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Cuberstache

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Hi! I don't know much about FMC, but I was just thinking about the way that you do it in competitions. They give you a simple scramble, but you are not allowed to use any parts of that scramble, right? (please correct me if I am wrong, like I said, I don't know much about FMC).
It seems like it could be fairer if they either gave you a long scramble or a cube pre-scrambled because then the competitor would have more freedom of moves, and people wouldn't have to read the solutions and decide if it is fair enough. There could be organizers at different competitions who are stricter than others, which can make setting records complicated and debatable. What do you guys know about this? Is there something that I am missing?
You are correct that competitors aren't allowed to use the scramble, but in reality, I've never heard of a time when that has been an actual problem. The rule just there so you don't write the scramble backward and call it a solution. They "check" solutions that work but are suspicious by asking the competitor to explain their solution, and in that case, there is the problem of subjectivity, as seen by Vladislav Ushakov's 19 single that probably shouldn't have been counted, but that's another question. Using parts of the scramble is a real rule but it doesn't affect people's solves.
 
U

Underwatercuber

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You are correct that competitors aren't allowed to use the scramble, but in reality, I've never heard of a time when that has been an actual problem. The rule just there so you don't write the scramble backward and call it a solution. They "check" solutions that work but are suspicious by asking the competitor to explain their solution, and in that case, there is the problem of subjectivity, as seen by Vladislav Ushakov's 19 single that probably shouldn't have been counted, but that's another question. Using parts of the scramble is a real rule but it doesn't affect people's solves.
It dnfd a wr single I believe so yes it has happened before lol. They added the R U F padding as a result of that I believe.

Vladislavs solve is completely different than this lol
 

Cale S

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Really? When was that? And how many moves did they reverse?

In 2016 Linus Fresz got 24.00 WR mean, but the first 5 and last 6 moves of his first solution matched the inverse of the scramble sequence, so that attempt was changed to a DNF. While the solution was logical, it was decided that it was too similar to the inverse scramble to be valid. The change for FMC scrambles to have R' U' F at the beginning and end was then made to prevent incidents like this.
 

WoowyBaby

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2x2 FMC?

#1 Scramble: U' R' F R' F U' F2 R' F'

U2 R' U2 R // CO
F2 * R2 // AB3c
*= [F' U' F, L2] (8-3=5)
- 11 moves -

#2 Scramble: R' F2 U' R2 F' U R2 F2 R'

F R2 U R // CornerOrientation
U' R2 U // HalfTurnOnlyReduction
R2 F2 U2 // HTO Finish
- 10 moves -

#3 Scramble: R U' F2 U' F' R F' R' F' U'

* U2 F2 U' R2 // AllBut3Corners in 4
*= [R' D R, U'] (8-1=7)
- 11 moves -

#4 Scramble: F' U2 R' F R' F2 U2 R2 U'

U' F' // Block
U2 R F' // CO
U' R2 U2 // Finish
- 8 moves -

#5 Scramble: U' R U2 R' F2 R F' R' U2

U' R U2 // Layer
U R' U' R F2 R U2 R' U2 // cancelled CLL
- 11 moves -

#6 Scramble: R' F' U R' U R U' R2 U2

* R' F' // CO
U' // CO
*= [L U' L', F2] (Unable to cancel)
- 11 moves -

#7 Scramble: U' R F2 U' R2 U R' U R2 U'

R2 F // Two Pairs
R2 (R2) // Layer
(R' F2 R U2 R U' R' F) // CLL
Inverse cancels 1
- 11 moves -

#8 Scramble: R' U2 F U F2 U F U' R

R2 F2 R2 // 3/4 Layer
R' * F' R // AB3c in 5
*= [R' U' R, F'] (8-5=3)
- 8 moves -

#9 Scramble: F2 U F2 R' F' U2 F' U' R'

(F2 R') // 2-gen Redux
F U2 F' // CO
U F2 U F2 U' // Finish
- 10 moves -

#10 Scramble: U2 R F2 R2 F' R F2 R2 U

U R' * U2 R' // CO
U' R2 // 3c in 6
*= R U2 R U2 R' F2 R U2 R2 (9-3=6)
Results in: U' R U2 R' F2 R {U2 R2 U2} R' U' R2 (12)
Replace {---} with R2 U2 R2
Cancels 2 more moves
- 10 moves -

Mean of 10 is 10.1. So close to sub-10 mo10!
Just for reference, iirc optimal is 8.8 on average so I'm only 1.3 moves away. Feels good.

