Porkynator's Challenge

[porkynator]

...or "How fast can you get sub-40(HTM)?"

FMC is really cool, but sometimes you just don't have a full hour to do a solve.
I also like the idea of the "Composite Challenge" that Tony Snyder proposes on his website, but it focuses a little too much on speed (imo).
Today I thought it would be cool to have a way to measure "how fast can one get a decent (= low movecount) solution", so I made this up.

The rules
-Get a scramble and pencil, paper, cubes and whatever else is allowed for an FMC attempt
-Start a timer BEFORE scrambling the cube
-Try to find a solution for the scramble that is 39 HTM or fewer as fast as you can and write it down. You can use any FMC technique you wish.
-Stop the timer

The number of moves is not important, as long as it is sub40. You HAVE to write the solution before stopping the timer. If you write it down wrong or if it is longer than 39 moves it's DNF, so I recommend checking it BFORE stopping the timer.

I know that it's possible to get sub-40 with a speedsolve, so I think a single result is kinda meaningless. I know that there are some methods claimed to require less than 40 HTM on average, but good for you if you can constantly sub-40 without effort. I think this challenge is really fun anyway.

I did 5 solves today:

Average of 5: 12:57.38
1. (22:29.68) U F2 R2 U' L2 F2 U' L2 U2 L2 F' R B' R2 U' B L R B' R2 D
2. 9:44.94 L2 D2 B2 F' R2 B' D2 B R2 D2 L D L B' U L' D2 R D U
3. (7:24.90) L' D2 R B2 F2 R D2 R2 B2 R U2 F' R B' L D U2 R B
4. 15:48.30 B2 F2 D R2 F2 R2 D L2 D2 R2 D R' D B' L' F2 R B2 L F' R2
5. 13:18.90 R2 D2 R2 F U2 L2 R2 B2 F L2 U2 R' D2 U' F L' U' L2 B D' U'

Spoiler

Using my NISS notation (moves in brackets are done on inverse scramble)

1. U' B F' U' R' B' U' D' B R2 B R B R2 D R B' D B R' B2 D F D' B D F' D' F D2 F2 R' B R F R' B' R D (39 HTM)
U' B F' U' R' B' U' //2x2x2 + pair (7/7)
D' B R2 B R B //Pseudo 2x2x3 + pair (6/13)
R2 D R B' D B R' B' + F D2 F' * D //All but 4 corners (12/25)
+ = B' D F D' B D F' D' //3c (7/32)
* = F' R' B R F R' B' R //3c (7/39)

2. L U' L2 D' F' U' F2 R' B R D B2 D' B D B2 D2 L' D' L U B' D' B U' B' U' B2 U D R L B2 R' L' B' D' (37 HTM)
L U' L2 D' //3x2x1 (4/4)
F' U' F2 //2x2x3 (3/7)
R' B R D B2 D' //Pseudo F2L-1 (6/14)
(D) //Adjust Pseudoness (1/8)
B D B2 D2 L' D' L //F2L (7/21)
U B' D' B U' B' //Almost CLL (6/27)
U' B2 U D R L B2 R' L' B' //H-Perm (10/37)

3. F' B U B' F2 D L2 B U B U' B U' L U L2 B2 L B L' B L U2 L' B' L U2 R' F R' F' L F (33 HTM)
F' B U B' //Square (4/4)
F2 D //Square + 3x2x1 (2/6)
(F' R2 L') //Pseudo F2L-1 (3/9)
L2 //Adjust Pseudoness (1/10)
B U B U' B U' L U //Almost F2L + EO (8/18)
L2 B2 L B L' B L //OLL (7/25)
U2 L' B' L U2 R' F R' F' R2 //PLL, 2 moves cancel with premoves (8/33)

4. D2 F R2 L2 U2 F D' F' D' F' D F R F2 R' D R U R' D' R U' R' F' R F R2 D R2 D2 R F R2 F D (35 HTM)
D2 F R2 L2 U2 F D' //2x2x2 + 2 pairs (7/7)
(D' F' R2 F' R' D2 R2 D' R2 F' R') //F2L-1 + pair (11/18)
F' D' F' D F R F2 R' //All but 3 corners (8/26)
D R U R' D' R U' R' F' //3c (9/35)

5. U' R D U' R' D F' D' L' D2 L2 D2 R U F' R' D' R' D2 F' D' F2 L D L' D' F' L2 F2 D' F2 D F2 U' F2 U L2 (37 HTM)
U' R D U' R' //Almost 2x2x2 (5/5)
D F' D' L' D2 L2 //Blocks (6/11)
D2 R U F' R' D' R' //F2L-1 (7/18)
D2 F' D' F //F2L (4/22)
F L D L' D' F' //OLL, 1 move cancels (5/27)
L2 F2 D' F2 D F2 U' F2 U L2 //PLL (10/37)

I'd love to see some top FMCer doing this
Good Luck!

 

[Rocky0701]

Wow, this is actually a really awesome idea! Too bad i suck at FMC

 

[mycube]

To be honest, I don't really think it would help me in any way to practice fmc like this. My way to do a fmc solve is to search several good starts and then continue to find a good finish/continuation.
In they way you supposed it to do I feel like just trying around to find a solutions which skips some steps.
And also, do you really feel like a 39 move solution is "good" for you? This is why you have an hour for fmc, to do a good planed solve, try around with different blocks and NISS and not just trying around.

