• Welcome to SpeedSolving.com — the world’s largest puzzle community!

    You’re currently browsing as a guest, which means you have limited access to discussions, resources, member profiles, and community features.

    Join 50,000+ cubers and puzzle enthusiasts from around the world to ask questions, share solves, improve faster, and be part of the community.

    Registration is free, fast, and easy — create your account today.

    Already a member? Log in here to hide this message and start participating.

[Help Thread] FMC Discussion

I have an interesting scramble to share. It is the 2nd scramble of the current German forum competition. I can't remember having more blocks on a scramble so far.

The scramble: D R' B2 U F U R2 D2 L D2 B U2 F2 U2 R2 F2 U2

The solution I've found :

F2L-1 // F2 U F' U B U' B2 # R' L2 U2 L' R2
Pseudo Tripod // D B D' B'
L3C // L2 F L F' L

# B L2 B' R' B L2 B' R

Solution // F2 U F' U B U' B' L2 B' R' B L2 B' L2 U2 R2 L' D B D' B' L2 F L F' L - 26 Moves

and Laura's cool finish after my F2L-1 :
L' D L D2 B D R D' R' D' B' D2

Thus giving a deservedly short solution :
F2 U F' U B U' B2 R' L2 U2 R2 L2 D L D2 B D R D' R' D' B' D2 (23 HTM)
 
My 25 moves solution from "Brasileiro Etapa de Inverno". New SAR :D

Scramble: L' U2 D' L' U2 B' D B' L U2 F2 R2 F' R2 L2 F' U2 D2 F
Solution: F D' L' U' R' U L U' R2 D' R' U' R F' L2 F2 D F2 B' D B F' D' F' L2 (25)

Pre-move: L2

F D' # U2 * R // EO
D' F' L2 // 2x2x2
F2 D F2 // Pseudo F2L-2
B' D B // F2L-1
F' D' F' // AB4C

* U R D' R' U' R D R' // 5 Cancellations
# L' U' R' U L U' R U // 3 Cancellations

Optimal insertions :D
 
Last edited:
Wow!! Congratulations!

How would you (plural) solve the case when you have F2L-1, all edges oriented, and all edges in place but UR and UL, that are switched?
Because it appears a lot in my solves.
I solve by doing a U or U' turn and sune, or by avoiding that case by modifying my previous moves.
Is there a better way?
 
My 25 moves solution from "Brasileiro Etapa de Inverno". New SAR :D

Scramble: L' U2 D' L' U2 B' D B' L U2 F2 R2 F' R2 L2 F' U2 D2 F
Solution: F D' L' U' R' U L U' R2 D' R' U' R F' L2 F2 D F2 B' D B F' D' F' L2 (25)

Pre-move: L2

F D' # U2 * R // EO
D' F' L2 // 2x2x2
F2 D F2 // Pseudo F2L-2
B' D B // F2L-1
F' D' F' // AB4C

* U R D' R' U' R D R' // 5 Cancellations
# L' U' R' U L U' R U // 3 Cancellations

Optimal insertions :D

That was quite impressive, thanks for sharing you solution and congratulations!
 
Anyone wants to try this scramble? I've found a quite lucky 27 HTM solution (23 skeleton + 4 for 3 corners) and interesting 12 HTM F2L-1, but no good continuation for that.

Scramble: U F2 R2 B2 F2 D' L2 U L2 B2 U2 R D2 U R' L D B' D' B' F U
My Final Solution: U F' B U' F U' F' R' F2 L B2 L2 F2 L2 R2 D F2 D' B' D F2 B D2 R D R L2

U F'
B U' F U'
F' R' F2 //Stuff (9/9)
L B2 L2 F2 //??? (4/13)
L2 //!!! (1/14)
R2 * B' D B D2 R D R L2 //All but 3 corners (9/23)

* = D F2 D' B' D F2 D' B //3c (4/27)

F2L-1 in 12 (my NISS notation, moves in brackets are done on inverse scramble):
B U2
(F U R2 U')
(B2 D' R' D')
D B

Other interesting stuff I've found:

Nice 2x2x3: U' F' U R' {D'} U2 R' {D} L
Moves in {} can be replaced with D2 to get an XXcross.
I've also played around a bit with the non-obvious start U' F' U

Backup skeleton, all but 3 corners in 24: U' F' U2 L U2 L' U' R' / U2 L2 U L2 B L B' / U B U' B' U B U' B' U

All but 3 corners and 3 edges in 18:
Premove F'
B U2
R B' D2 R2 D'
D B' D2 R D R2 B'
R B' R' B
R F'
First 2 moves lead to some quite good continuations (D2 R2 D' L B L' or D' F' R' B' F R' L' D' R' L for example).
 
