Speedsolving.com Wiki - User contributions [en]

Ernő Rubik

2020-01-28T17:18:11Z

Spacecircles: /* His method */

{{Infobox
|NAME=Ernő Rubik
|IMAGE=Erno Rubik.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Hungary
|BIRTHDATE=13 July 1944
|AGE={{Age|1944|7|13}}
|JOBS=Inventor, Designer
|YEARSACTIVE=1974-present
|ID=
|FAMOUSFOR=Invention of the 3x3x3 Cube
}}
'''Ernő Rubik''', or according to the Eastern order naming convention, '''Rubik Ernő''' (Hungarian pronunciation: ['ɛrnøː 'rubik]), is the Hungarian inventor of the [[Rubik's cube (puzzle type)|Rubik's cube]] and many other [[puzzle]]s and toys.

==Life==
Ernő Rubik was born in Budapest in 1944, his father (Ernő Rubik Sr) was an engineer and glider designer; his mother was a writer and artist. He pursued sculpture for a time before studying and earning a degree in architecture in 1967. Soon afterwards he became a teacher in the interior design department at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest.

When he was 29 years old in early 1974, Ernő Rubik was teaching 3D design at the Academy of Applied Arts in Budapest. He was interested in shapes and liked to play with various cardboard and wooden figures. Around April 1974, he was pondering the ways in which the cube can be cut and divided, and became interested in the structural problem of whether the blocks could move independently without falling apart. He made a 2×2×2 cube which consisted of eight wooden cubes with holes drilled diagonally through them and joined together with rubber bands. Though the rubber bands soon broke, they lasted long enough to show that the cube made an interesting puzzle. Over the next six weeks he developed the wooden prototype for the 3×3×3 Cube. Upon scrambling the Cube he was afraid that it might be unsolvable except by precisely undoing all the previous moves, which would make it an impossible and uninteresting puzzle. It took him over a month of hard effort to solve the Cube. He started out by aligning the eight corner cubes correctly, and then discovered various sequences of moves for rearranging just a few cubes at a time.

Rubik applied for a Hungarian patent on his Cube in January 1975. He first approached Politechnika Ipari Szövetkezet (a Hungarian cooperative which manufactured plastic chess sets and similar games) around March 1975. He received Hungarian Patent HU00170062 for his cube in March 1977. Politechnika eventually supplied an initial order of 5000 cubes in late 1977. They were sold under the name "Bűvös Kocka" ("Magic Cube"). In February 1979 Tibor Laczi (a Hungarian businessman resident in Austria) took the Cube to Germany's Nuremberg Toy Fair, where on the final day, it was noticed by Tom Kremer the founder of the UK-based [[Seven Towns Limited|Seven Towns]] trading company, and Kremer arranged a worldwide deal for Rubik's Cube with [[Ideal Toys]] in September 1979.

In January 1980 Ernő Rubik travelled outside Communist eastern Europe for the first time to help Ideal promote the Cube at the international toy fairs. Ernő Rubik continued to design puzzles in the 1980s, most notably [[Rubik's Snake]] in 1981, and [[Rubik's Magic]] in 1986.

In 1982 he created the Rubik Scholarship Foundation and the Rubik Innovation Foundation to aid Hungarian designers and inventors. He founded his company, Rubik Studio Ltd., in 1983, and became its managing director. In 2017 he founded the [[Rubik Speedsolving Association]] to promote speedsolving, to support competitions, competitors and organizers as well as introducing of puzzles in education.

==His method==
Ernő Rubik was the first person to solve the Rubik's cube, taking about a month to find a solution after creating his wooden prototype in 1974.

===Steps===
Evidence for Ernő Rubik's solving method comes from two sources. The first is [[David Singmaster]]'s 1980 book Notes on Rubik's 'Magic Cube' (5th edition). On page 40 he briefly outlines "Rubik's original fast method":

<blockquote>D corners, U corners in place, then oriented, three D edges, three U edges, the other D and U edges, then the middle slice edges.</blockquote>

This method (with slight variation) is elaborated by [[Dan Knights]] who published the following account to the ''[[Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group]]'' in May 2003:

<blockquote>I had the opportunity to travel a bit with Mr. Rubik in 1999, and I asked him to solve it for me. His method was to solve the corners of the first layer, then insert three of the four edges in the first layer. Then he solved the other four corners. Then he used the "empty" edge slot in the first layer and the unsolved "middle layer" to insert 3 of the top layer edges. He inserted the last "top" layer edge piece simultaneously with the missing "first layer" edge piece. Then he swapped the "middle layer" edges into the right locations. If any of them were flipped, he would flip them, and then the cube was solved! 

This solution is by far the most "intuitive" solution I know. The only part that takes any sort of algorithm is the flipping/permuting of the LL corners, and the flipping of the middle layer edges. Thus you only really need 3 algorithms. In fact, you can even get by with one or two if you get lucky with the LL corner permutation (skipped 1/6) or the middle-layer edge flippage (skipped 1/8).</blockquote>

===Algorithms===
It is not certain which algorithms Rubik uses to permute edges or corners. As Dan Knights indicates, movement of edge pieces can be done fairly intuitively (with F' E F E' and U2 M' U2 M type moves etc). A simple 3-cycle commutator such as [[Niklas]] can be used for the corners.

His algorithms for orienting cubies are better attested. David Singmaster in his small catalog of algorithms (page 44) attributes the following algorithm to Ernő Rubik for twisting two corners which Singmaster named '''Rubik's Duotwist''' (page 46):

<blockquote>
Opposite corners: (B R' D2 R B' U2)2 
Adjacent corners: L' (B R' D2 R B' U2)2 L</blockquote>

Dan Knights in his ''Yahoo! Group'' post suggests that Rubik's algorithm for flipping two edge pieces is (M' U M' U M') U2 (M U M U M) U2
<blockquote>I had heard a rumor that after a month he was only stuck on the last step, flipping two edges in place. Supposedly when he finally solved it, he used this move: Rx U Rx U Rx U2 Lx U Lx U Lx U2 (where Rx means turning the middle-layer slice in between the R and L faces clockwise RELATIVE to R, and Lx means Rx inverse). I had heard that this algorithm was called "'''Rubik's Maneuver'''", because it was the crux and final step of his solution. 

I told him this story, and showed him the algorithm, and he said, in his heavy hungarian accent and typically stoic manner, "Yes, eed-iz pozzible zat I invented zat."</blockquote>

===Time===
Ernő Rubik has often been asked how quickly he can solve a Rubik's cube. His standard response is that he could solve it in "about one minute".[https://dailynewshungary.com/interview-with-the-inventor-of-rubiks-cube/]

==See also==
*[[History of cubing]]

== External Links ==
* YouTube: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0poQ8q8RzSg Creator of the Cube: Erno Rubik], TIME, February 2009
*[http://www.gyorgykata.hu/design/rubik/demo/cubehistory.html Cube History], Rubik's Online
*[http://www.puzzlesolver.com/puzzle.php?id=29;page=15 The Perplexing Life of Erno Rubik], Discover, March 1986
*[http://www.create2009.europa.eu/ambassadors/profiles/erno_rubik.html Ernő Rubik] - European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 - EUROPA

[[Category:Puzzle inventors|Rubik, Ernő]]
[[Category:Cubers|Rubik, Ernő]]

Ernő Rubik

2020-01-28T17:08:23Z

Spacecircles: /* Algorithms */

{{Infobox
|NAME=Ernő Rubik
|IMAGE=Erno Rubik.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Hungary
|BIRTHDATE=13 July 1944
|AGE={{Age|1944|7|13}}
|JOBS=Inventor, Designer
|YEARSACTIVE=1974-present
|ID=
|FAMOUSFOR=Invention of the 3x3x3 Cube
}}
'''Ernő Rubik''', or according to the Eastern order naming convention, '''Rubik Ernő''' (Hungarian pronunciation: ['ɛrnøː 'rubik]), is the Hungarian inventor of the [[Rubik's cube (puzzle type)|Rubik's cube]] and many other [[puzzle]]s and toys.

==Life==
Ernő Rubik was born in Budapest in 1944, his father (Ernő Rubik Sr) was an engineer and glider designer; his mother was a writer and artist. He pursued sculpture for a time before studying and earning a degree in architecture in 1967. Soon afterwards he became a teacher in the interior design department at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest.

