Wow - very awesome! I know I have no chance of catching you on this one - I've never done a prepared solve that fast - sighted. And I've practiced some over a hundred times. I just can't turn that fast.
Wow - very awesome! I know I have no chance of catching you on this one - I've never done a prepared solve that fast - sighted. And I've practiced some over a hundred times. I just can't turn that fast.
Thanks Mike! I was very happy with this solve (it's my new pb by 28% of my solve time)!
I purposefully traced the pieces in such a way as to maximize the number of turns within the RUL turn group that I could. I've had more difficult prepared solves before where I could not get the time to drop very low. It's all about how "good" the solve is. Read my solution after you try the scramble yourself, but it was only 54 turns and fairly RULF the whole time. Makes it easier to get a fast solve.
I practiced the solve (on my air cube lol) probably 10 times before I actually did the solve too. So there was an element of muscle memory for this too, which helped.
Think positively Mike! You may break your prepared solve record with the speed BLD solves this week! Think of it that way, because there is nothing stopping that from becoming true!
I DNF'd the first feet BLD solve. I was off by an L turn at the end (L' would solve the edges). Also I had apparently done a wrong cycle in corners at some point, as I was off by 4 corners.
To be perfectly honest this was painfully frustrating to do. Every 3-4 turns my cube would misalign, and I would spend sometimes as much as 3-4 minutes to realign it. I made sure to count turns during commutators (like Mike) so that I could pick up where I left off. I also spent about 8 minutes memorizing the cube completely using journey methods (so that I could memorize it for what I anticipated would be a very long solve). It's also hard to memorize with your feet
I really don't like feet BLD to be honest, but I will try to get a success this week.
I thought I would go ahead and list my methods from last week's competition.
Intermediate (RU bandaging):
1. First I would speedBLD the permutation of the corners, ignoring orientation. If you first solve the corners at UBL and UFL, then you know it's a single turn of R to fix the other 4, so this step is never more than 5 moves, I think.
2. Next I would orient the corners using the 2-corner twist algorithm R U2 R' U R' U2 R U2 R U R' U' R' U R U2. I didn't care enough to learn the inverse, so if I had to rotate the other direction, I'd do it twice. Sometimes this was very slow just for that reason, thanks to my laziness.
3. All that's left is to solve the edges with U perms.
Advanced (double turn bandaging):
This was straightforward; due to the bandaging, there were only a handful of algorithms needed. I would first solve corners, then solve edges. The algs I used (I figured them all out by myself by experimentation, which is why some of them are probably pretty terrible) (all algs are really double turns - it's easier to write this way):
X perm: (D R F)*3 U (D R F)*3 U (D R F) * 3
2 2-corner swap: (R U R U F U R U R F U) * 2
3 cycle edges along slice: R U F U R D B D
regular edge swaps: R U R U R U and F R L B R L
Insane (anti-slice bandaging):
1. First I'd speedBLD the corners. This was never more than a few moves. All I'd have to track through the speedBLD was the UF edge, the UR edge, and the FR edge; if you solve those three, the rest will also be solved!
2. Then I'd use the following algs to solve the edges (again shortcutting: R means (R L), U2 means (U2 D2), etc.):
a. H top and bottom: R U R' U2 R U R'
b. flip 8 edges top and bottom: F U R F U R
c. swap all front and back edges + UF <-> DF, UB <-> DB: R2 F R2 F'
For the last scramble, my solution was F U F U R F U R U2 R U2 R', which was one move shorter than the scramble!
I thought I would go ahead and list my methods from last week's competition.
Intermediate (RU bandaging):
1. First I would speedBLD the permutation of the corners, ignoring orientation. If you first solve the corners at UBL and UFL, then you know it's a single turn of R to fix the other 4, so this step is never more than 5 moves, I think.
2. Next I would orient the corners using the 2-corner twist algorithm R U2 R' U R' U2 R U2 R U R' U' R' U R U2. I didn't care enough to learn the inverse, so if I had to rotate the other direction, I'd do it twice. Sometimes this was very slow just for that reason, thanks to my laziness.