Scramble: U F2 R2 B2 F2 D' L2 U L2 B2 U2 R D2 U R' L D B' D' B' F U

This FMC thing really is addictive...

I'll give it a go but I'm not fantastic.

F R2 L F' D' F'//2x2x2 (6)
L U' L' D B' D' B//2x2x3 (7)
(switch to inverse)
R' B U B' U2 R//block

I can't go on from here :( Completely stuck.

EDIT:
I shall post another attempt here for critique
Scramble: U B2 R2 U L2 B2 L2 U2 L2 R2 U' F' U F2 L U F' L B2 U
On inverse with premove B2 L2,
U' F U2 F L2 F' L2//2x2x2 (7)
F U' L F' L'//2x2x3 (5)
R' U R' U2 R2//f2l3

Back to normal scramble:
Aaaand I have no idea how to revert back to the normal scramble. Dang. Help?
 
Last edited:
EDIT:
I shall post another attempt here for critique
Scramble: U B2 R2 U L2 B2 L2 U2 L2 R2 U' F' U F2 L U F' L B2 U
On inverse with premove B2 L2,
U' F U2 F L2 F' L2//2x2x2 (7)
F U' L F' L'//2x2x3 (5)
R' U R' U2 R2//f2l3

Back to normal scramble:
Aaaand I have no idea how to revert back to the normal scramble. Dang. Help?

Scramble: U B2 R2 U L2 B2 L2 U2 L2 R2 U' F' U F2 L U F' L B2 U

First stuff on normal (premoves on normal are stuff done in inverse mode and premoves on inverse are stuff done in normal mode) L2 B2, add it at the right of the scramble
U B2 R2 U L2 B2 L2 U2 L2 R2 U' F' U F2 L U F' L B2 U L2 B2
Then perform all that "new scramble" backwards.
B2 L2 U' B2 L' F U' L' F2 U' F U R2 L2 U2 L2 B2 L2 U' R2 B2 U'
Now second stuff on inverse:
U' F U2 F L2 F' L2 F U' L F' L' R' U R' U2 R2
To get back to normal scramble, put all that at the right of the whole thing that you just did backwards to switch to inverse, like this:
B2 L2 U' B2 L' F U' L' F2 U' F U R2 L2 U2 L2 B2 L2 U' R2 B2 U' U' F U2 F L2 F' L2 F U' L F' L' R' U R' U2 R2
Aaand perform that backwards and you now are on the normal... Do this every time you want to switch from one mode to the other.
Then, at the end, you write all the thing that is on the right of the scramble, then write the thing that is on the left of the scramble like it is, without reversing it (like correcting premoves) and reverse the whole solve if you finished in inverse mode.[/B]

...

It is like this:
Scramble: F U R
Stuff on normal: R'

Switch to inverse:
F U R R' performed backwards, R R' U' F'

Then stuff on inverse: F U

Switch back to normal:
R R' U' F' F U performed backwards, U' F' F U R R'

Then your full solve will be R' U' F'.

Hope you understand it :D (And hope that all that thing that I wrote is correct xD)
 
Last edited:
Newbie question:

Recently in a competition I heard someone say: Using the inverse of the scramble is not allowed because of the rule: "E2e) The competitor's solution must not be directly derived from any part of the scrambling algorithm. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF)."

For starters, I don't really understand the rule, nor its relevance with using the inverse.

Is it then true we cannot use the inverse in a competition?
 
Newbie question:

Recently in a competition I heard someone say: Using the inverse of the scramble is not allowed because of the rule: "E2e) The competitor's solution must not be directly derived from any part of the scrambling algorithm. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF)."

For starters, I don't really understand the rule, nor its relevance with using the inverse.

Is it then true we cannot use the inverse in a competition?

This just means you can't copy the inverse down verbatim as your solution.
 
Anyone wants to try this scramble? I've found a quite lucky 27 HTM solution (23 skeleton + 4 for 3 corners) and interesting 12 HTM F2L-1, but no good continuation for that.

Scramble: U F2 R2 B2 F2 D' L2 U L2 B2 U2 R D2 U R' L D B' D' B' F U
My Final Solution: U F' B U' F U' F' R' F2 L B2 L2 F2 L2 R2 D F2 D' B' D F2 B D2 R D R L2

U F'
B U' F U'
F' R' F2 //Stuff (9/9)
L B2 L2 F2 //??? (4/13)
L2 //!!! (1/14)
R2 * B' D B D2 R D R L2 //All but 3 corners (9/23)

* = D F2 D' B' D F2 D' B //3c (4/27)

F2L-1 in 12 (my NISS notation, moves in brackets are done on inverse scramble):
B U2
(F U R2 U')
(B2 D' R' D')
D B

Other interesting stuff I've found:

Nice 2x2x3: U' F' U R' {D'} U2 R' {D} L
Moves in {} can be replaced with D2 to get an XXcross.
I've also played around a bit with the non-obvious start U' F' U

Backup skeleton, all but 3 corners in 24: U' F' U2 L U2 L' U' R' / U2 L2 U L2 B L B' / U B U' B' U B U' B' U

All but 3 corners and 3 edges in 18:
Premove F'
B U2
R B' D2 R2 D'
D B' D2 R D R2 B'
R B' R' B
R F'
First 2 moves lead to some quite good continuations (D2 R2 D' L B L' or D' F' R' B' F R' L' D' R' L for example).