When he was 29 years old in early 1974, Ernő Rubik was teaching 3D design at the Academy of Applied Arts in Budapest. He was interested in shapes and liked to play with various cardboard and wooden figures. Around April 1974, he was pondering the ways in which the cube can be cut and divided, and became interested in the structural problem of whether the blocks could move independently without falling apart. He made a 2×2×2 cube which consisted of eight wooden cubes with holes drilled diagonally through them and joined together with rubber bands. Though the rubber bands soon broke, they lasted long enough to show that the cube made an interesting puzzle. Over the next six weeks he developed the wooden prototype for the 3×3×3 Cube. Upon scrambling the Cube he was afraid that it might be unsolvable except by precisely undoing all the previous moves, which would make it an impossible and uninteresting puzzle. It took him over a month of hard effort to solve the Cube. He started out by aligning the eight corner cubes correctly, and then discovered various sequences of moves for rearranging just a few cubes at a time.

Rubik applied for a Hungarian patent on his Cube in January 1975. He first approached Politechnika Ipari Szövetkezet (a Hungarian cooperative which manufactured plastic chess sets and similar games) around March 1975. He received Hungarian Patent HU00170062 for his cube in March 1977. Politechnika eventually supplied an initial order of 5000 cubes in late 1977. They were sold under the name "Bűvös Kocka" ("Magic Cube"). In February 1979 Tibor Laczi (a Hungarian businessman resident in Austria) took the Cube to Germany's Nuremberg Toy Fair, where on the final day, it was noticed by Tom Kremer the founder of the UK-based [[Seven Towns Limited|Seven Towns]] trading company, and Kremer arranged a worldwide deal for Rubik's Cube with [[Ideal Toys]] in September 1979.

In January 1980 Ernő Rubik travelled outside Communist eastern Europe for the first time to help Ideal promote the Cube at the international toy fairs. Ernő Rubik continued to design puzzles in the 1980s, most notably [[Rubik's Snake]] in 1981, and [[Rubik's Magic]] in 1986.

In 1982 he created the Rubik Scholarship Foundation and the Rubik Innovation Foundation to aid Hungarian designers and inventors. He founded his company, Rubik Studio Ltd., in 1983, and became its managing director. In 2017 he founded the [[Rubik Speedsolving Association]] to promote speedsolving, to support competitions, competitors and organizers as well as introducing of puzzles in education.

==His method==
Ernő Rubik was the first person to solve the Rubik's cube, taking about a month to find a solution after creating his wooden prototype in 1974. When asked how quickly he can solve a cube, Rubik usually says he could do it in about one minute.

===Steps===
Evidence for Ernő Rubik's solving method comes from two sources. The first is [[David Singmaster]]'s 1980 book Notes' on Rubik's 'Magic Cube' (5th edition). On page 40 he briefly outlines "Rubik's original fast method":

<blockquote>D corners, U corners in place, then oriented, three D edges, three U edges, the other D and U edges, then the middle slice edges.</blockquote>

This method (with slight variation) is elaborated by [[Dan Knights]] who published the following account to the ''[[Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group]]'' in May 2003:

<blockquote>I had the opportunity to travel a bit with Mr. Rubik in 1999, and I asked him to solve it for me. His method was to solve the corners of the first layer, then insert three of the four edges in the first layer. Then he solved the other four corners. Then he used the "empty" edge slot in the first layer and the unsolved "middle layer" to insert 3 of the top layer edges. He inserted the last "top" layer edge piece simultaneously with the missing "first layer" edge piece. Then he swapped the "middle layer" edges into the right locations. If any of them were flipped, he would flip them, and then the cube was solved! 

This solution is by far the most "intuitive" solution I know. The only part that takes any sort of algorithm is the flipping/permuting of the LL corners, and the flipping of the middle layer edges. Thus you only really need 3 algorithms. In fact, you can even get by with one or two if you get lucky with the LL corner permutation (skipped 1/6) or the middle-layer edge flippage (skipped 1/8).</blockquote>

===Algorithms===
It is not certain what algorithms Rubik uses to permute edges or corners. As Dan Knights indicates, movement of edge pieces can be done fairly intuitively (with F' E F E' and U2 M' U2 M type moves etc). A simple 3-cycle commutator such as [[Niklas]] can be used for the corners.

His algorithms for orienting cubies are better attested. David Singmaster in his small catalog of algorithms (page 44) attributes the following algorithm to Erno Rubik for twisting two corners which Singmaster named '''Rubik's Duotwist''' (page 46):

<blockquote>
Opposite corners: (B R' D2 R B' U2)2 
Adjacent corners: L' (B R' D2 R B' U2)2 L</blockquote>

Dan Knights in his ''Yahoo! Group'' post suggests that Rubik's algorithm for flipping two edge pieces is (M' U M' U M') U2 (M U M U M) U2
<blockquote>I had heard a rumor that after a month he was only stuck on the last step, flipping two edges in place. Supposedly when he finally solved it, he used this move: Rx U Rx U Rx U2 Lx U Lx U Lx U2 (where Rx means turning the middle-layer slice in between the R and L faces clockwise RELATIVE to R, and Lx means Rx inverse). I had heard that this algorithm was called "'''Rubik's Maneuver'''", because it was the crux and final step of his solution. 

I told him this story, and showed him the algorithm, and he said, in his heavy hungarian accent and typically stoic manner, "Yes, eed-iz pozzible zat I invented zat."</blockquote>

==See also==
*[[History of cubing]]

== External Links ==
* YouTube: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0poQ8q8RzSg Creator of the Cube: Erno Rubik], TIME, February 2009
*[http://www.gyorgykata.hu/design/rubik/demo/cubehistory.html Cube History], Rubik's Online
*[http://www.puzzlesolver.com/puzzle.php?id=29;page=15 The Perplexing Life of Erno Rubik], Discover, March 1986
*[http://www.create2009.europa.eu/ambassadors/profiles/erno_rubik.html Ernő Rubik] - European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 - EUROPA

[[Category:Puzzle inventors|Rubik, Ernő]]
[[Category:Cubers|Rubik, Ernő]]

Feliks Zemdegs

2020-01-27T16:56:35Z

Spacecircles: fix typo etc

{{Infobox
|NAME=Feliks Zemdegs
|IMAGE=Feliks2.jpeg
|IMAGEYEAR=2018
|ALIASES=faz fazrulz
|COUNTRY=Australia
|BIRTHDATE=20 December 1995
|AGE={{Age|1995|12|20}}
|JOBS=Student
|YEARSACTIVE=2009-present
|ID=2009ZEMD01
|FAMOUSFOR=First to 100 speedcubing [[WR]]s, 3x3-7x7 and [[OH]] WRs, and Megaminx [[Continental Record|CR]]s.
}}

'''Feliks Aleksanders Zemdegs''' is an [[Australia]]n speedcuber from Melbourne, Australia. Feliks is the first to have ever gotten the achievement of taking all single and average records for 3x3 through 7x7. He is widely considered to be the most successful competitive speedcuber in history.

He is currently sponsored by [[GAN]].

==History==
Feliks started cubing in April 2008 after watching [[Dan Brown]]'s "How to solve a Rubik’s Cube" on YouTube. He started out [[Color neutrality|colour neutral]] because Dan Brown advised to solve the easiest cross.[https://www.speedsolving.com/threads/interview-with-feliks-zemdegs.24929/] He got to sub-20 in 4 months, sub-15 in 9 months, and reached a sub-10 average around June 2009. He got his first world records at his second competition—the ''Melbourne Summer Open 2010'' on 30 January 2010: a 9.21 second 3×3 average, and 42.01 second 4×4 average. His preferred 3×3 cube at that time was a Type [[GuoJia|Alpha V]].[https://undick.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/interview-with-cuber-feliks-zemdegs/] He held the 3×3 average world record continuously from then until 23 April 2017, improving it eight times.

He won four events at the [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 2011]]. He didn't win the 3x3 final there, but did win the event at the next two world championships, beating [[Mats Valk]] in the final both times. He has broken the world record for the 3×3 average thirteen times, the 3×3 single ten times, and has amassed 121 world records in all events. He has won 14 world championship titles.

Feliks has a website, [https://www.cubeskills.com/ CubeSkills], which includes tutorials on solving the Rubik's cube and other puzzles. There are free algorithm sheets, and some free speed solving tutorial videos. The site also offers a premium membership, which enables access to advanced speed solving videos.

== Trivia ==
* Feliks is often joked about for being outstandingly good at [[3x3x3 With Feet]], although he has never officially done a feet solve nor publicly posted any videos of him unofficially solving with feet.
* Feliks is the only cuber to have ever won the 3x3x3 event at a World Championship more than once.
* Feliks has played the alto saxophone for various bands. He can juggle 4 balls, and do some 3 ball tricks.

== Style ==
Feliks Zemdegs is a [[Color neutrality|color-neutral]] [[CFOP]] user. His meteoric rise in 2009, together with [[Rowe Hessler]]'s earlier success, were the catalysts for the current popularity of [[color neutrality]] in 3x3 speedsolving.

