Older cubers discussions

[mafergut]

4x4
Average of 5: 59.66
1. 57.74 U B' U' R u' B R2 u' L r' U L' D' F' B D f D' F' r2 B' D' U2 R L' U' F2 R L' B2 D L r R' D2 r' B2 D r' U'
2. (53.48) U2 u r D' f' u' F' R2 U2 B2 r f B2 L' u2 f' R2 r F2 R2 B' f' R2 B' R' r2 D F L U2 R2 U2 r R2 u' r U' D' R' D2
3. 1:04.33 R2 r2 f u2 L2 D' U f' D B' L U R2 r' F' L2 R' r2 U2 D f' u f' B2 r2 u2 R U r' B R D u' L D R2 F D L' U'
4. (1:10.42) L' R' u' U2 L' R' D2 L2 D2 r' U R2 U D' u f2 F D f R2 B' U' D' u r' u' F B' L' B' F L u2 U F2 L f2 r2 D2 u
5. 56.91 L' u2 U' f' D L U2 R2 u2 D L2 u2 L2 R F2 f2 L' B' U L' B2 D r' D F B2 f2 L D' B' r2 R' F U f2 F r u2 r f

What!?! I stopped the video on the second solve when I think you finished reduction and it was like 37.95. You didn't get any parity and it was an easy LL with a T OLL and U perm (if I've seen it right) but, c'mon! A 15.xx second 3x3 stage is insane! Even taking into account that the cross is already done.

And I still ask myself why I can't sub-1 on 4x4. Even without any parities I can barely sub 1:10. I thought my reduction stage (using Yau) was mostly at fault but now I realize that probably half of the time I would need to cut to get there is on 3x3 stage.

Great solves! It looks like, comparing with your 3x3 lookahead, you still could shave 5 seconds or more off your reduction stage with more practice. What's your PB? Sub-45 seems within reach for you.

EDIT: Forget about what I said of the 2nd solve. That last one has a 10.xx second 3x3 stage!!!! Did you get an OLL skip? I can't see very well what you were doing.

 

[mark49152]

@Selkie , very nice. Next race?

@One Wheel , I will echo others and say go anyway, and yes you can learn BLD in a month if you approach it methodically. My suggestion would be:-

- Week 1, learn a BLD method but do only sighted solves with it. Watch how it works and practise until you're comfortable solving the cube that way. Most popular method seems to be M2/OP.

- Week 2, learn a letter scheme and get used to solving by writing down your letter sequences then solving under the table reading off paper.

- Weeks 3+, learn a memory technique and put it all together.

Edit: I wasn't interested in BLD until I went to my first comp and saw others doing it. So I went home and learned, and got my first official success at the next comp 3 weeks later. So yes you have enough time.

 

[h2f]

@Selkie, very nice average. Add me to the reace to sub1 tough I have the largest distance to it.

 

[muchacho]

Very nice solves... but you got me scared when I saw a block of dead pixels in my monitor is the camera ok?

 

[mark49152]

@Selkie, very nice average. Add me to the reace to sub1 tough I have the largest distance to it.

I'll race you to second place: )

 

[h2f]

Ok than. But i can start next weekend - I'm out of home for a next 6-7 days.

 

[Shaky Hands]

Got my 2nd-best ever time earlier (17.66) - may have been my best but I missed the timer (was definitely sub-17 when I went for it.) Nothing funky in the way I solved it (it even had a 9-move cross); this one just seemed to flow really well.

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

Solution:

Spoiler

x2 // inspection
U' R2 U2 F U F L B L // cross
R U R' F' U2 F2 U F' // F2L - 1
L U L' // F2L - 2
R U2 R' U R U R' // F2L - 3
y d' L' U L d R U' R' // F2L - 4
L' U' L U' L' U L U L F' L' F // OLL
R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' // J-perm
U' // AUF

 

[SenorJuan]

Congrats on the speedy solve, Andy.
Is that your normal approach to F2L-1 ?
A neater way would be:
U' R U R' y' R U R'
or
U' R U R' F U F' (which as luck would have it, gives L U L' then F' U F for the next two...)

 

[Shaky Hands]

Yeah that's pretty much my usual approach with that one. Makes me think I should learn some F2L algs some time.

 

[SenorJuan]

That solution I suggested was an 'intuitive' one - make the pair, then insert. So the 'algs' you would need to learn are:
*moving an edge up to the top layer to match with a corner
*moving a corner up to the top layer to match with an edge
There's typically 20 of these small (3-move usually) algs for each of those two processes, a few more if you include 'sledgehammer-based' ones.
And double that, as you'll want to be able to duplicate them in a diagonally opposite corner.

I'm not sure how many of them I know, about 70%, seems enough to cover most eventualities.

 

[Selkie]

@mafergut , @mark49152 , @h2f , @muchacho - Thank you very much.

@mafergut , Migual - I average just sub 1:05 (Ao50) of that I think I average ~45s reduction and ~20s for 3x3 stage to include parities. PB is 48.39. I try and plan 1 1/2 centers during inspection now rather than 1. I still have little look ahead from F2C to first three Yau cross edges and those three edges are still the weak part of my solve. I still feel there is more in the tank for improvement though.