You guys should really try 2x2 FMC!
It's really quite fun, and if you do try, please do a mo10 because mo3 can be luck baised :)
 
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U

Underwatercuber

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wc2019 fmc results?
Results are accurate but I don’t know if rankings are

Firstian fushada got 25,27,24 and Chris chi got 24,27,25 both give 25.33 for first place. sebastiano got 25,24,28 = 25.67 for second. im not sure about other results but the best ones I have heard of besides that is tommy kiprillis (26,25,28) and Chong wen (25,29,25)got 26.33 means .

Edit: tied first means there is no second place. Also Jan got a 25.67 mean so that’s tied as well.
 
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ChrisCuber123

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Here is my 25.33 winning mean from Worlds:
1. 24
R' U' F U' R2 F2 D L2 U' B2 R2 D R2 D B' L D2 F2 L2 F' R2 U2 B' U R' U' F

F L' R // EO
(D' B U' F U2 L2) // 222+mad pairs
(U' B' U') // big bloccs
U2 F' // F2L-1
F L2 F' L2 // different F2L-1
B D2 B' D' // L3C
Insertion canceled 4 for a 24

Pretty stupid solve, blocks just came together and the 4 cancel for 3c helped even more. My finish after "big bloccs" was optimal which is cool :D

2. 27
R' U' F U2 R2 D' F2 D' L2 U' F2 L F' D' R' U' R2 F L2 B F R2 B2 R' U' F

(B D' R F) // EO
R' D2 R D2 // 222
B2 U' // 223 i think i cba to check
R2 U2 R B2 R' U' R' // 17 to 4c
Insertions canceled 4 and 2 for a 27

18 to 3e3c that gave 25:
(B D' R F) // EO
(L' B2 L) // sq
(U L2 D2 L2 U2 R) // prob 223
(L' * D L B2 D2) // 3e3c
At * there's a 6-5 edge insertion but i never checked this skeleton, cost me 24 25 first 2 solves oops

This solve hurts, the scramble seemed pretty nice but I couldn't find anything great and worse than average cancels on 4c didn't help either. Not checking a skeleton that gave 25 optimal kinda hurts too but it was 18 to 3e3c which probably wouldn't beat the 27 I found like 30 minutes in anyway.

3. 25
R' U' F R2 D2 L2 U L2 D F2 D2 R2 D2 R' D R D' U' F' D2 R' F' D R' U' F

(D) R' F2 U' // EO
(F' R L2 D2 L2 R) // 223
(L' F L F' R F' R') // 3e3c
(F' D2 F D2) // L3C
Insertion canceled 3 for 25 :D

Also had this 15 to 3e3c that gave 26 (optimal was nested 25):
(D) R' F2 U' // EO
(F' R2) // 223
(L F2 L') // 223
R F R' F L' F' L // 3e3c
8-3 for edges and 8-2 for corners
24, 27, 25 = 25.33 mean, 2nd best official mean

Was pretty nervous going into this attempt knowing that I had what was likely the second best mo2 after the first 2 solves, especially after completely bombing the FMC mean at Warm Up Canberra just 8 days earlier. Started the attempt with 15 to 3e3c about 15 minutes in and inserted right away for a 26 which I was already happy with. Found 20 to 3c with about 15-20 mins left and it canceled 3 for a 25.

Overall thoughts: Very solid mean, I've been in an FMC slump for the past couple of weeks and this was the perfect way to break out of it :D. Almost getting 24.67 is pretty dumb when my PR single is still 24 though (three 24s and like 7 25s in comp pls just give me sub 24).

This is definitely be the best cubing achievement of my life, especially considering how badly I was doing in practice leading up to this comp. Winning Worlds is so much better than winning US Nationals last year, even though my mean at Nats was better.
 