=== Methods ===
* 2x2x2: [[CLL]]
* 3x3x3: [[CFOP]] + [[subsets]]
* 4x4x4: [[Yau method]]
* 5x5x5-7x7x7: [[Reduction]] + [[Freeslice]]

=== Milestones ===
Feliks was the first cuber to achieve the following milestones:

=== Official ===
* 3x3 speedsolve average: sub-10, sub-9, sub-8, sub-7, sub-6
* 3x3 speedsolve single: sub-7, sub-6
* 4x4 speedsolve average: sub-40, sub-35, sub-26
* 4x4 speedsolve single: sub-35
* 5x5 speedsolve average: sub-70, sub-65, sub-60, sub-55, sub-50, sub-45
* 5x5 speedsolve single: sub-60, sub-50, sub-45, sub-40
* 3x3 one-handed average: sub-15
* 3x3 one-handed single: sub-8, sub-7
* 6x6 speedsolve average: sub-200, sub-170, sub-90
* 6x6 speedsolve single: sub-190, sub-180, sub-90
* 7x7 speedsolve average: sub-230, sub-220, sub-140, sub-135
* 7x7 speedsolve single: sub-220, sub-130
* Holding all 3x3-7x7 records at the same time for both single and average
* Breaking more than 100 official WCA world records

=== World Records ===
Feliks currently holds (as of 28th December 2019) 1 world record.
He is the cuber with world records in the most events (current and past), with world records in 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, 2x2, 3x3 One-handed, 6x6, 7x7, and 4x4 Blindfolded.

Current world records are displayed with a red background.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Event !! Type !! First World Record !! Latest World Record !! Total
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[Rubik's Cube (puzzle type)|3×3×3]] || Single || '''7.03s''' ''Melbourne Cube Day 2010'' 13 November || '''4.22s''' ''Cube for Cambodia 2018'' 6 May || 10
|-
|| Average || '''9.21s''' ''Melbourne Summer Open 2010'' 30 January ||style="background: #ffaaa0;" | '''5.53s''' ''Odd Day in Sydney 2019'' 10 November || 12
|-
|[[2x2x2 Cube|2×2×2]] || Average|| '''2.35s''' ''Asian Championship 2010'' 9–10 October || '''2.12s''' ''Melbourne Cube Day 2010'' 13 November || 2
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[4x4x4 Cube|4×4×4]] || Single || '''35.55s''' ''New Zealand Champs 2010'' 10 July || '''19.36s''' ''LatAm Tour - Arequipa 2017'' 22 June || 12
|-
|| Average || '''42.01s''' ''Melbourne Summer Open 2010'' 30 January || '''25.97s''' ''Adelaide Summer 2017'' 21 January || 7
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[5x5x5 Cube|5×5×5]] || Single || '''1:02.93''' ''Australian Nationals 2010'' 4–5 September || '''37.93s''' ''Canberra Autumn 2018'' 21–22 April || 16
|-
|| Average || '''1:07.59''' ''Australian Nationals 2010'' 4–5 September || '''43.21s''' ''Melbourne Cube Days 2017'' 18–19 November || 21
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[6x6x6 Cube|6×6×6]] || Single || '''2:05.88''' ''Melbourne Summer 2011'' 29–30 January || '''1:20.03''' ''World Championship 2017'' 13–16 July || 6
|-
|| Average || '''2:15.64''' ''Melbourne Summer 2011'' 29–30 January || '''1:27.79''' ''World Championship 2017'' 13–16 July || 8
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[7x7x7 Cube|7×7×7]] || Single || '''2:23.55''' ''World Championship 2015'' 17–19 July || '''2:06.73''' ''World Championship 2017'' 13–16 July || 5
|-
|| Average || '''2:52.09''' ''Australian Nationals 2013'' 7-8 September || '''2:14.04''' ''China's 10th Anniversary 2017'' 1–2 October || 11
|-
|rowspan="2"| 3×3×3 One-handed || Single || '''11.16s''' ''Kubaroo Open 2011'' 7 May || '''6.88s''' ''Canberra Autumn 2015'' 9–10 May || 4
|-
|| Average || '''14.76s''' ''Australian Nationals 2010'' 4–5 September || '''10.21s''' ''Malaysia Cube Open 2017'' 14–15 October || 5
|-
| 4×4×4 Blindfolded || Single || '''3:37.80''' ''Melbourne Summer 2011'' 29–30 January || — || 1
|}

=== Titles ===
{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Michał Pleskowicz]] | year=2011 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 World Champion | year=2013, 2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Max Park]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Rowe Hessler]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=2x2x2 World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Cameron Stollery]] | year=2013 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Cameron Stollery]] | year=2013 }}
{{S-title| title=2x2x2 World Champion | year=2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Antonie Paterakis]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Syuhei Omura]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=4x4x4 World Champion | year=2011, 2013, 2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Sebastian Weyer]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dan Cohen]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5x5 World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2013 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2013 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5x5 World Champion | year=2015, 2017 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Max Park]] | year=2019 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dan Cohen]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=6x6x6 World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft | after=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2013}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2015 }}
{{S-title| title=7x7x7 World Champion | year=2017 }}
{{S-title-aft | after=[[Max Park]] | year=2019 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Arifumi Fushimi]] | year=2011 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 OH World Champion | year=2013, 2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Max Park]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-end}}

== External links ==
* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1etN_cYzamRragAUqp06ybWQmBOP91s3WeZNn0spiVT4/edit#gid=0 Feliks's at-home personal best sheet (updated within minutes of each personal best). Includes mains, upcoming competitions, and FAQ]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/fazrulz1 Feliks Zemdegs's YouTube channel]
* [http://www.cubecastpodcast.com/episodes/ CubeCast Podcast: Episode 02 - Feliks Zemdegs]

=== Interviews ===
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?24929 Interview with Feliks Zemdegs]
* [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/entry.php?21-Interview-with-Jessica-Fridrich-and-Zbigniew-Zborowski-about-Feliks-Zemdegs Interview with Jessica Fridrich and Zbigniew Zborowski about Feliks Zemdegs]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgbNYznXxEE Feliks Zemdegs Exclusive Interview - Rubik's Cube record holder]

=== Tribute Videos ===
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?35848-video-My-name-is-Feliks-Zemdegs (video) My name is Feliks Zemdegs]
* Youtube.com: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWRVUWEaOQo My name is Feliks Zemdegs]

[[Category:World record holders|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Big Cube solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:OH cubers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:3x3x3 solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:4x4x4 solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Megaminx solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Cubers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]

Ernő Rubik

2020-01-27T16:53:49Z

Spacecircles: /* Algorithms */

{{Infobox
|NAME=Ernő Rubik
|IMAGE=Erno Rubik.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Hungary
|BIRTHDATE=13 July 1944
|AGE={{Age|1944|7|13}}
|JOBS=Inventor, Designer
|YEARSACTIVE=1974-present
|ID=
|FAMOUSFOR=Invention of the 3x3x3 Cube
}}
'''Ernő Rubik''', or according to the Eastern order naming convention, '''Rubik Ernő''' (Hungarian pronunciation: ['ɛrnøː 'rubik]), is the Hungarian inventor of the [[Rubik's cube (puzzle type)|Rubik's cube]] and many other [[puzzle]]s and toys.

==Life==
Ernő Rubik was born in Budapest in 1944, his father (Ernő Rubik Sr) was an engineer and glider designer; his mother was a writer and artist. He pursued sculpture for a time before studying and earning a degree in architecture in 1967. Soon afterwards he became a teacher in the interior design department at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest.

When he was 29 years old in early 1974, Ernő Rubik was teaching 3D design at the Academy of Applied Arts in Budapest. He was interested in shapes and liked to play with various cardboard and wooden figures. Around April 1974, he was pondering the ways in which the cube can be cut and divided, and became interested in the structural problem of whether the blocks could move independently without falling apart. He made a 2×2×2 cube which consisted of eight wooden cubes with holes drilled diagonally through them and joined together with rubber bands. Though the rubber bands soon broke, they lasted long enough to show that the cube made an interesting puzzle. Over the next six weeks he developed the wooden prototype for the 3×3×3 Cube. Upon scrambling the Cube he was afraid that it might be unsolvable except by precisely undoing all the previous moves, which would make it an impossible and uninteresting puzzle. It took him over a month of hard effort to solve the Cube. He started out by aligning the eight corner cubes correctly, and then discovered various sequences of moves for rearranging just a few cubes at a time.

