[Help Thread] FMC Discussion

[cuBerBruce]

Anyone want to practise 5 corner insertions?

[22:44] <+RobertY> kinch2002: B2 F2 D U L2 U R2 D' R2 B2 U L D B F L2 D' F D' B2 D2 U'
[22:44] <+RobertY> interesting FM scramble...

5 corners left: L2 D F2 D' B' D L D2 B2 D L2 F' (12)

Too lazy to practice, so:
3 corners left: L2 D F2 D2 B2 D2 L D2 U B' U' D L2 F' (14)

"I" get 21-move solutions for either skeleton.

 

[Cubenovice]

Is that "I" as in "CE"?

Copied the cramble, will have a go at it too.

BTW: where did the scramble come from?

PS: Bruce, do you know of any programs that could actually check skeletons for insertions?
Or how difficult it would be to make one?
I think this could be a great tool for analysing solves.

 

[cuBerBruce]

Is that "I" as in "CE"?

Not "CE," but yes, I did have assistance. (Like Okayama, I was being lazy.)

PS: Bruce, do you know of any programs that could actually check skeletons for insertions?

Yes, I have such a program under development.

 

[keyan]

do you know of any programs that could actually check skeletons for insertions?

http://if.qiyuuu.com/

 

[kinch2002]

http://if.qiyuuu.com/

Could you produce an English version? The google translation isn't great

 

[Pyjam]

Upper box : the scramble
Lower box : your skeleton

 

[Cubenovice]

Not "CE," but yes, I did have assistance. (Like Okayama, I was being lazy.)

Yes, I have such a program under development.

http://if.qiyuuu.com/

Thank you
Been looking for this for ages!

 

[BQ]

Could you produce an English version? The google translation isn't great

http://if.qiyuuu.com/?lang=en

 

[emolover]

Could someone help me with FMC. What is a skeleton? How should I go about edge control? What do I do if have 4 corners left instead of 3? How do you cycle 5 corners? Is there a guide for this stuff?

I'm willing to learn algs, I don't mind.

Here is my poor attempt at the weekly.


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

2x2: L' F U' R' B' R' (6)
2x2x3D U2 F U2 F2 U2 D F (14)
Finish F2L:U' L' U' L2 U2 L U' L' B L B' (25)
OLL: x' z'*S' L' U' L U L F' L' f*(35)
EPLL: R2 U' R' U' R U R U R U' R (46)

 

[Jakube]

Read this and this.

 

[Cubenovice]

Could someone help me with FMC. What is a skeleton? How should I go about edge control? What do I do if have 4 corners left instead of 3? How do you cycle 5 corners? Is there a guide for this stuff?

My standard post : (ninja'd)
For more info on FMC read this:
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?1566-Fewest-Moves-Tips-and-Techniques ninja'd)
this
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?13599-The-FMC-thread ninja'd)
and offcourse check the solutions of other people in the weekly comps.

FMC is a very cool event and good for your overall cube-understanding!

Methods that are very usefull to know for FMC: Petrus and Heise.

Both start out with Blockbuilding, then orient edges.
Petrus: EO after 2x2x3 block
Heise: EO after (or during) F2L- 1 slot
Both ways of EO are good to explore during a solve

For the end game Heise provides you with some good tactics for leaving 3 or 5 (easier to get to) corners.
In a normal Heise solve you then solve these corners via corner 3-cycles (commutators)

For FMC you insert these 3-cycles into earlier parts of the solution.
This way you can typically use 8 move optimal commutators (instead of up to 12 move optimal when you solve them at the end of the solution)
The real neat trick is to insert these cycles in such a way / location that they cancel moves.
For a 3 cycle insertion you can expect to cancel 2 moves: then you have solved the corners with 6 HTM
For two 3 cycle insertions you can expect to cancel about 6 moves: then you have solved the corners with 10 HTM

More specific:
Skeleton: a partial solution that solves most of the cube. The remaining pieces are then solved via insertions.
Edge control: various options
- at the very start for ZZ or HTA approach (rare)
- as mentioned above at 2x2x3 or at / during F2L-1 stage (typical)
- if you have 4 corners left you can try alternative endings to get to three but often you just have to deal with them. (insertion of two 3-cycles)
- 5 corners: solve via insertion of two 3-cycles

4 corners is not that bad: with the first commutator you only have to solve one piece, this gives a high chance of getting good cancellations.