3. All that's left is to solve the edges with U perms.
Advanced (double turn bandaging):
This was straightforward; due to the bandaging, there were only a handful of algorithms needed. I would first solve corners, then solve edges. The algs I used (I figured them all out by myself by experimentation, which is why some of them are probably pretty terrible) (all algs are really double turns - it's easier to write this way):
X perm: (D R F)*3 U (D R F)*3 U (D R F) * 3
2 2-corner swap: (R U R U F U R U R F U) * 2
3 cycle edges along slice: R U F U R D B D
regular edge swaps: R U R U R U and F R L B R L
Insane (anti-slice bandaging):
1. First I'd speedBLD the corners. This was never more than a few moves. All I'd have to track through the speedBLD was the UF edge, the UR edge, and the FR edge; if you solve those three, the rest will also be solved!
2. Then I'd use the following algs to solve the edges (again shortcutting: R means (R L), U2 means (U2 D2), etc.):
a. H top and bottom: R U R' U2 R U R'
b. flip 8 edges top and bottom: F U R F U R
c. swap all front and back edges + UF <-> DF, UB <-> DB: R2 F R2 F'
For the last scramble, my solution was F U F U R F U R U2 R U2 R', which was one move shorter than the scramble!
These methods are very similar to mine
Just a little difference on the Beginner challenge (corners) and on the algs we used (I used a shorter double-turns X-perm, but a longer 8-flip in the insane level).
These methods are very similar to mine
Just a little difference on the Beginner challenge (corners) and on the algs we used (I used a shorter double-turns X-perm, but a longer 8-flip in the insane level).
Intermediate:
I got he best Intermediate times, So this will be interesting for you.
Maybe I won, because my method need no SpeedBLD.
-Edges: regular memo, Buffer was UF, solving with U-Perms, when there are odd edges to cycle leave UF and UB switched
-Corner orientation: (R U R' U R U2 R') U2 (R' U' R U' R' U2 R) U2
-Corner Permutation: This was the hardest part. While memorisation I looked for the DBR and URF corners, memorized where they are and where they belong to (DBR and URF). I solved them with two algs:
Alg 1 (switches URF and DRF): (R2 U R2 U2)x2 (R2 U2 R2) (U R2)x2
Alg 2 (switches DBR and URF): (R2 U' R2 U2)x2 (R2 U2 R2) (U' R2)x2
(x2 means that you have to do the part 2 times)
I just setuped them, alg, undo setup.
-PLL: I memorized also the last corner I had to switch, the one, which was in DBR or DRF. This corner is now in the place, where the DBR or DRF corner was before, so I just memorized I had to do an U-move, an U'-move or an U2 move or nothing.
While solving this I had different algs for solving each case.
-U : do Ub U Ub (Ub is the U-Perm clockwise: R2' U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R')
-U': do Ua U' Ua (Ua is the U-Perm anticlockwise: R U' R U R U R U' R' U' R2)
-U2: do U2 + H-Perm (R2 U2 R U2 R2 U2 R2 U2 R U2 R2 as H-Perm)
-nothing: The cube is solved already.
Some examples:
a) Scramble: R' U2 R2 U2 R2 U R' U R U2 R U2 R' U R U' R2 U' R U2 R' U R U2 R'
Memo:
*Edges: UF is solve so start a new cycle.
UF -> UB -> DR -> UL -> UB
4 Targets, that is a pair number.
*DR Corners + another one: URF has t go to DFR, ULF has to go to DBR
When we switch DBR and ULF, the DBR is in ULF. But it has to go to UBR, so we can solve it with U2.
*Orientation of corners: ULF, UFR, DRF and DBR are correctly twisted, only URB has to be twisted clockwise.