Rubik applied for a Hungarian patent on his Cube in January 1975. He first approached Politechnika Ipari Szövetkezet (a Hungarian cooperative which manufactured plastic chess sets and similar games) around March 1975. He received Hungarian Patent HU00170062 for his cube in March 1977. Politechnika eventually supplied an initial order of 5000 cubes in late 1977. They were sold under the name "Bűvös Kocka" ("Magic Cube"). In February 1979 Tibor Laczi (a Hungarian businessman resident in Austria) took the Cube to Germany's Nuremberg Toy Fair, where on the final day, it was noticed by Tom Kremer the founder of the UK-based [[Seven Towns Limited|Seven Towns]] trading company, and Kremer arranged a worldwide deal for Rubik's Cube with [[Ideal Toys]] in September 1979.

In January 1980 Ernő Rubik travelled outside Communist eastern Europe for the first time to help Ideal promote the Cube at the international toy fairs. Ernő Rubik continued to design puzzles in the 1980s, most notably [[Rubik's Snake]] in 1981, and [[Rubik's Magic]] in 1986.

In 1982 he created the Rubik Scholarship Foundation and the Rubik Innovation Foundation to aid Hungarian designers and inventors. He founded his company, Rubik Studio Ltd., in 1983, and became its managing director. In 2017 he founded the [[Rubik Speedsolving Association]] to promote speedsolving, to support competitions, competitors and organizers as well as introducing of puzzles in education.

==His method==
Ernő Rubik was the first person to solve the Rubik's cube, taking about a month to find a solution after creating his wooden prototype in 1974. When asked how quickly he can solve a cube, Rubik usually says he could do it in about one minute.

===Steps===
Evidence for Ernő Rubik's solving method comes from two sources. The first is [[David Singmaster]]'s 1980 book Notes' on Rubik's 'Magic Cube' (5th edition). On page 40 he briefly outlines "Rubik's original fast method":

<blockquote>D corners, U corners in place, then oriented, three D edges, three U edges, the other D and U edges, then the middle slice edges.</blockquote>

This method (with slight variation) is elaborated by [[Dan Knights]] who published the following account to the ''[[Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group]]'' in May 2003:

<blockquote>I had the opportunity to travel a bit with Mr. Rubik in 1999, and I asked him to solve it for me. His method was to solve the corners of the first layer, then insert three of the four edges in the first layer. Then he solved the other four corners. Then he used the "empty" edge slot in the first layer and the unsolved "middle layer" to insert 3 of the top layer edges. He inserted the last "top" layer edge piece simultaneously with the missing "first layer" edge piece. Then he swapped the "middle layer" edges into the right locations. If any of them were flipped, he would flip them, and then the cube was solved! 

This solution is by far the most "intuitive" solution I know. The only part that takes any sort of algorithm is the flipping/permuting of the LL corners, and the flipping of the middle layer edges. Thus you only really need 3 algorithms. In fact, you can even get by with one or two if you get lucky with the LL corner permutation (skipped 1/6) or the middle-layer edge flippage (skipped 1/8).</blockquote>

===Algorithms===
It is not certain what algorithms Rubik uses to permute edges or corners. As Dan Knights indicates, movement of edge pieces can be done fairly intuitively (with U2 M' U2 M type moves etc). A simple 3-cycle commutator such as [[Niklas]] can be used for the corners.

His algorithms for orienting cubies is much better attested. David Singmaster in his small catalog of algorithms (page 44) attributes the following algorithm to Erno Rubik for twisting two corners which Singmaster named '''Rubik's Duotwist''' (page 46):

<blockquote>
Opposite corners: (U2 B R' D2 R B')2 
Adjacent corners: L (U2 B R' D2 R B')2 L'</blockquote>

Dan Knights in his ''Yahoo! Group'' post suggests that Rubik's algorithm for flipping two edge pieces is (M' U M' U M') U2 (M U M U M) U2
<blockquote>I had heard a rumor that after a month he was only stuck on the last step, flipping two edges in place. Supposedly when he finally solved it, he used this move: Rx U Rx U Rx U2 Lx U Lx U Lx U2 (where Rx means turning the middle-layer slice in between the R and L faces clockwise RELATIVE to R, and Lx means Rx inverse). I had heard that this algorithm was called "'''Rubik's Maneuver'''", because it was the crux and final step of his solution. 

I told him this story, and showed him the algorithm, and he said, in his heavy hungarian accent and typically stoic manner, "Yes, eed-iz pozzible zat I invented zat."</blockquote>

==See also==
*[[History of cubing]]

== External Links ==
* YouTube: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0poQ8q8RzSg Creator of the Cube: Erno Rubik], TIME, February 2009
*[http://www.gyorgykata.hu/design/rubik/demo/cubehistory.html Cube History], Rubik's Online
*[http://www.puzzlesolver.com/puzzle.php?id=29;page=15 The Perplexing Life of Erno Rubik], Discover, March 1986
*[http://www.create2009.europa.eu/ambassadors/profiles/erno_rubik.html Ernő Rubik] - European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 - EUROPA

[[Category:Puzzle inventors|Rubik, Ernő]]
[[Category:Cubers|Rubik, Ernő]]

Ernő Rubik

2020-01-27T16:46:07Z

Spacecircles: Added Ernő Rubik's solving method

{{Infobox
|NAME=Ernő Rubik
|IMAGE=Erno Rubik.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Hungary
|BIRTHDATE=13 July 1944
|AGE={{Age|1944|7|13}}
|JOBS=Inventor, Designer
|YEARSACTIVE=1974-present
|ID=
|FAMOUSFOR=Invention of the 3x3x3 Cube
}}
'''Ernő Rubik''', or according to the Eastern order naming convention, '''Rubik Ernő''' (Hungarian pronunciation: ['ɛrnøː 'rubik]), is the Hungarian inventor of the [[Rubik's cube (puzzle type)|Rubik's cube]] and many other [[puzzle]]s and toys.

==Life==
Ernő Rubik was born in Budapest in 1944, his father (Ernő Rubik Sr) was an engineer and glider designer; his mother was a writer and artist. He pursued sculpture for a time before studying and earning a degree in architecture in 1967. Soon afterwards he became a teacher in the interior design department at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest.

When he was 29 years old in early 1974, Ernő Rubik was teaching 3D design at the Academy of Applied Arts in Budapest. He was interested in shapes and liked to play with various cardboard and wooden figures. Around April 1974, he was pondering the ways in which the cube can be cut and divided, and became interested in the structural problem of whether the blocks could move independently without falling apart. He made a 2×2×2 cube which consisted of eight wooden cubes with holes drilled diagonally through them and joined together with rubber bands. Though the rubber bands soon broke, they lasted long enough to show that the cube made an interesting puzzle. Over the next six weeks he developed the wooden prototype for the 3×3×3 Cube. Upon scrambling the Cube he was afraid that it might be unsolvable except by precisely undoing all the previous moves, which would make it an impossible and uninteresting puzzle. It took him over a month of hard effort to solve the Cube. He started out by aligning the eight corner cubes correctly, and then discovered various sequences of moves for rearranging just a few cubes at a time.

Rubik applied for a Hungarian patent on his Cube in January 1975. He first approached Politechnika Ipari Szövetkezet (a Hungarian cooperative which manufactured plastic chess sets and similar games) around March 1975. He received Hungarian Patent HU00170062 for his cube in March 1977. Politechnika eventually supplied an initial order of 5000 cubes in late 1977. They were sold under the name "Bűvös Kocka" ("Magic Cube"). In February 1979 Tibor Laczi (a Hungarian businessman resident in Austria) took the Cube to Germany's Nuremberg Toy Fair, where on the final day, it was noticed by Tom Kremer the founder of the UK-based [[Seven Towns Limited|Seven Towns]] trading company, and Kremer arranged a worldwide deal for Rubik's Cube with [[Ideal Toys]] in September 1979.

In January 1980 Ernő Rubik travelled outside Communist eastern Europe for the first time to help Ideal promote the Cube at the international toy fairs. Ernő Rubik continued to design puzzles in the 1980s, most notably [[Rubik's Snake]] in 1981, and [[Rubik's Magic]] in 1986.

In 1982 he created the Rubik Scholarship Foundation and the Rubik Innovation Foundation to aid Hungarian designers and inventors. He founded his company, Rubik Studio Ltd., in 1983, and became its managing director. In 2017 he founded the [[Rubik Speedsolving Association]] to promote speedsolving, to support competitions, competitors and organizers as well as introducing of puzzles in education.

==His method==
Ernő Rubik was the first person to solve the Rubik's cube, taking about a month to find a solution after creating his wooden prototype in 1974. When asked how quickly he can solve a cube, Rubik usually says he could do it in about one minute.

