Help! Trying to find the book "Magic Move".

[Wing Man]

I learned to solve the cube in 1997 by reading a book that I thought was called Rubik's cube "The Magic Move"

It was not like the methods I am seeing on the internet now. All thought they do look shorter and more predictable. No, this was a way of solving the cube from the top down and storing the top layer on the back side of the cube so you were free to manipulate the front face. The algorithms allowed for many different states that the bottom layer may reside in. placing the cross, then orientating the cross, placing the corners then orientating the corners.

Step 1 "The Magic Move" : Fi B2 Li Top now stored on the back 2 layers
Step 2 Freely move the front face
Step 3 "The Magic Move" in revers to restore the top 2 layers :L B2 F

In the example above, if in step 2 you were to rotate the front face Counter Clockwise ( Fi ), and then complete step 3. you would have successfully rotated FU to into the FR position.

The above example can be started in a clockwise rotation and then step 2 in a clockwise rotation and the out come would be FU moved to the FL position.

My question is: Has anyone heard of this method and can you please point me in the right direction as to find the book or the algorithms for this manner of solution?

Thanks
Robert

 

[cuBerBruce]

I found a post in the old cube-lovers archives (by Stan Isaacs) that might be referring to the book you are thinking of. At least it apparently uses the phrase "magic move." I am not familiar with the book myself. I quote the main body of the post below:

Just got still another book on solving the cube: "Solve That Crazy
Mixed-Up Cube", by Don Frederick, Frederick Enterprises, P.O. Box 1016,
Oceano, Ca, 93445. This one has a sense of humor, and likes to make up
new names. He talks about "slabs" for a layer, "cranking the keepers"
to save some already positioned cubies while you do something else, a
"magic move", etc. For instance, his top slab moves are: the STICK-UP,
the HANG-UP, the PUT-DOWN, the PICK-UP, the DOUBLE-DIP, DUMP TRUCK, and
the SLING-SHOT GOTCHA! He goes top-middle-bottom, bottom done: twist edges,
position edges, position corners, twist corners. He includes hints, memory
aids, short-cuts, patterns, a two person game called "Widow's Revenge", etc.
Even cartoons ('if all the unsolved cube puzzles were put in one pile, they'd
stay that way.'). All in all, a very nice addition to the litterature. $3.99.