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porkynator

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My solves at worlds (25.67 mean)

1.
Scramble: R' U' F U' R2 F2 D L2 U' B2 R2 D R2 D B' L D2 F2 L2 F' R2 U2 B' U R' U' F
Solution: R2 L2 F R' U2 R2 F L F' R F2 R U' B R2 B' L B R2 B' F' L' F U2 F2 (25)
R2 L2 F (F2) //321 (4/4)
R' U2 R' * F //Square + pair (4/8)
L F R //F2L-1 + square + pair (3/11)
U' + L F' L' F U2 //2c (6/17)

* = R' F L F' R F L' F' (2)
+ = B R2 B' L B R2 B' L' (6)

Nice solve, but the scramble was quite easy in my opinion.

2.
Scramble: R' U' F U2 R2 D' F2 D' L2 U' F2 L F' D' R' U' R2 F L2 B F R2 B2 R' U' F
Solution: D2 R U' R' B2 L2 B' R' U F' U' R' D' R U2 R' D R2 U' R2 L2 D R' D' (24)
(B D' R F) //EO + 3 pairs (4/4)
D2 R U' //2 squares (3/7)
(R2 B2 R) //3c7e (3/10)

Skeleton: D2 R U' R' B2 R2 [1] F' R' D B' [2]

Insert M2 both at [1] and at [2] to leave 3e3c in 12

New skeleton: D2 R U' R' B2 L2 B' R' U F' * R2 L2

* = U + R U' R2 L2 D R' D' R2 L2 (6)
+ = U2 R' D' R U2 R' D R (6)

Very happy about this! The scramble wasn't so nice, in fact I was leading with 24.5 average after 2 solves. It's also nice to pull of good slice insertions officially :)

3.
Scramble: R' U' F R2 D2 L2 U L2 D F2 D2 R2 D2 R' D R D' U' F' D2 R' F' D R' U' F
Solution: B2 U D2 B D' B' D2 F' D F D' L2 F2 B' U' B' U F' U' B L2 F' U F' R L B' R2 (28)
(R2 B L' R') //EO (4/4)
B2 U //Pseudo 222 (2/6)
(F U') //Square (2/8)
(F L2 U B F') //223 + square (5/13)
(L2 D F' D' F D2 B D B' D2) //3c (10/23)

Skeleton (on normal): B2 U D2 B D' B' D2 F' D F D' L2 F B' * U' L2 F' U F' R L B' R2

* = F U' B' U F' U' B U (5)

A standard backup solve, I really couldn't find anything.

Overall, I am a bit sad that I ruined my average with the last solve and possibly missed first place by one move, but of course I am happy to get another good result at a very big comp.
 

xyzzy

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My solutions from this week's weekly comp (26.00 PB mean):

Scramble:
R' U' F D R2 U' B2 D F2 D2 B2 U' R2 F2 L F' L U F L B' U2 R2 D R' U' F

Final solution (25):
D' L2 F2 L D' F2 L2 F' L' D2
L2 D' L' D L' D2 B' L B D
L' F2 D2 L U

The scramble starts with a full pseudo-222 already solved, or equivalently, a one-move 222 on inverse. The 25 was the first solution I found:
(U' L' D2) // p223 (3/3)
D' L2 F2 L D' F2 L2 F' L' D // pF2L (10/13)
(F2 L D' B' L' B D) // adjust + VHLS (7/20)
(D L D' L D L2 D') // Sune (7-2/25)

The L' D2 places non-matching corner-edge and centre-edge pairs next to the one-move 222. It's not quite like usual pseudoblocks that are only one move off; this trick is usually not very useful and I probably abuse it too much. After switching I was just messing around with trying to get the blocks lined up, and ended up making a weird pseudo-F2L again. After switching again, I did VHLS to fix edge orientation and finish F2L (for real, not just pseudo), and it just so happened to end in a Sune with no AUF. Finding a 25 in five minutes really takes the pressure off the rest of the attempt.

Here's another solution that doesn't make use of the one-move 222 on inverse (but it does use the free square):
(B D L2 B2 L U2) // three squares (6/6)
L U B' U2 D R2 D' // ab5c3e (7/13)
R2 F' @ R' F2 R F' R2 // fix edges; ab3c (7/20)
@ = [F, L B2 L'] // 2 cancel (6/26)

Honestly had no idea how this was going to turn out as I switched frantically and tried out different stuff. Note that the D R2 D' on the second line destroys one of the three squares. Tried doing insertions as a 5c3e skeleton, but I didn't find anything better. IF manages to find a 25 on the 5c3e skeleton.
Scramble:
R' U' F U2 F' L2 R2 F' U2 F2 L2 U2 L2 F2 R' B2 D' L F R2 D' B' F' D' R' U' F