===Steps===
Evidence for Ernő Rubik's solving method comes from two sources. The first is [[David Singmaster]]'s 1980 book Notes' on Rubik's 'Magic Cube' (5th edition). On page 40 he briefly outlines "Rubik's original fast method":

<blockquote>D corners, U corners in place, then oriented, three D edges, three U edges, the other D and U edges, then the middle slice edges.</blockquote>

This method (with slight variation) is elaborated by [[Dan Knights]] who published the following account to the ''[[Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group]]'' in May 2003:

<blockquote>I had the opportunity to travel a bit with Mr. Rubik in 1999, and I asked him to solve it for me. His method was to solve the corners of the first layer, then insert three of the four edges in the first layer. Then he solved the other four corners. Then he used the "empty" edge slot in the first layer and the unsolved "middle layer" to insert 3 of the top layer edges. He inserted the last "top" layer edge piece simultaneously with the missing "first layer" edge piece. Then he swapped the "middle layer" edges into the right locations. If any of them were flipped, he would flip them, and then the cube was solved! 

This solution is by far the most "intuitive" solution I know. The only part that takes any sort of algorithm is the flipping/permuting of the LL corners, and the flipping of the middle layer edges. Thus you only really need 3 algorithms. In fact, you can even get by with one or two if you get lucky with the LL corner permutation (skipped 1/6) or the middle-layer edge flippage (skipped 1/8).</blockquote>

===Algorithms===
It is not certain what algorithms Rubik uses to permute edges or corners. As Dan Knights indicates, movement of edge pieces can be done fairly intuitively (with U M2 U' M2 type moves etc). A simple 3-cycle commutator such as [[Niklas]] can be used for the corners.

His algorithms for orienting cubies is much better attested. David Singmaster in his small catalog of algorithms (page 44) attributes the following algorithm to Erno Rubik for twisting two corners which Singmaster named '''Rubik's Duotwist''' (page 46):

<blockquote>
Opposite corners: (U2 B R' D2 R B')2 
Adjacent corners: L (U2 B R' D2 R B')2 L'</blockquote>

Dan Knights in his ''Yahoo! Group'' post suggests that Rubik's algorithm for flipping two edge pieces is (M' U M' U M') U2 (M U M U M) U2
<blockquote>I had heard a rumor that after a month he was only stuck on the last step, flipping two edges in place. Supposedly when he finally solved it, he used this move: Rx U Rx U Rx U2 Lx U Lx U Lx U2 (where Rx means turning the middle-layer slice in between the R and L faces clockwise RELATIVE to R, and Lx means Rx inverse). I had heard that this algorithm was called "'''Rubik's Maneuver'''", because it was the crux and final step of his solution. 

I told him this story, and showed him the algorithm, and he said, in his heavy hungarian accent and typically stoic manner, "Yes, eed-iz pozzible zat I invented zat."</blockquote>

==See also==
*[[History of cubing]]

== External Links ==
* YouTube: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0poQ8q8RzSg Creator of the Cube: Erno Rubik], TIME, February 2009
*[http://www.gyorgykata.hu/design/rubik/demo/cubehistory.html Cube History], Rubik's Online
*[http://www.puzzlesolver.com/puzzle.php?id=29;page=15 The Perplexing Life of Erno Rubik], Discover, March 1986
*[http://www.create2009.europa.eu/ambassadors/profiles/erno_rubik.html Ernő Rubik] - European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 - EUROPA

[[Category:Puzzle inventors|Rubik, Ernő]]
[[Category:Cubers|Rubik, Ernő]]

Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group

2020-01-27T16:38:00Z

Spacecircles: Add link to archive of the Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group

The '''Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group''' is a Yahoo! group and a forum created by [[Chris Hardwick]] on 18 June 2000. It was the main site for online communication among speedcubers until 2007, when it was eclipsed by the [[Speedsolving Forums]].

==Timeline==
*2000 June 18: Chris Hardwick posts the first message to the group.
*2002 March 26: In a site-wide reorganisation Yahoo! deletes 20 months worth of messages (from 2000 August 4).
*2005 December: Peak activity—1342 messages are posted in the course of one month.
*2007 October 6: the first day since 2000 the Yahoo! group had no post.
*2011 December 2: Last message is posted to the group.
*2019 December 14: Yahoo! "permanently" deletes all posted content from its Groups.

==See also==
*[[Japan Speed Cubing Club]] Japanese equivalent

== External links==
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/speedsolvingrubikscube/info Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group] - now defunct
*Archive of the [https://archive.org/details/speedsolvingrubikscube "Speed Solving Rubik's Cube" Yahoo! Group] - Uploaded to the Internet Archive by megaminxwin on December 27, 2015
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?22111-Yahoo!-Speedcubing-Group-s-10th-anniversary Yahoo! Speedcubing Group's 10th anniversary], post by Chris Hardwick

[[Category:Forums]]

Feliks Zemdegs

2020-01-15T21:45:40Z

Spacecircles: add a bit of history

{{Infobox
|NAME=Feliks Zemdegs
|IMAGE=Feliks2.jpeg
|IMAGEYEAR=2018
|ALIASES=faz fazrulz
|COUNTRY=Australia
|BIRTHDATE=20 December 1995
|AGE={{Age|1995|12|20}}
|JOBS=Student
|YEARSACTIVE=2009-present
|ID=2009ZEMD01
|FAMOUSFOR=First to 100 speedcubing [[WR]]s, 3x3-7x7 and [[OH]] WRs, and Megaminx [[Continental Record|CR]]s.
}}

'''Feliks Aleksanders Zemdegs''' is an [[Australia]]n speedcuber from Melbourne, Australia. Feliks is the first to have ever gotten the achievement of taking all single and average records for 3x3 through 7x7. He is widely considered to be the most successful competitive speedcuber in history.

He is currently sponsored by [[GAN]].

==History==
Feliks started cubing in April 2008 after watching [[Dan Brown]]'s "How to solve a Rubik’s Cube" on YouTube. He started out [[Color neutrality|colour neutral]] because Dan Brown advised to solve the easiest cross.[https://www.speedsolving.com/threads/interview-with-feliks-zemdegs.24929/] He got to sub-20 in 4 months, sub-15 in 9 months, and reached a sub-10 average around June 2009. He got his first world records at his second competion—the ''Melbourne Summer Open 2010'' on 30 January 2010: a 9.21 second 3×3 average, and 42.01 second 4×4 average. His preferred 3×3 cube at that time was a Type [[GuoJia|Alpha V]].[https://undick.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/interview-with-cuber-feliks-zemdegs/] He held the 3×3 average world record continuously from then until 23 April 2017, improving it eight times.

He won four events at the [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 2011]]. He didn't win the 3x3 final there, but did win the event at the next two world championships, beating [[Mats Valk]] in the final both times. He has broken the world record for the 3×3 average thirteen times, the 3×3 single ten times, and has amassed 121 world records in all events. He has won 14 world championship titles.

Feliks has a website, [https://www.cubeskills.com/ CubeSkills], which includes tutorials on solving the Rubik's cube and other puzzles. There are free algorithm sheets, and some free speed solving tutorial videos. The site also offers a premium membership, which enables access to advanced speed solving videos.

== Trivia ==
* Feliks is often joked about for being outstandingly good at [[3x3x3 With Feet]], although he has never officially done a feet solve nor publicly posted any videos of him unofficially solving with feet.
* Feliks is the only cuber to have ever won the 3x3x3 event at a World Championship more than once.
* Feliks has played the alto saxophone for three bands. He can juggle 4 balls, and do some 3 ball tricks.

== Style ==
Feliks Zemdegs is a [[Color neutrality|color-neutral]] [[CFOP]] user. His meteoric rise in 2009, together with [[Rowe Hessler]]'s earlier success, were the catalysts for the current popularity of [[color neutrality]] in 3x3 speedsolving.

=== Methods ===
* 2x2x2: [[CLL]]
* 3x3x3: [[CFOP]] + [[subsets]]
* 4x4x4: [[Yau method]]
* 5x5x5-7x7x7: [[Reduction]] + [[Freeslice]]

=== Milestones ===
Feliks was the first cuber to achieve the following milestones:

=== Official ===
* 3x3 speedsolve average: sub-10, sub-9, sub-8, sub-7, sub-6
* 3x3 speedsolve single: sub-7, sub-6
* 4x4 speedsolve average: sub-40, sub-35, sub-26
* 4x4 speedsolve single: sub-35
* 5x5 speedsolve average: sub-70, sub-65, sub-60, sub-55, sub-50, sub-45
* 5x5 speedsolve single: sub-60, sub-50, sub-45, sub-40
* 3x3 one-handed average: sub-15
* 3x3 one-handed single: sub-8, sub-7
* 6x6 speedsolve average: sub-200, sub-170, sub-90
* 6x6 speedsolve single: sub-190, sub-180, sub-90
* 7x7 speedsolve average: sub-230, sub-220, sub-140, sub-135
* 7x7 speedsolve single: sub-220, sub-130
* Holding all 3x3-7x7 records at the same time for both single and average
* Breaking more than 100 official WCA world records

=== World Records ===
Feliks currently holds (as of 28th December 2019) 1 world record.
He is the cuber with world records in the most events (current and past), with world records in 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, 2x2, 3x3 One-handed, 6x6, 7x7, and 4x4 Blindfolded.

