him. He got fairly decent at using the instructions that came with the cube, but couldn't memorize any of those algorithms, let alone all the cases. I wanted to find him some instructions with the fewest possible (and easiest to memorize) algorithms while still being able to solve it in less than 2 minutes. Basically, an effective method for solving the 2x2x2 cube that is also very easy to memorize.
I couldn't find anything to my liking online, so I combined a lot of options and came up with my own, and later wound up modifying the single PLL algorithm to simplify things a little. I ended up with something that seems pretty good to my eye, so I assume it has already been done before, and I wondered what it's called (if it has a name). Here is the method (by the way, it does PLL before OLL, which is backward from most speed cubing solves, I know):
Algorithm 1: R' D' R D
Algorithm 2: R U' L' U R' U' L
So here is my actual question:
Does anyone recognize this method and know whether it has a name? Or is there one that's similar and just as simple that has a name?
As a bonus question, is there another method out there that is simpler than this?
I couldn't find anything to my liking online, so I combined a lot of options and came up with my own, and later wound up modifying the single PLL algorithm to simplify things a little. I ended up with something that seems pretty good to my eye, so I assume it has already been done before, and I wondered what it's called (if it has a name). Here is the method (by the way, it does PLL before OLL, which is backward from most speed cubing solves, I know):
Algorithm 1: R' D' R D
Algorithm 2: R U' L' U R' U' L
- The first step is solving the white layer. It consists of choosing a side to be white and turning the cube so that it's facing up. Then you rotate the bottom layer to bring pieces underneath where they belong and use algorithm 1 until it's in place and the white side is up. You also use algorithm 1 to move a white piece out of the top layer if it's where it doesn't belong.
- Once the white side is solved, flip the cube so white is down. Rotate the top of the cube until exactly 2 top corners are where they belong, with or without the yellow sticker facing up (if all 4 are where they belong, skip this step). If the 2 correct corners are next to each other, put them on the right side and do algorithm 2. If the 2 correct corners are across from each other, place one in the front right and the other in the back left and do algorithm 2 twice.
- Now we need to get the yellow stickers to all face up. Hold the cube so one of the pieces that needs to be rotated is in the front right position. Do Algorithm 1 until the yellow sticker faces up. Turn only the top layer until another piece that need rotation is in the front right and do algorithm 1 until it's right. Repeat until all yellow is facing up, and then turn the top until the cube is solved!
So here is my actual question:
Does anyone recognize this method and know whether it has a name? Or is there one that's similar and just as simple that has a name?
As a bonus question, is there another method out there that is simpler than this?