Solution:
*Orientation of corners:
URB clockwise: (Setup) U' (Twisting Alg) R U R' U R U2 R' U2 R' U' R U' R' U2 R U2 (Undo Setup) U (18/18)
*Permation of Edges:
UF -> UB -> DR: (Setup) R2 U (U-Perm) R2' U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R' (undo setup) U' R2 (15/33)
UF -> UL -> UB: (Setup) U' (U-Perm) R2' U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R' (undo Setup) U (13/46)
*Solve Corner in DFR and DBR:
URF <-> DFR: (Alg 1) (R2 U R2 U2)x2 (R2 U2 R2) (U R2)x2 (15/61)
ULF <-> DBR: (Setup) U2 (Alg 2) (R2 U' R2 U2)x2 (R2 U2 R2) (U' R2)x2 (Undo Setup) U2 (17/88)
*PLL
Memo was U2, so: U2 (H-Perm) R2 U2 R U2 R2 U2 R2 U2 R U2 R2 (12/100)
b) Scramble: U2 R U' R' U R U R2 U' R2 U2 R U2 R2 U R U R' U2 R2 U' R U2 R2 U'
Memo:
*Edges:
UF -> UB -> DR -> UR -> UF
New Cycle: UF -> UL -> BR -> FR -> UL
All in all:
UF -> UB -> DR -> UR -> UL -> BR -> FR -> UL
That are odd edges, so we add UB.
UF -> UB -> DR -> UR -> UL -> BR -> FR -> UL -> UB
*DR Corners + another one: UBL has to go to DFR, and DFR has to go to DBR
When we switch DBR and UBL, the DBR is in UBL. But it has to go to UBR, so we can solve it with U.
*Orientation of corners: URB, DBR and UFR are correctly twisted, ULF - anticlockwise, DRF anticlockwise.
Solution:
*Orientation of corners:
ULF - anticlockwise: (Twisting Alg) R U R' U R U2 R' U2 R' U' R U' R' U2 R U2 (16/16)
DRF anticlockwise: (Setup) U' R U (Twisting Alg) R U R' U R U2 R' U2 R' U' R U' R' U2 R U2 (Undo Setup) U' R' U (22/38)
*Permation of Edges:
UF -> UB -> DR: (Setup) R2 U (U-Perm) R2' U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R' (undo setup) U' R2 (15/53)
UF -> UR -> UL: (U-Perm) R U' R U R U R U' R' U' R2 (11/64)
UF -> BR -> FR: (Setup) R' U' R2 (U-Perm) R U' R U R U R U' R' U' R2 (Undo Setup) R2 U R (17/81)
UF -> UL -> UB: (Setup) U' (U-Perm) R2' U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R' (undo Setup) U (13/94)
*Solve Corner in DFR and DBR:
UBL <-> DFR: (Setup) U2 (Alg 1) (R2 U R2 U2)x2 (R2 U2 R2) (U R2)x2 (16/110)
Now the DFR corner is in URF.
URF <-> DBR: (Setup) U' (Alg 2) (R2 U' R2 U2)x2 (R2 U2 R2) (U' R2)x2 (16/126)
(Undo both setups) U U2 = U' (1/127)
*PLL
Memo was U, so: (Ub) R2' U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R' (Move in the Middle) U (Ub) R2' U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R' (23/150)
-Speedblind corners, but instead of using moves like U2, R2 or D2 use an X-perm on the U, R or D layer, so you leave edges where they are (X-perm I found out by myself: R2 U2 x' (R2 U2)*3 (F2 R2 U2 R2)*2 x U2 R2 U2; very long but it works);
-VIsually memorize edges and solve them using one of these algs I found out: (R2 U2)*3; (M2 U2)*2; (F2 R2 U2 R2)*2; (R2 U2 R2 F2)*2 or H-perm (same as X-perm before, but without the final U2).
I did this the same way, but with a shorter X-alg, I generated the move optimal one with aCube, but I can´t find it anymore, and I´m too lazy to generate it again.
Edge algs are pretty the same.
Insane:
I speedblded the corners and traced the edges. There can be only a few cases. The edges only have to be permutated an the E, M or S-slice.
If found some algs and I memorized what they effect.