Final solution (29):
D' F' U F2 U2 L2 U2 F2 U L2
U' F2 U2 D' L' D L' U' L' U2
B2 R' B U2 R L' D L' R

D' (R' L D' L) // two squares + pair (5/5)
F' U F2 U // three squares + two pairs (4/9)
(R' U2 B' R B2 U2 L) // F2L; ab4c3e (7/16)
(U L D' L D L2 U') // edges; ab4c (7/23)
(U L2 U2 F2 U L2 U' F2 U2 L2 U') // L4C (11-5/29)

Another fancy freestyle blockbuilding start. Could've forced a 3c skeleton with a different alg but the best 3c insertion was only a 30. Fun fact: I've used this L4C alg in FMC before. IF manages to find a 28 on the 4c3e with three insertions.
Scramble:
R' U' F U2 B2 L' F2 R2 B2 L2 R' D2 B2 R' U' L' B' D' L' B' U' B' F' R' U' F

Final solution (24):
U D' L' R F D R' L' F2 L
F2 L2 D' L2 D' F2 R U' R' D
R U R' F2

U D' L' R F // EO on F-B axis (5/5)
D R' // 222 + pairs (2/7)
(F2 D' F2 D2) // 223 (4/11)
(D' L2 D) // EO on U-D axis (3-1/13)
(L2 F2 L' F2 L) // ab3c (5/18)

Skeleton: U D' L' R F D R' L' F2 L F2 L2 D' L2 D' F2 @ D F2
@ = [R U' R', D'] // 2 cancel (6/24)

I guess this sorta counts as domino redux? An example of the thing where I do EO and then blockbuild a 223 that isn't compatible with that EO direction, except that this time things just happened to work out really nicely. It looks like quite a few people (six, actually) went with sledging the pair to form a 222 in five moves. I tried that too, of course, but didn't find a good continuation.

Still bad at EO starts, and now that almost everyone good is moving towards domino redux, I'll really have to practise that more to even have a chance of keeping up.
 

White KB

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Just wondering, my FMC is pretty bad right now (last single was 69 moves) and I don't know how to improve. Any tips on getting sub-40, or even sub-35? The new FMC WRs are killing my unofficial kinchranks score, and to improve, I need to get a <35 move single or a <47.33 mo3. If you have any tips (or know what NISS is and/or how to use it) that would be awesome. I want to do it without memorizing any Algs tho
 

xyzzy

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Just wondering, my FMC is pretty bad right now (last single was 69 moves) and I don't know how to improve. Any tips on getting sub-40, or even sub-35? The new FMC WRs are killing my unofficial kinchranks score, and to improve, I need to get a <35 move single or a <47.33 mo3. If you have any tips (or know what NISS is and/or how to use it) that would be awesome. I want to do it without memorizing any Algs tho
Just read the FMC tutorial. J Perm also has a few videos on some FMC techniques; I haven't watched those yet, but they're probably good if you don't like reading through a PDF.

Other than that, do a dozen solves or something. What's your current FMC practice routine?
 

White KB

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I don't do it all that often. I've probably had 7 results, but what I do in my routine is I write the scramble and make some space for it in a notebook I have only for FMC. Then I set a timer for 1 hour on my watch and start. I usually use 3 cubes (it's competition legal and I get the scramble right when I use more than one) and I scramble 2 of them then reverse scramble on one to see I've got the scramble right. Then I usually aim for a 2x2x2 then 2x2x3 block, and then I try doing EO (EO is efficient but usually takes me 10-20 minutes) then I do the rest, which is where most of my move count comes from. I try my best but I usually get 55-70 moves.
 

xyzzy

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I usually aim for a 2x2x2 then 2x2x3 block, and then I try doing EO (EO is efficient but usually takes me 10-20 minutes) then I do the rest, which is where most of my move count comes from. I try my best but I usually get 55-70 moves.
My usual advice for FMC newbies is literally "just use Petrus" but it seems like you're already doing that. Do EO faster. 10 minutes is way too long. Lars Petrus's website has an exhaustive list of all the possible EO cases. It might seem like a lot of cases to learn, but the 2-flips are all just setting up to a 3-move trigger, while most of the 4-flips are just doing two triggers while trying to cancel one move. (The 6-flips are bad, but that's just how it is. Solve your blocks in a different way to avoid 6-flips. Usually you can adjust the last move of 2×2×3 to get 4-flip instead of 6-flip, or 2-flip instead of 4-flip.)