Regarding your solution: solutions of ongoing competetions should be placed under spoiler tags
I did not check on a cube but :
14 move 2x2x3 is way too long (unless it leaves a very short F2L)
It is good to check F2L, you may get lucky with OLL or PLL skip or leave something that can be inserted
you can also try sompe short OLL's to see if they leave somlething to be inserted
Typically in FMC you do not use OLL and PLL

 

[irontwig]

Might as well post this imo pretty interesting solve (scramble is in the post above):
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/s...lve-quot-Game!&p=736786&viewfull=1#post736786

 

[Cubenovice]

Might as well post this imo pretty interesting solve (scramble is in the post above):
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/s...lve-quot-Game!&p=736786&viewfull=1#post736786

Great scrambles give great solution
Nice one. I spend 15 minutes yesterday on getting it to work; I kept scrambling with the first line of your post...

 

[Pyjam]

Weekly competition 2012-16 :
Scramble : B2 U L2 D2 F2 D R2 D2 B2 L2 U' L' F R B L' F2 L2 D F R2

Okayama, thank you for your previous reply, and congratulations for your amazing solution this week.

I lost my mind in this maze of blocks. :fp

Spoiler

Normal scramble:
Pre-moves: F' D
L' : 3 moves and already a 222 block
U2 R' U' R : 2 more pairs

Reverse:
Pre-moves: R' U R U2 L
D' F : 222 block + 2 pairs
R2 U' R : 3 more pairs

Normal:
Pre-moves: R' U R2 F' D
L' U2 R' U' R : previous start
U : Oh yeh, on more pair!
L2 F U' R2 U F' L' : 4x 221 block + 4x pairs
U' L' U R : 223 block + 221 + 5 pairs. Then my brain blew a fuse.

 

[Cubenovice]

Zune open 2012

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

Podium:
Nicolas Fruy - 28
AVG - 31
Erik - 33

Your's truly: DNF 36 move solution ending with B' , not B...

Nicolas Fruy
R F D' // 2x2x2
B U R U2 B' R // X-cross
U2 B U' B2 U B // 2nd pair
F' U2 F // 3rd pair
R' U R // 4th pair
F' U B U' F U B' // niklas

R F D' B U R U2 B' R U2 B U' B2 U B F' U2 F R' U R U
Inserting the corner cycle instead of finishing with Niklas would cancel 2 moves and still give a 28 HTM result

AVG
B' U' B' U2 B2 - cross
D2 F' D2 F - 1st pair
B D B' F D' F' - 2nd pair
D2 R D' R' - 3nd pair
L' D L D' - 4th pair leaves 3C at 23 HTM
3-cycle inserted somewhere for 31 HTM


The novice
U2 R F D’ – 2x2x2 U2 is inserted
U’ R2 B’ U2 – pseudo 2x2x3
R’ B’ – looks like pseudo F2L but blocks interfere…

After wasting too much time on getting something out of all these blocks I settled for
U2 R F D’ U’ R2 B’ U2 - 2x2x3
Switch to Inverse
B U B2 R B’ R’ B’ – F2L-1
U R U’ B’ R’ B R’ – L5C at 22 moves

Gives this frame for normal scramble: U2 R F D' U' R2 B' U2 R B' R B U R' U' B R B R' B2 U' B'
Only a few minutes left for insertion and I found: D L D’ R’ D L’ D’ R to cancel 2 moves
because of time L3C was solved at the end in 8 moves for 36 HTM
And then on the score sheet I forgot the “prime” on the very last move…