Current world records are displayed with a red background.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Event !! Type !! First World Record !! Latest World Record !! Total
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[Rubik's Cube (puzzle type)|3×3×3]] || Single || '''7.03s''' ''Melbourne Cube Day 2010'' 13 November || '''4.22s''' ''Cube for Cambodia 2018'' 6 May || 10
|-
|| Average || '''9.21s''' ''Melbourne Summer Open 2010'' 30 January ||style="background: #ffaaa0;" | '''5.53s''' ''Odd Day in Sydney 2019'' 10 November || 12
|-
|[[2x2x2 Cube|2×2×2]] || Average|| '''2.35s''' ''Asian Championship 2010'' 9–10 October || '''2.12s''' ''Melbourne Cube Day 2010'' 13 November || 2
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[4x4x4 Cube|4×4×4]] || Single || '''35.55s''' ''New Zealand Champs 2010'' 10 July || '''19.36s''' ''LatAm Tour - Arequipa 2017'' 22 June || 12
|-
|| Average || '''42.01s''' ''Melbourne Summer Open 2010'' 30 January || '''25.97s''' ''Adelaide Summer 2017'' 21 January || 7
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[5x5x5 Cube|5×5×5]] || Single || '''1:02.93''' ''Australian Nationals 2010'' 4–5 September || '''37.93s''' ''Canberra Autumn 2018'' 21–22 April || 16
|-
|| Average || '''1:07.59''' ''Australian Nationals 2010'' 4–5 September || '''43.21s''' ''Melbourne Cube Days 2017'' 18–19 November || 21
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[6x6x6 Cube|6×6×6]] || Single || '''2:05.88''' ''Melbourne Summer 2011'' 29–30 January || '''1:20.03''' ''World Championship 2017'' 13–16 July || 6
|-
|| Average || '''2:15.64''' ''Melbourne Summer 2011'' 29–30 January || '''1:27.79''' ''World Championship 2017'' 13–16 July || 8
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[7x7x7 Cube|7×7×7]] || Single || '''2:23.55''' ''World Championship 2015'' 17–19 July || '''2:06.73''' ''World Championship 2017'' 13–16 July || 5
|-
|| Average || '''2:52.09''' ''Australian Nationals 2013'' 7-8 September || '''2:14.04''' ''China's 10th Anniversary 2017'' 1–2 October || 11
|-
|rowspan="2"| 3×3×3 One-handed || Single || '''11.16s''' ''Kubaroo Open 2011'' 7 May || '''6.88s''' ''Canberra Autumn 2015'' 9–10 May || 4
|-
|| Average || '''14.76s''' ''Australian Nationals 2010'' 4–5 September || '''10.21s''' ''Malaysia Cube Open 2017'' 14–15 October || 5
|-
| 4×4×4 Blindfolded || Single || '''3:37.80''' ''Melbourne Summer 2011'' 29–30 January || — || 1
|}

=== Titles ===
{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Michał Pleskowicz]] | year=2011 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 World Champion | year=2013, 2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Max Park]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Rowe Hessler]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=2x2x2 World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Cameron Stollery]] | year=2013 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Cameron Stollery]] | year=2013 }}
{{S-title| title=2x2x2 World Champion | year=2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Antonie Paterakis]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Syuhei Omura]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=4x4x4 World Champion | year=2011, 2013, 2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Sebastian Weyer]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dan Cohen]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5x5 World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2013 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2013 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5x5 World Champion | year=2015, 2017 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Max Park]] | year=2019 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dan Cohen]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=6x6x6 World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft | after=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2013}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2015 }}
{{S-title| title=7x7x7 World Champion | year=2017 }}
{{S-title-aft | after=[[Max Park]] | year=2019 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Arifumi Fushimi]] | year=2011 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 OH World Champion | year=2013, 2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Max Park]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-end}}

== External links ==
* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1etN_cYzamRragAUqp06ybWQmBOP91s3WeZNn0spiVT4/edit#gid=0 Feliks's at-home personal best sheet (updated within minutes of each personal best). Includes mains, upcoming competitions, and FAQ]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/fazrulz1 Feliks Zemdegs's YouTube channel]
* [http://www.cubecastpodcast.com/episodes/ CubeCast Podcast: Episode 02 - Feliks Zemdegs]

=== Interviews ===
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?24929 Interview with Feliks Zemdegs]
* [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/entry.php?21-Interview-with-Jessica-Fridrich-and-Zbigniew-Zborowski-about-Feliks-Zemdegs Interview with Jessica Fridrich and Zbigniew Zborowski about Feliks Zemdegs]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgbNYznXxEE Feliks Zemdegs Exclusive Interview - Rubik's Cube record holder]

=== Tribute Videos ===
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?35848-video-My-name-is-Feliks-Zemdegs (video) My name is Feliks Zemdegs]
* Youtube.com: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWRVUWEaOQo My name is Feliks Zemdegs]

[[Category:World record holders|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Big Cube solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:OH cubers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:3x3x3 solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:4x4x4 solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Megaminx solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Cubers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]

Feliks Zemdegs

2020-01-15T21:32:44Z

Spacecircles: /* World Records */ Melbourne Summer Open 2010 was 30 January

{{Infobox
|NAME=Feliks Zemdegs
|IMAGE=Feliks2.jpeg
|IMAGEYEAR=2018
|ALIASES=faz fazrulz
|COUNTRY=Australia
|BIRTHDATE=20 December 1995
|AGE={{Age|1995|12|20}}
|JOBS=Student
|YEARSACTIVE=2009-present
|ID=2009ZEMD01
|FAMOUSFOR=First to 100 speedcubing [[WR]]s, 3x3-7x7 and [[OH]] WRs, and Megaminx [[Continental Record|CR]]s.
}}

'''Feliks Aleksanders Zemdegs''' is an [[Australia]]n speedcuber from Melbourne, Australia. Feliks is the first to have ever gotten the achievement of taking all single and average records for 3x3 through 7x7. He is widely considered to be the most successful competitive speedcuber in history.

He is currently sponsored by [[GAN]].

== Trivia ==
* Feliks is often joked about for being outstandingly good at [[3x3x3 With Feet]], although he has never officially done a feet solve nor publicly posted any videos of him unofficially solving with feet.
* Feliks is the only cuber to have ever won the 3x3x3 event at a World Championship more than once.

== Style ==
Feliks Zemdegs is a [[Color neutrality|color-neutral]] [[CFOP]] user. His meteoric rise in 2009, together with [[Rowe Hessler]]'s earlier success, were the catalysts for the current popularity of [[color neutrality]] in 3x3 speedsolving.

=== Methods ===
* 2x2x2: [[CLL]]
* 3x3x3: [[CFOP]] + [[subsets]]
* 4x4x4: [[Yau method]]
* 5x5x5-7x7x7: [[Reduction]] + [[Freeslice]]

=== Milestones ===
Feliks was the first cuber to achieve the following milestones:

=== Official ===
* 3x3 speedsolve average: sub-10, sub-9, sub-8, sub-7, sub-6
* 3x3 speedsolve single: sub-7, sub-6
* 4x4 speedsolve average: sub-40, sub-35, sub-26
* 4x4 speedsolve single: sub-35
* 5x5 speedsolve average: sub-70, sub-65, sub-60, sub-55, sub-50, sub-45
* 5x5 speedsolve single: sub-60, sub-50, sub-45, sub-40
* 3x3 one-handed average: sub-15
* 3x3 one-handed single: sub-8, sub-7
* 6x6 speedsolve average: sub-200, sub-170, sub-90
* 6x6 speedsolve single: sub-190, sub-180, sub-90
* 7x7 speedsolve average: sub-230, sub-220, sub-140, sub-135
* 7x7 speedsolve single: sub-220, sub-130
* Holding all 3x3-7x7 records at the same time for both single and average
* Breaking more than 100 official WCA world records

=== World Records ===
Feliks currently holds (as of 28th December 2019) 1 world record.
He is the cuber with world records in the most events (current and past), with world records in 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, 2x2, 3x3 One-handed, 6x6, 7x7, and 4x4 Blindfolded.