 

[TDM]

I've only ever got one sub-40 before out of my 4 attempts. Might as well try though. The sup-40s were all ZZ, so I've only really done one proper FMC attempt before
E: I give up, never doing FMC again

 

[porkynator]

To be honest, I don't really think it would help me in any way to practice fmc like this. My way to do a fmc solve is to search several good starts and then continue to find a good finish/continuation.
In they way you supposed it to do I feel like just trying around to find a solutions which skips some steps.

Maybe it's not, but I didn't think of it this. It's meant to be a challenge on its own, not a way to practice FMC.

And also, do you really feel like a 39 move solution is "good" for you? This is why you have an hour for fmc, to do a good planed solve, try around with different blocks and NISS and not just trying around.

39 moves is bad for me for a 1 hour attempt, but I thought it was a good goal to set for a fast-ish FMC attempt

 

[mDiPalma]

omg I beat porky's average on my first try. (beginner's luck )

1. 12:23.83 U2 L' F2 D2 R' F2 R' B2 U2 B2 R B' F2 U2 F D' F' L D U'

Spoiler

U2 L' F2 D2 R' F2 R' B2 U2 B2 R B' F2 U2 F D' F' L D U'
D U R B’ U’ B2 D’ B (pseudo 322 8/8)
x F’ U2 F2 R2 F’ (eo 5/13)
R U R’ U2 R’ U’ R U R’ U’ R’ (f2l and solve corners LOL 11/24)
y M2 F2 M2 U M2 U R2 (efficient ELL with cancellations 10/34)
=34 htm Petrus

What is the best way to combine movecount and time?

pi*movecount+time/e ?

 

[kcl]

Nice CFOP solution, 38 mover

15:38.44 lost scramble sorry

 

[Kirjava]

2:50.88

scramble: D2 F' U2 B2 D2 L2 U2 R2 U2 R' F' D B2 D F' L B' R D'
solution: FB'L2FUFRD'B'D'BR' x2y UR'U2RU'R'URU' y'x' U2RU'R' LU'L2D'lU2l'DL2UL'U2

first try

 

[XTowncuber]

29 move solution in 6:30.68

epic lol scramble: U F2 U2 B2 U B2 L2 U L2 U B2 F' U' B' F2 L' F2 R F' L2 F

R' F' B D' B2 D U B U F U' F' B' Rw' R U R U R' U' Rw R2 F2 L2 F' R F L2 F2

I think my previous FMC PB was 50 something lolol

 

[mDiPalma]

2:50.88

scramble: D2 F' U2 B2 D2 L2 U2 R2 U2 R' F' D B2 D F' L B' R D'
solution: FB'L2FUFRD'B'D'BR' x2y UR'U2RU'R'URU' y'x' U2RU'R' LU'L2D'lU2l'DL2UL'U2

first try

DNF sorry bro

 

[IRNjuggle28]

To be honest, I don't really think it would help me in any way to practice fmc like this. My way to do a fmc solve is to search several good starts and then continue to find a good finish/continuation.
In they way you supposed it to do I feel like just trying around to find a solutions which skips some steps.
And also, do you really feel like a 39 move solution is "good" for you? This is why you have an hour for fmc, to do a good planed solve, try around with different blocks and NISS and not just trying around.

You apparently didn't notice his signature. Sub 30 average of 100. And he's top 5 in the world officially.

It's a really good challenge, and it seems likely to improve skills that are useful for real FMC. If you're trying to find efficient solutions as fast as possible, that'll be helpful for FMC, obviously. The faster you can check different solutions, the more likely you are to come across a good one given 60 minutes to check as many solutions as possible.

 

[porkynator]

2:50.88

scramble: D2 F' U2 B2 D2 L2 U2 R2 U2 R' F' D B2 D F' L B' R D'
solution: FB'L2FUFRD'B'D'BR' x2y UR'U2RU'R'URU' y'x' U2RU'R' LU'L2D'lU2l'DL2UL'U2

first try

Doesn't work for me, but 2:50 is really good

29 move solution in 6:30.68

epic lol scramble: U F2 U2 B2 U B2 L2 U L2 U B2 F' U' B' F2 L' F2 R F' L2 F

R' F' B D' B2 D U B U F U' F' B' Rw' R U R U R' U' Rw R2 F2 L2 F' R F L2 F2

I think my previous FMC PB was 50 something lolol

Dat F2L O.O

 

[Cubo largo]

Why don't create the "sub 30" hardcore version?

 

[porkynator]

Why don't create the "sub 30" hardcore version?

With some scrambles it would take hours to get sub30 for most of people (including me)

 

[Rocky0701]

How about you just make it so that people can choose their own versions? EX: sub 40, 35, 30.

 

[Cubo largo]

With some scrambles it would take hours to get sub30 for most of people (including me)

It's hardcore, it must take hours!

 

[Mike Hughey]

To be honest, I often do this for the weekly competition. Once I get a sub-40 solve, I often figure it's good enough and stop. Of course, that's because I'm sufficiently bad at FMC that I rarely ever beat a sub-40 solution once I find one (within an hour), unless it's due to a better insertion or some similar minor optimization.

I once won a fewest moves event at a competition with a less than 20 minute attempt (I wanted to use the time for other events). Interestingly, it's the only time I ever won fewest moves.

 

[Kirjava]

2:50.88

scramble: D2 F' U2 B2 D2 L2 U2 R2 U2 R' F' D B2 D F' L B' R D'
solution: FB'L2FUF'RD'B'D'BR' x2y UR'U2RU'R'URU' y'x' U2RU'R' LU'L2D'lU2l'DL2UL'U2

first try

fixed, damn