F U2 R2 F
F U2 R2 F' U2 R2
U2 R2 F2
U R2 U R2 U2
U F2 U R2
F U F' R2 F U F
R U' R U F U' F U2 F2 U R2 - this flippes the F- and B-edges.
Thanks - that's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. I had realized that (R U R' U') * 3 permutes two sets of corners but with two corners twisted (which then could have been twisted with the twisting algorithm), but I gave up on it because it seemed too complicated to set up. Now I see you can really set it up and solve it practically this way.
Thanks - that's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. I had realized that (R U R' U') * 3 permutes two sets of corners but with two corners twisted (which then could have been twisted with the twisting algorithm), but I gave up on it because it seemed too complicated to set up. Now I see you can really set it up and solve it practically this way.
I also found it by experementing with Sexy^3. So I found out that (URF and DRF) and (ULB and UBR) can be switched with one alg, I setuped the case in StachuK1992´s aCube frontend v3.4 and restricted to <R,U>. And the alg which I found isn´t really hard to remember. And the second is just the same only with Us instead of U's.
Okay, all this crazy stuff is getting tiring. I hope we'll be back to normal BLD solves next week! Anyway, I'm almost done; I just have 2 more feet solves to do, which hopefully I'll do tonight (and hopefully they'll go better this time).
I assume they were all "Best of X" format, so that's what I'm reporting.
Normal: 1:23.99
1:48.46, 1:43.85, 1:33.92, 1:23.99, 1:37.21
Comment: I did these right after the Fun Memo ones, which is why they were so terrible. It really messes with my rhythm to switch colors.
Fun Memo: 2:06.67
4:59.74 [4:00], 2:50.17 [1:56], DNF [2:13.45, 1:26, 3C], 2:21.29 [1:30], 2:06.67 [1:06]
Comment: I think you could play tricks with the rules to circumvent the difficulty of this one, but I did it in the spirit intended, so it was much like trying to do a BLD solve on someone else's cube for me. As you can see, I got better with practice, but I was still terrible.
SpeedBLD: 34.60
DNF [24.53, 52:59.56 total time, off by N perm], 34.60 [total time: 1:16:43.97]
Comment: On the first one, I forgot to AUF before figuring out the PLL, so I messed it up instead of solving it. On the second one, I was slow memorizing because I mistraced the last pair and had traced most of the LL before I realized it, so I had to go back and do it again. But at least I finally got a successful speedBLD solve - it's my first one ever. It was still terribly disappointing because I messed up in the solve when inserting the first pair and had to undo and redo it. It certainly would have been sub-25 otherwise.
Fewest Moves BLD: DNF
DNS, DNF [44 moves]
Comment: So disappointing! The first one I tracked the pieces wrong at the start and ran out of time, so I just gave up. But check out my second solution - it would have been totally amazing!:
Scramble: 2) F D2 U F2 D' B L R B2 F2 D B L' R2 B U B2 F R' B2 L2 D' F L2 R2
x2 y' (to get to my orientation)
cross: D' F' B D' B
first pair: U2 L F' U L' F2
second pair: U F' B U' B'
third pair: D R U2 R' D' F U' F'
fourth pair: U' F' U F U' F' U' F
pseudo OLL setting up into Sune: R U B U' B'
Sune: U R' U R U2 R' U2
I thought it was solved. Apparently I tracked the corner wrong on my second CE pair, so I had two twisted corners. If you add a corner twister, it still would have been 56 moves, not terrible. But I didn't know. I was so excited when I wrote it down - I thought I surely had the winning entry!
With Feet: 13:47.01
DNF [15:58.75, 2:08], DNF [19:39.07, 2:03], DNF [18:01.86, 2:28], 13:47.01 [1:50], DNF [14:51.26, 1:58, 5E]
Comment: I can't believe I got a full average on this the first time I tried one. The first two were scrambled, and the third one had a 2x2x2 block solved and the rest was scrambled. I suspect I was better at this before because of qq's computer competition that was running then - since I would do 5 BLD solves per week on Ryan Heise's old simulator, I got lots of practice doing M2 moves the way you have to do them with feet. Now I'm out of practice, and I think that's the main place where I messed up. The fourth one was a fairly easy scramble - nothing real great, but certainly not bad. I discovered I really need a loose cube when doing this, which is scary, since a pop means certain DNF.