As a rough guide, you should have 2×2×2 done within 7 moves, 2×2×3 within 14 moves, EO within 19 moves, and the skeleton (leaving 2 to 5 corners) within 30 moves. (These numbers should go lower as you get better at blockbuilding, of course.)
 

theos

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My solves at Worlds - 15th place with new AfR single (25) and AfR mean (28.00).

Scramble: R' U' F U' R2 F2 D L2 U' B2 R2 D R2 D B' L D2 F2 L2 F' R2 U2 B' U R' U' F

EO: F L' R [3/3]
2x2x2: U F2 U [3/6]
2x2x3: B' D2 B' D B @ D2 R2 [7/13]
F2L-1: (D2 B D2 B' D') [5/18]
AB3C: (B2 D' B D B) [5/23]
Insert corners at @: B' U2 B D2 B' U2 B D2 [4/27]

Solution: F L' R U F2 U B' D2 B' D U2 B D2 B' U2 B R2 B' D' B' D B2 D B D2 B' D2 (27 moves)

Scramble: R' U' F U2 R2 D' F2 D' L2 U' F2 L F' D' R' U' R2 F L2 B F R2 B2 R' U' F

EO: (B D' R F) [4/4]
2x2x2: (L' D L) D2 [4/8]
2x2x3: R' @ U' R B2 (B2) [5/13]
F2L-1: R2 U' # R' U' [4/17]
AB4C: U' R2 U' [2/19]
Insert corners at @: R D' R' U' R D R' U [1/20]
Insert corners at #: U L U' R U L' U' R' [5/25]

Solution: D R' U' R D B2 R2 L U' R U L' U' R2 U2 R2 U' B2 L' D' L F' R' D B' (25 moves)

This wasn't the most promising skeleton that I did insertions for, but obviously cancelling 10 moves across 2 insertions catapulted this one up.

Scramble: R' U' F R2 D2 L2 U L2 D F2 D2 R2 D2 R' D R D' U' F' D2 R' F' D R' U' F

2x2x2: R D F D' L' (L') [6/6]
2x2x3: (B' R2 @ U2) [3/9]
EO: (L' F D' F' L) [5/14]
AB5C: R2 B' R' B' R2 # B2 [6/20]
Insert corners at @: (R2 B' L2 B R2 B' L2 B) [5/25]
Insert corners at #: R F L2 F' R' F L2 F' [7/32]

Solution: R D F D' L' R2 B' R' B' R' F L2 F' R' F L2 F' B2 L' F D F' L U2 B' L2 B R2 B' L2 B2 L (32 moves)

Not a great finishing solve but it is about par for me and I was really relieved that it was good enough to get the AfR mean.
 

White KB

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My usual advice for FMC newbies is literally "just use Petrus" but it seems like you're already doing that. Do EO faster. 10 minutes is way too long. Lars Petrus's website has an exhaustive list of all the possible EO cases. It might seem like a lot of cases to learn, but the 2-flips are all just setting up to a 3-move trigger, while most of the 4-flips are just doing two triggers while trying to cancel one move. (The 6-flips are bad, but that's just how it is. Solve your blocks in a different way to avoid 6-flips. Usually you can adjust the last move of 2×2×3 to get 4-flip instead of 6-flip, or 2-flip instead of 4-flip.)

As a rough guide, you should have 2×2×2 done within 7 moves, 2×2×3 within 14 moves, EO within 19 moves, and the skeleton (leaving 2 to 5 corners) within 30 moves. (These numbers should go lower as you get better at blockbuilding, of course.)