Current world records are displayed with a red background.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Event !! Type !! First World Record !! Latest World Record !! Total
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[Rubik's Cube (puzzle type)|3×3×3]] || Single || '''7.03s''' ''Melbourne Cube Day 2010'' 13 November || '''4.22s''' ''Cube for Cambodia 2018'' 6 May || 10
|-
|| Average || '''9.21s''' ''Melbourne Summer Open 2010'' 30 January ||style="background: #ffaaa0;" | '''5.53s''' ''Odd Day in Sydney 2019'' 10 November || 12
|-
|[[2x2x2 Cube|2×2×2]] || Average|| '''2.35s''' ''Asian Championship 2010'' 9–10 October || '''2.12s''' ''Melbourne Cube Day 2010'' 13 November || 2
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[4x4x4 Cube|4×4×4]] || Single || '''35.55s''' ''New Zealand Champs 2010'' 10 July || '''19.36s''' ''LatAm Tour - Arequipa 2017'' 22 June || 12
|-
|| Average || '''42.01s''' ''Melbourne Summer Open 2010'' 30 January || '''25.97s''' ''Adelaide Summer 2017'' 21 January || 7
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[5x5x5 Cube|5×5×5]] || Single || '''1:02.93''' ''Australian Nationals 2010'' 4–5 September || '''37.93s''' ''Canberra Autumn 2018'' 21–22 April || 16
|-
|| Average || '''1:07.59''' ''Australian Nationals 2010'' 4–5 September || '''43.21s''' ''Melbourne Cube Days 2017'' 18–19 November || 21
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[6x6x6 Cube|6×6×6]] || Single || '''2:05.88''' ''Melbourne Summer 2011'' 29–30 January || '''1:20.03''' ''World Championship 2017'' 13–16 July || 6
|-
|| Average || '''2:15.64''' ''Melbourne Summer 2011'' 29–30 January || '''1:27.79''' ''World Championship 2017'' 13–16 July || 8
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[7x7x7 Cube|7×7×7]] || Single || '''2:23.55''' ''World Championship 2015'' 17–19 July || '''2:06.73''' ''World Championship 2017'' 13–16 July || 5
|-
|| Average || '''2:52.09''' ''Australian Nationals 2013'' 7-8 September || '''2:14.04''' ''China's 10th Anniversary 2017'' 1–2 October || 11
|-
|rowspan="2"| 3×3×3 One-handed || Single || '''11.16s''' ''Kubaroo Open 2011'' 7 May || '''6.88s''' ''Canberra Autumn 2015'' 9–10 May || 4
|-
|| Average || '''14.76s''' ''Australian Nationals 2010'' 4–5 September || '''10.21s''' ''Malaysia Cube Open 2017'' 14–15 October || 5
|-
| 4×4×4 Blindfolded || Single || '''3:37.80''' ''Melbourne Summer 2011'' 29–30 January || — || 1
|}

=== Titles ===
{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Michał Pleskowicz]] | year=2011 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 World Champion | year=2013, 2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Max Park]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Rowe Hessler]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=2x2x2 World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Cameron Stollery]] | year=2013 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Cameron Stollery]] | year=2013 }}
{{S-title| title=2x2x2 World Champion | year=2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Antonie Paterakis]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Syuhei Omura]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=4x4x4 World Champion | year=2011, 2013, 2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Sebastian Weyer]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dan Cohen]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5x5 World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2013 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2013 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5x5 World Champion | year=2015, 2017 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Max Park]] | year=2019 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dan Cohen]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=6x6x6 World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft | after=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2013}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Kevin Hays]] | year=2015 }}
{{S-title| title=7x7x7 World Champion | year=2017 }}
{{S-title-aft | after=[[Max Park]] | year=2019 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Arifumi Fushimi]] | year=2011 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 OH World Champion | year=2013, 2015 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Max Park]] | year=2017 }}

{{S-end}}

== See also ==
* [[Color neutrality]]

== External links ==
* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1etN_cYzamRragAUqp06ybWQmBOP91s3WeZNn0spiVT4/edit#gid=0 Feliks's at-home personal best sheet (updated within minutes of each personal best). Includes mains, upcoming competitions, and FAQ]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/fazrulz1 Feliks Zemdegs's YouTube channel]
* [http://www.cubecastpodcast.com/episodes/ CubeCast Podcast: Episode 02 - Feliks Zemdegs]

=== Interviews ===
* [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/entry.php?23-The-Faztest The Faztest]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?24929 Interview with Feliks Zemdegs]
* [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/entry.php?21-Interview-with-Jessica-Fridrich-and-Zbigniew-Zborowski-about-Feliks-Zemdegs Interview with Jessica Fridrich and Zbigniew Zborowski about Feliks Zemdegs]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgbNYznXxEE Feliks Zemdegs Exclusive Interview - Rubik's Cube record holder]

=== Tribute Videos ===
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?35848-video-My-name-is-Feliks-Zemdegs (video) My name is Feliks Zemdegs]
* Youtube.com: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWRVUWEaOQo My name is Feliks Zemdegs]

[[Category:World record holders|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Big Cube solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:OH cubers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:3x3x3 solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:4x4x4 solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Megaminx solvers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]
[[Category:Cubers|Zemdegs, Feliks]]

World Rubik's Cube Championship 2017

2020-01-15T20:53:29Z

Spacecircles: /* External Links */ update

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right"
! style="background: silver;" colspan="2" | World Rubik's Cube Championship 2017
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Location:'''
| align="center" | Paris, France
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Date(s):'''
| align="center" | 2017 July 13–16
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Preceded by:'''
| align="center" | [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 2015|WC2015]]
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Succeeded by:'''
| align="center" | [[WCA World Championship 2019|WC2019]]
|}
'''World Rubik's Cube Championship 2017''' (usually called '''World Championship 2017''', abbreviated to '''WC2017''') was a [[speedcubing]] [[World Championship]] held at Les Docks de Paris, in Paris, [[France]] on July 13-16, 2017.

[[Max Park]] won the 3x3 final with an average time of 6.85 seconds. [[Seung Hyuk Nahm]] finished second and [[Lucas Etter]] finished third. The fastest single 3x3 solve of the competition was 5.47 seconds by [[Patrick Ponce]]. There was also a flurry of excitement after round 1 of the 3x3 event when [[Kian Mansour]], a notable [[Roux method]] user, finished top with an average time of 6.86 seconds.

Despite being a pre-tournament favourite in many events, and setting six world records early on, [[Feliks Zemdegs]] only won two titles. He also finished fourth in the 3x3 speedsolving - the first time he failed to finish on the podium. He did however win his first 7x7 world title - completing his set of titles for all of the main cubes.

==Competition==
The tournament took place at Les Docks de Paris - a large conference centre on the River Seine. In terms of the number of competitors, this was the largest world championship yet. A total of 1055 competitors were registered for the tournament from 67 countries. 197 competitors were from France.

For the first time the tournament took place over four days. Thursday began with the first round of 3x3 With Feet followed by first rounds of Fewest Moves, MultiBlind, 6x6, 7x7, Clock, and Megaminx. Finals that day consisted of 3x3 With Feet, 4x4 Blindfolded, and Fewest Moves. Friday kicked-off with first rounds of 5x5, Square-1, Skewb, and 4x4. Finals on Friday consisted of 5x5 Blindfolded, 6x6, Megaminx, 7x7, and Clock. Saturday saw the remaining first rounds: 2x2, 3x3, 3x3 One-handed, Pyraminx, and 3x3 Blindfolded. The only final that day was the final MultiBlind attempt. The Nations Cup took place on Saturday evening (8 to 10 pm). Sunday saw the remaining second-rounds/semi-finals. The afternoon saw the finals of the Square-1, Skewb, 5x5, Pyraminx, 3x3 Blindfolded, 4x4, 3x3 One-handed, 2x2, and 3x3. The 3x3 final took place between 4 and 5 pm, and the winner's ceremonies began at 5:10pm.[http://www.rubiksworldparis2017.com/en/schedule/]

The winner of the 3x3 Speedsolve won €3000. The winners of the other events won between €250 and €800.[http://www.rubiksworldparis2017.com/en/events/]

==Events==
===Big cubes===
[[Feliks Zemdegs]] completely dominated the first round of the 6x6 and 7x7 events on Thursday, setting world record singles and averages. Similarly he set single and average 5x5 records on Friday in the second round. He went on to win the 5x5 and 7x7 finals. However [[Kevin Hays]] managed to hold on to his 6x6 title, even getting a double parity on his final and deciding solve.

===3x3x3===
[[Kian Mansour]] led the first round of the 3x3 with a 6.86 average. This was the best performance by a [[Roux Method]] user in any tournament. However a couple of bad solves in the second round saw him fail to reach the final. The final round shocked many as Feliks Zemdegs, the world record holder for 3x3 single and average finished fourth - the first time he failed to finish on the podium. [[Seung Hyuk Nahm]] had an accidental timer reset during his first solve leading to a DNF, however the time had been a fast one (low 6 seconds) and if recorded could have helped win him the tournament. In the end the final was won by [[Max Park]] (he had just won the US Nationals a week earlier) with an average time of 6.85 seconds. Seung Hyuk Nahm finished second and [[Lucas Etter]] finished third.