Mike, you're my hero! My feet BLD attempt (I've only done one so far and it was a DNF, but I'm going to try again before tomorrow) was over an hour and a half! I'll have to ask after this week how you do the turns so quickly! Awesome!
Mike, you're my hero! My feet BLD attempt (I've only done one so far and it was a DNF, but I'm going to try again before tomorrow) was over an hour and a half! I'll have to ask after this week how you do the turns so quickly! Awesome!
I don't see any reason to wait until the end of the week. I have no secrets; I just turn the same as I would for regular feet solves. But I doubt you've practiced it much; I guess it's pretty hard if you haven't practiced. I could recommend you watch some feet-solving videos - they might help. I think I have one of me at Indiana last year if you're looking for an easy one to find; I'm not very good, but that's how I get times like this. The worst part for me is the M-slice turns; you have to remember to turn the left and right faces the opposite direction and then flip the cube appropriately when you're done. I often forget to flip the cube over, which is what kills me. (That's also what kills me doing computer BLD.)
I don't mind tiring as long as it's not weird stuff; I want to do some regular BLD for a change. As long as it's normal BLD, bring it on! But please, no more weird stuff for at least a couple of weeks; I need a break from that.
TBH we already have multi race in another thread, and I doubt anyone besides Chris or Mike (perhaps one or two others) will ev en bother attempting 6/7 BLD.
I don't know about the rest of you guys, but sticking to 2-5BLD for this thread seems smart. What's the opinion on this?
I might hijack next week. I need to get a lot of practice in and this thread will motivate me...
I don't think I'm going to try bigger cubes or multi on this thread; the weekly competition will always be my top priority, and one's enough for those. I vote yes for sticking to 3-5 BLD. (I guess if you put 2x2x2 BLD in, I'd do it, but I'd rather not.)
Oh, and at least I got one feet success: 13:47.01 [1:50 memo]. The fourth scramble. The fifth one was close - off by just 5 edges; I think I messed up an edge flipper.
Fun Memo: DNF (5:39.69; 4:46 memo) DNS DNS DNS DNS
I too avoided using the same shortcut trick Mike is referring to, and I also did this in the spirit of the rules.
SpeedBLD: 13.41 DNS
With Feet: DNF (1:30:01.xx), DNF (35:49), DNF (31:04), DNS, DNS
I felt frustrated by this week, but I know I shouldn't. Feet BLD felt particularly frustrating for me, but Mike makes a good point about me not practicing it ever. I suppose I should only feel frustrated if I practice the event a lot. I'm very happy with my SpeedBLD solve, that's my new personal best by quite a large margin!
Chris, your second and third feet solves were just a third of the time of your first one - I'd say that's quite an improvement! I got my success in feet this week after I did a couple of solves on Ryan Heise's old BLD simulator; maybe you could try that and see if it helps? It makes you think about how to solve it one move at a time in ways that are really similar to having to solve with feet.
As for the "Fun Memo", I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with that. It's amazing how hard it is, isn't it?
Nice times with Normal, and of course with SpeedBLD - that was one fantastic solve!
Thanks Mike, and as always your performance this week is very impressive! I still think you're the most all rounded BLD solver EVER Nice accuracy and times for your normal solves too!
As for my feet solves, honestly seeing how fast you did them motivated me to just go a lot faster and trust myself. I got horrible DNFs both times (I think when I pull one side to turn it that I sometimes pull the adjacent M layer slice too). I didn't really have much of an issue with the cube rotations and slice moves (R' L x = M' and so forth), but I had a terrible time applying the moves accurately to the cube. I think I will continue to practice feet solving until I get a success, just to say that I've done it.
As to whoever thread hijacks next week, 4x4 and 5x5 BLD are always appreciated but as we saw with these last two weeks sometimes they get skipped over and that's cool.
Nice accuracy and times for your normal solves too!