@Shaky Hands - Nice single mate and as you say nothing simple about the solve, no skips, no easy cross. Very nice

 

[Selkie]

And to cap off a good day on return to YouTube uploading, my first sub 4 minute 6x6 Mo3

Mean Of 3: 3:58.36 - 4:00.39, 3:45.45, 4:09.24

 

[Jason Green]

Thanks! That's pretty much the advice I was expecting. I presume it's not worth signing up for events I have no chance of making the hard cut for, like megaminx?

I'm not sure how much time I'll have to practice in the next month either. Usually I'm the only one around here but my dad, brother and sister will be around. I should have ample time the last week before the comp, but the next three weeks not so much.

I sign up for everything I can solve, even if I can't make the hard cut. I did that for 5x5 at last comp. I think I'll make hard cut for the next 5x5.

@Selkie, very nice average. Add me to the reace to sub1 tough I have the largest distance to it.

Ummmm, I think I'm furthest, but I'm not racing. I'm still barely under 2 mins.

 

[mafergut]

I sign up for everything I can solve, even if I can't make the hard cut. I did that for 5x5 at last comp. I think I'll make hard cut for the next 5x5.

Ummmm, I think I'm furthest, but I'm not racing. I'm still barely under 2 mins.

Yeah, I don't plan on joining the race to sub-1 4x4 any time soon. I'm fighting for every second below sub-1:25 average right now.
And regarding the comp I'd do the same, sign up for whatever I have the puzzle for (and at least know how to solve, so I wouldn't sign up for SQ-1 right now)

 

[Shaky Hands]

And to cap off a good day on return to YouTube uploading, my first sub 4 minute 6x6 Mo3

Mean Of 3: 3:58.36 - 4:00.39, 3:45.45, 4:09.24

Good stuff @Selkie. I just got a PB single on 6x6 in the Weekly Comp myself but 50%+ over these times.

 

[One Wheel]

I sign up for everything I can solve, even if I can't make the hard cut. I did that for 5x5 at last comp. I think I'll make hard cut for the next 5x5

I might just do that. I was sure I had no chance of making 4:00, because I was averaging about 9:00, then I did mm for the wc and started with 3 solves around 8:00, and finished with a sub-7:00 and then a sub-6:00. With that kind of improvement 2:30 still seems ridiculous, but in my more delirious moments 4:00 seems possible.

 

[Selkie]

@Selkie , very nice. Next race?

Sub 1 Ao12 on 4x4 / Sub 2 Ao5 5x5?

Yeah, I don't plan on joining the race to sub-1 4x4 any time soon. I'm fighting for every second below sub-1:25 average right now.

I was stuck at 1:15 for so long, years. And the fact I missed 4x4 at Exeter this yearmy fastest official 4x4 average is 1:15.xy I think. Plateaus are so frustrating but hopefully you will see a drop from 1:25 soon

 

[mark49152]

Sub 1 Ao12 on 4x4 / Sub 2 Ao5 5x5?

I am still shooting for ao5 on 4x4 so let's do some 5x5? I'm motivated after getting three sub-2 singles in one day

 

[Shaky Hands]

It's been a while since I practiced 7x7, but my average has improved by 47 seconds between the last Weekly Competition I did (7 weeks ago) and now. I think I can probably reach the UK hard cut for this by the end of 2016. Encouraging.

I have a general question which I guess applies to all puzzles but particularly to big cubes. When you can't find a piece you're looking for (whatever the reason) do you tend to persist in finding it as you know it's there somewhere, or do you search for alternatives?

 

[Selkie]

It's been a while since I practiced 7x7, but my average has improved by 47 seconds between the last Weekly Competition I did (7 weeks ago) and now. I think I can probably reach the UK hard cut for this by the end of 2016. Encouraging.

I have a general question which I guess applies to all puzzles but particularly to big cubes. When you can't find a piece you're looking for (whatever the reason) do you tend to persist in finding it as you know it's there somewhere, or do you search for alternatives?

Sorry up loitering but my excuse is we have a long weekend this weekend (Fri-Mon off) so up late

Andy, this is a great question and one I ask myself all the time, ALL the time. To me it depends on the piece. I have ruined great solves with the dreaded "Rabbit in the headlights" mate. Take a look at my mo3 6x6 video yesterday, it happens for all edge pairings, I am not pauseless for any of them. But I guess you are asking about that one you come across where you just cant find it.

For the question of time spent, if I am looking for 1/4 and I have 3/4 I tend to give it too much time. 2/4 to 2/4 I am easier to switch to look for something else. A few pointers that work for me mate:-

• Edge pairing: Work on your 4 cross edges first (You are so used to looking for these edges)
• Edge Pairing: Work On Your Opposite Edges Next

Are there any stages in particular you are looking at?

PS: Bristol: Im up often, thought you were London. Perhaps a cube meet