Ironically, the start was very CFOPey but it was pretty good.

U' F' R' U2 L2 U2 L' R U' R2 // 2x2x3+cancel into F2L-1
U' R U R' U' R // F2L-1
Switch to inverse (R' U R U' R' U R2 U R' L U2 L2 U2 R F U premoves)
U' B L' B' L U2 L U2 L' // L4C

Optimal insertions give 5 move cancellations, total 36 moves. :(

25 move skeleton.
 
Last edited:
How do I know where it is better to insert a corner 3-cycle commutator?
Like
U F'
B U' F U'
F' R' F2 //Stuff (9/9)
L B2 L2 F2 //??? (4/13)
L2 //!!! (1/14)
R2 * B' D B D2 R D R L2 //All but 3 corners (9/23)

* = D F2 D' B' D F2 D' B //3c (4/27)
Why did you insert * there and how did you know it was going to cancel moves? Because corners move around a lot and I can't find a way to think a place to insert commutators, so I always put them at the start or at the end.
 
Nats practice: F R2 B L2 B R2 B2 L2 D2 F' D' F2 R F2 L2 D U' R F' R2 D'

Got two 30-move solutions, a 25-move L3C with 3 moves cancelled, and a 26-move L3C with 4.

D2 L2 D2 L F D2 F D' F' // 2x2x2 + 2 pairs
R L' D' * R' // 2x2x1
B' D2 B' L2 D L' // F2L
L D L . B' L' B D' L' D2 // L3C, cancels 3 moves with previous
Insert L' B R B' L B R' B' at . cancelling 3 moves.
R' B' D' B D R D2 // L3C
Insert D L' D' R2 D L D' R2 at * cancelling 4 moves
D2 L2 D2 L F D2 F D' F' R L' D' R' B' D2 B' L2 D2 B R B' L B R' B2 L' B D' L' D2 30 HTM

D2 L2 D2 L F D2 F D' F' R L2 D' R2 D L D' R B' D2 B' L2 D L' R' B' D' B D R D2 30 HTM
Insertion Finder confirms both are optimal :)
 
Last edited:
Thanks vcuber13!

G2013 said:
How would you (plural) solve the case when you have F2L-1, all edges oriented, and all edges in place but UR and UL, that are switched?
Because it appears a lot in my solves.
I solve by doing a U or U' turn and sune, or by avoiding that case by modifying my previous moves.
Is there a better way?
I posted that but I didn't realise that "A U or U' turn and sune" won't solve that case.
I use "A U or U' turn and sune" for solving 2 adjacent edges swapped, but I also try to avoid cases like that.
But I can't find an optimal solve to UR and UL swapped, when trying to only solve Edges. I sometimes do 1 or 2 corner-edge pairs and solve like heise, but here I have another situation: 2 adjacent edges swapped.
¿What would you do there?
 
I guess I'll repost this in the FMC thread as well.
Lol D2 L2 U2 F L F' D' R2 B D F2 U F2 D F2 U' R2 D L2 B2

U' R' D' R D2//2x2x2 (5)
D F2 D'//2x2x3 (3)
switch to inverse,
U F U' F R' F R//F2L3 (7)
L' U L//F2L4 (3)
L U F U' F' L'//OLL (6)
B U' F U2 B' U B U2 B' F' U2//PLL (11)


Final: U' R' D' R D' F2 D' U2 F B U2 B' U' B U2 F' U B' L F U F' U' L2 U' L R' F' R F' U F' U' (33) My FMC PB

IF gives
U' R' D' R D' F2 D' [@1] L F U F' U' L2 U' L R' F' R F' U F' U'
Insert at @1: R U' L D2 L' U L D2 L' R'
After the 1st insertion: U' R' D' R D' F2 D' R U' L D2 L' [@2] U L D2 R' F U F' U' L2 U' L R' F' R F' U F' U'
Insert at @2: L U2 D2 R' U R U2 D2 L' U'
Fewest moves: 30. 12 moves cancelled
The final solution: U' R' D' R D' F2 D' R U' L U2 R' U R U2 R' F U F' U' L2 U' L R' F' R F' U F' U'

Would more proficient FMCers give this one a try?
 
Back
Top