It's the next day, and I got 48 moves for my first solve after learning NISS and when I did EO it took me about 1 or 2 minutes to do. If you would like to critique the solve it would be much accepted. Let me know your thoughts on it:
Scramble: R' D F D' L2 R2 B F L' B F' D B2 U L' F2 D B F' D R B' L' F' D
Reverse Scramble: D' F L B R' D' F B' D' F2 L U' B2 D' F B' L F' B' R2 L2 D F' D' R
Solution:
B' D2 B D B' D2 B D // 12/12 //Found using NISS (Essentially OLL)
F D F' D' F' R F2 D' F' D' F D F' R' // 14/26 //Found using NISS (Essentially a T Perm)

B D B' D R' B' R // 7/33
U2 L D L' D' F' D F2 D' U' F2 D'// 12/45
U2 R2 U2 // 3/48

It's all weird because I did a reverse scramble first, and that was the most efficient way.
Any adjustments?
If so please reply
 

xyzzy

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It's the next day, and I got 48 moves for my first solve after learning NISS and when I did EO it took me about 1 or 2 minutes to do. If you would like to critique the solve it would be much accepted. Let me know your thoughts on it:
Scramble: R' D F D' L2 R2 B F L' B F' D B2 U L' F2 D B F' D R B' L' F' D
Reverse Scramble: D' F L B R' D' F B' D' F2 L U' B2 D' F B' L F' B' R2 L2 D F' D' R
Solution:
B' D2 B D B' D2 B D // 12/12 //Found using NISS (Essentially OLL)
F D F' D' F' R F2 D' F' D' F D F' R' // 14/26 //Found using NISS (Essentially a T Perm)

B D B' D R' B' R // 7/33
U2 L D L' D' F' D F2 D' U' F2 D'// 12/45
U2 R2 U2 // 3/48

It's all weird because I did a reverse scramble first, and that was the most efficient way.
Any adjustments?
If so please reply
Please annotate each step so I don't have to guess what you're trying to do. :v Bracketed moves are done on inverse. (The bolded moves were wrongly written in your post and have been corrected here.)

(U2 R2 U2) // square (3/3)
(D F2 U D F2 D' F D L D' L' U2) // 223 (12/15)
(R' B R) // EO (3/18)
(D' B D B') // F2L-1 (4/22)
B' D2 B D B' D B D B' D2 B // OLS (11/33)
D F D F' D' F' R F2 D' F' D' F D F' R' // T perm (15/48)

The 223 is not great, considering that there's a free pair to exploit. Consider something like:
(U2 R2 U2) // pseudo222 (3/3)
(R' D F2) // pseudo223 (3/6)
U // fix pseudoblock (1/7)

This does leave six bad edges, which is unfortunate, but at least we can cancel into EO (which happens to also solve a square here—you can get unlucky in an early part of the solution and still get lucky later on).
U (U2 R2 U2 R' D F2) // 223 with six bad edges (7/7)
(F D' F2 B R F B') // EO + square (7-1/13)
(D2 R D R' D R D') // solve edges; leave four corners (7/20)

Going back to your solution:
(U2 R2 U2) // square (3/3)
(D F2 U D F2 D' F D L D' L' U2) // 223 (12/15)
The bolded moves can be replaced by D2 F L D L', which saves a move. (It also happens to cause an EO skip, but this was unintentional.) The first bolded D' move moves the green-orange edge out of the way so that you can insert green-red, but it's left in a position where you'll need four moves to insert it. By using D2 instead, it's left in a position that takes only three moves to insert.

… // 223
(R' B R) // EO (3/18)
(D' B D B') // F2L-1 (4/22)
Fairly obvious stuff here.

… // F2L-1
B' D2 B D B' D B D B' D2 B // OLS (11/33)
D F D F' D' F' R F2 D' F' D' F D F' R' // T perm (15/48)
Getting an OLL skip here is nice, but hoping for OLL skips isn't exactly a reliable strategy and also most PLLs aren't short enough to be useful in FMC. T perm is one of the few exceptions, and you should definitely learn the optimal T perm algs. (You did say you didn't want to learn algs, but this one is really easy to remember!)

… // OLS
L2 U B2 U' L2 F2 U' R2 U F2 // optimal T perm (10/43)

An alternative to finishing F2L:
… // F2L-1
(B' D' B D B' D B D2) // solve edges; leave five corners (8-1/29)

Start learning how to do insertions asap. Being able to solve 4-5 corners in 11-ish moves is usually far better than spending 20+ moves on doing OLL and PLL. (Insertions aren't essential per se; roughly a third of my FMC attempts have no insertions at all. I do, however, know enough ZBLL and related stuff that I can get away with not doing insertions and still average 35 moves. This obviously isn't an option if you have an aversion to learning hundreds of algs.)
 
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