Inserions SHOULD have been:
. U2 R F U' : D’ R2 B' U2 R B' R B U R' U' B R B R' B2 U' B'
At . insert R D R' U2 R D' R' U2 to cancel 4 moves how did I miss this one?????
At : insert L2 D' R' D L2 D' R D to cancel 3 moves

Final R D R' U2 R D' F U' L2 D' R' D L2 D' R' B' U2 R B' R B U R' U' B R B R' B2 U' B' = 31 HTM

 

[irontwig]

Zune open 2012

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

The novice
U2 R F D’ – 2x2x2 U2 is inserted
U’ R2 B’ U2 – pseudo 2x2x3
R’ B’ – looks like pseudo F2L but blocks interfere…

But you got a pseudo F2L-1 so: B' R' B R U R U' R2 [Pseudo F2L and leaving 4 corners] U' B' [Undo Pseudoness] (19)

 

[Cubenovice]

But you got a pseudo F2L-1 so: B' R' B R U R U' R2 [Pseudo F2L and leaving 4 corners] U' B' [Undo Pseudoness] (19)

THX Erik,

I feel so stupid right now!!!!
I accidentally wrote B2 instead of B' as premove...
And then I wonder why the blocks do not work, I thought it was because they had white in common.

Getting to this L4C was so straightforward, I would have had plenty of time for insertions.
Don't feel like checking so I used Insertion finder: this could have been 29 HTM

 

[Pyjam]

Hi there,

Want to play ? There's a not-too-difficult solution in 22 moves for this scamble :

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

 

[Sebastien]

Just coming back from BW Open 2012 with a 28 and a 26 move solution!

1st attempt:

Scramble: F2 L2 D2 B2 F2 L' B2 D2 L B2 R' B' U F' L R2 U2 B L2 R2 U2

Start on normal scramble (Pseudo 2x2x2 + 3 blocks): L2 U2 R' B2 R' F'
Switch to Inverse (Pseudo TX-Cross): F' L' F2 R' B R F
Switch back (3 corners): D2 . L F L' F' U' L D' L' U

. = D' L U L' D L U' L'

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

28 moves


2nd attempt:

Really nice scramble, some of you should try it and I'm sure someone will find better than 26 moves!

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

2x2x3: L2 F2 L' F' L2 U'
TX-Cross: F' D' F D
extend: F2 D' F' D
3 corners: U' . R' B' R B U F'

. = D R' U' R D' R' U R

Solution: L2 F2 L' F' L2 U' F' D' F D F2 D' F' U' D2 R' U' R D' R' U B' R B U F'

26 moves

 

[Cubenovice]

Just coming back from BW Open 2012 with a 28 and a 26 move solution!

2nd attempt:

Really nice scramble, some of you should try it and I'm sure someone will find better than 26 moves!

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

Solution: L2 F2 L' F' L2 U' F' D' F D F2 D' F' U' D2 R' U' R D' R' U B' R B U F'
26 moves

congratulations, nice solves!

2nd scramble
B2 F2 D F2 R2 D2 F2 R2 U R2 F2 L B' F2 D U R2 F' R' U2 L'

U L' B2 U2 F2 U // pseudo 2x2x3 6
D' F' D' F // pseudo F2L-corner , find premoves F U' 10+2
U' F' L' F L U L2 // 6 move OLL leaves 4 corners 17+2
F U' // undo premoves 19
http://tinyurl.com/algUL-B2U2F2Ups

Too lazy to check for insertions myself
Insertion finder gives:
U L' B2 U2 . F2 U D' F' D' : F U' F' L' F L U L2 F U'
Insert at . U B' U' F2 U B U' F2 to cancel 5 moves
Insert at : D2 F U' F' D2 F U F' to cancel 7 moves
I will not claim that I would have found these myself.

Final solution B2 U' B' U' F2 U B D' F' D F U' F' D2 L' F L U L2 F U' = 23 HTM