New 5x5x5 Method- The Ambrose Method

Jaysammey777

Veteran
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Messages
1,216
Location
University of Georgia
WCA ID
2010AMBR01
YouTube
Visit Channel
Recently I have thought of a new approach to solving the 5x5. This method is a spin-off of the Reduction and Yau methods; it is an attempt to make the cube faster to solve. There are advanced videos on the 5x5 for tips and tricks that are recommended but I will not explain them if they don’t not specifically apply to this sub-method.

**Please note that if this has been invented already, I am sorry, and I will give you full credit.

Step 1: solve 2 opposite centers (One being your cross color)
As I said, it is a spin-off of the reduction method, where you solve the centers, the edges, then like a 3x3. And first you will solve 2 opposite centers, i.e. white and yellow.

Step 2: The 2x3s
This is where the Ambrose method begins. First you will do a z or z’ to put you cross color on the left (assuming it is on the top or bottom). Then you make your first 2x3 on the top side (any color) and turn the top side so that the open 1x3 is on the right side. Then I generally do an x and solve that 2x3. I do this till I have 3 2x3s; one on the back, one on the bottom, and one on the front. This leaves the top layer and the Rw slice free to be moved.

Step 3: Yau Variation
Now you will solve 3 of the cross edges. First make sure that the Bottom-front and Bottom-back edges have no more than one cross piece (it can be two of the same I.e. white red and white red edges) excluding the Rw slice. So there are only 4 pieces that you check. If there is more than one, switch the piece out. Now we can solve 3 edges. (This is best explained in the video). You can use the Rw slice freely to pair the edges. Again, I need to show you this step visually best explain it.

Step 4: Finish Centers
All of this can be done with Rw and U and it is eay to track pieces and know what pieces you can’t see are. I start with whatever color is on the B side. Make a 1x3 and move it to the bottom. Then Make the bottom 1x3 and while I am putting it in the Front and to the bottom, I can premove the last 1x3. Once I solve the last one, (like usual), the last center is done.

Step 5: Finish
Adjust the Left side and do a z’ to put yellow on top and finish the edge pairing (remembering that 1 edge is unsolved on the bottom. Then you can solve the 3x3 with 3 cross pieces done.


This is a little confusing and I hope that the video helps. Let me know what you think, if this will be any good for speed, is it too complicated, could it be really fast, any improvements?

-Jacob Ambrose
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I was not very interested in knowing that it was only a Yau variation, but I must say that the 2x3s go really well and the 3cross edges are actually very easily. Good things in this method :tu
 
I was not very interested in knowing that it was only a Yau variation, but I must say that the 2x3s go really well and the 3cross edges are actually very easily. Good things in this method :tu

originally it was only the 2x3s and then the rest of the centers, but then I added on the Yau variation, because it was easy.
 
Yeah, I tried this out last summer before I made the permanent switch to yau5, but I didn't like building the cross edges with these restrictions. It felt like too much of an annoyance to be worth the very tiny benefit of getting those 2x3's of centers built without the cross edges restricting them. So I decided that regular yau5 was the better option.
 
I tried out this method and the biggest problem would be the cross edges with the restrictions, if someone got good at that the method could be reasonably fast but not world class.
 
Step: Then I generally do an x and solve that 2x3. I do this till I have 3 2x3s; one on the back, one on the bottom, and one on the front. This leaves the top layer and the Rw slice free to be moved.

What if you only solve 2 instead? You get a bit more freedom for your partial cross.
 
Back
Top