==Winners==
*3x3x3 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*2x2x2 Cube: [[Antonie Paterakis]]
*4x4x4 Cube: [[Sebastian Weyer]]
*5x5x5 Cube: [[Feliks Zemdegs]]
*6x6x6 Cube: [[Kevin Hays]]
*7x7x7 Cube: [[Feliks Zemdegs]]
*3x3x3 Blindfolded: [[Grzegorz Jałocha]]
*3x3x3 Fewest Moves: [[Marcel Peters]]
*3x3x3 One-Handed: [[Max Park]]
*3x3x3 With Feet: [[Jakub Kipa]]
*Megaminx: [[Juan Pablo Huanqui]]
*Pyraminx: [[Drew Brads]]
*Rubik's Clock: [[Wojciech Knott]]
*Skewb: [[Łukasz Burliga]]
*Square-1: [[Jayden McNeill]]
*4x4x4 Blindfolded: [[Bill Wang]]
*5x5x5 Blindfolded: [[Tom Nelson]]
*3x3x3 Multi-Blind: [[Shivam Bansal]]

==World Records Set==
*6x6 average of 1:27.79 by [[Feliks Zemdegs]] (First Round)
*6x6 single of 1:20.03 by Feliks Zemdegs (First Round)
*7x7 average of 2:15.07 by Feliks Zemdegs (First Round)
*7x7 single of 2:06.73 by Feliks Zemdegs (First Round)
*5x5 average of 46.24 by Feliks Zemdegs (Second Round)
*5x5 single of 38.52 by Feliks Zemdegs (Second Round)
*Pyraminx average of 2.04 by Drew Brads (Final)
*One-Handed average of 10.31 by Max Park (Final)

==Unofficial events==
===Nations Cup===
The tournament saw an inaugural Rubik's Nations Cup on Saturday evening. It featured teams made up of three cubers all from the same country. The members on each team solved one 3x3x3 cube one after the other with special timers recording individual times and total team time. Two teams battled at a same run, with the winning team proceeding to next round. As an experimental format, it was an unofficial event, with times not recorded in the WCA database. Seventy-two teams took part, with some countries providing multiple teams. A special Nations Cup cube was provided to all competitors, designed by [[Gans]] but with the [[Rubik's Brand]]. The tournament saw the Germany 1 team beating Canada 1 in the semifinal, and Australia 1 beating USA 1 in the other semifinal. Germany 1 ([[Sebastian Weyer]], [[Philipp Weyer]], [[Cornelius Dieckmann]]) won the final.

==Media==
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVE0Oz4ggE933SmEne3gVGYhb3E-bhqCR Rubik's World Championship 2017 Paris | Highlights], Video playlist by Rubiks

== External Links ==
* [https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/WC2017 WC2017 on WCA Database]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190710163819/http://www.rubiksworldparis2017.com/en/home/ Rubik's Cube WC 2017], Official website (Internet Archive)

[[Category:World championships]]

World Rubik's Cube Championship 2015

2020-01-15T20:51:08Z

Spacecircles: /* External Links */ update

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right"
! style="background: silver;" colspan="2" | World Rubik's Cube Championship 2015
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Location:'''
| align="center" | São Paulo, Brazil
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Date(s):'''
| align="center" | 2015 July 17–19
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Preceded by:'''
| align="center" | [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 2013|WC2013]]
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Succeeded by:'''
| align="center" | [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 2017|WC2017]]
|}
'''World Rubik's Cube Championship 2015''' (usually called '''World Championship 2015''', abbreviated to '''WC2015''') was a [[speedcubing]] [[World Championship]] held at Colégio Etapa, a school in the centre of São Paulo, [[Brazil]], on July 17-19, 2015.

==Competition==
The tournament took place at the Colégio Etapa, a school in the Vila Mariana district of São Paulo. It was the 8th World Championship, and the first in South America. A total of 428 competitors were registered for the tournament, of which 243 were from Brazil.[https://web.archive.org/web/20150905132838/http://www.cuber.com.br/campeonato/inscritos.php?camp=worlds2015] One event - the [[Skewb]] - had been added to the competition since [[WC2013]].

The competition began on Friday morning with the first round of the 6x6 on the main stage. Friday saw the finals of the 3x3 With Feet, 4x4 Blindfolded, and Clock. Saturday began with round 1 of the 3x3 One-Handed, and the day saw the final rounds of the 3x3 Multiple Blindfolded, 6x6, 7x7, Megaminx, and 3x3 Fewest Moves. Sunday kicked-off with round 2 of the 5x5 on the main stage, and the Skewb final on the side stage. Final rounds of all the remaining events took place, culminating with the final round of the 3x3 between 4:15 and 5:00 pm.[http://www.cuber.com.br/worlds/index.php?location=schedule]

The winner of the 3x3 Speedsolve apparently won just $960, making it the lowest prize money in the modern history of the tournament. The winner of the 3x3 event did however receive a "Homage to Mr Rubik" 3-layer Art Egg, from Smart Egg. The winners of the other events won prize money ranging from $100-$430.[http://www.cuber.com.br/worlds/index.php?location=events]

==Winners==
[[Feliks Zemdegs]] won the 3×3 final with an average time of 7.56 seconds. [[Mats Valk]] finished second and [[Jakub Kipa]] finished third. Feliks also performed the fastest Single Solve of the competition: 5.60 seconds.
*3x3x3 Cube: [[Feliks Zemdegs]]
*2x2x2 Cube: Feliks Zemdegs
*4x4x4 Cube: Feliks Zemdegs
*5x5x5 Cube: Feliks Zemdegs
*6x6x6 Cube: [[Kevin Hays]]
*7x7x7 Cube: Kevin Hays
*3x3x3 Blindfolded: [[Kabyanil Talukdar]]
*3x3x3 Fewest Moves: [[João Pedro Batista Ribeiro Costa]]
*3x3x3 One-Handed: Feliks Zemdegs
*3x3x3 With Feet: [[Gabriel Pereira Campanha]]
*Megaminx: [[Oscar Roth Andersen]]
*Pyraminx: [[Jules Desjardin]]
*Rubik's Clock: [[Niko Ronkainen]]
*Skewb: [[Daniel Wallin]]
*Square-1: [[Emanuel Rheinert]]
*4x4x4 Blindfolded: [[Linus Fresz]]
*5x5x5 Blindfolded: [[Noah Arthurs]]
*3x3x3 Multi-Blind: [[Gabriel Dechichi Barbar]]

==World Records Set==
*6x6 average of 1:46.41 by Kevin Hays (First Round)
*6x6 average of 1:45.98 by Kevin Hays (Final)
*7x7 single of 2:23.55 by Feliks Zemdegs (First Round)
*7x7 average of 2:33.73 by Feliks Zemdegs (First Round)
*Skewb single of 1.68 by [[Jan Bentlage]] (First Round)

==Unofficial events==
===Smart Egg competition===
The "Blue Dragon Egg" was a mechanical puzzle given to everyone at the competition. People could sign-up for a speedsolve contest, and compete in a qualification round over the three days. Twelve competitors achieving the best times in speedsolving the Egg qualified for the final. This final round took place before the 3x3 final on Sunday. The winner won a Washington Art Egg - a puzzle that in 2012 won the Grand Prix Award at the World Puzzle Championship in Washington.[http://www.cuber.com.br/worlds/index.php?location=smartegg] The Smart Egg Champion was: Iuri Grangeiro Carvalho (Brazil) with a time of 2.58 seconds.
*[http://smarteggtoy.com/index.php/1st-smart-egg-competition/smart-egg-competition-at-rubiks-cube-world-championship-2015/ Smart Egg Competition at the Rubik's Cube World Championship 2015], Smart Egg

===Rubik's Speedcube Supersolve===
This unoffical contest was organized and sponsored by Rubik's Brand Ltd. It took place on Sunday, and competitors had to use the Rubik's brand Speedcube. A scramble sequence had been made public on Friday, and contestants could practice their solution beforehand. Three rounds took place, and the final round with twelve finalists took place after the 3x3 Finals on the Side Stage at 5:15pm. The prize was a medal and a "Rubik's Swag Bag".[http://www.cuber.com.br/worlds/index.php?location=rubiks] The winner was [[Antoine Cantin]] with best times of 3.59, 3.30 and 3.70 seconds in each round. He simply performed a pure inverse scramble.[https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/world-championship-2015-s%C3%A3o-paulo-brazil-july-17-19-2015.48755/page-33#post-1102321]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUI7RXlvpB4 3.70, World Champs 2015, Winning Rubik's Supersolve], YouTube

==Media==
===Videos===
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzZm3y0sT4I World Rubik's Cube Championships 2015 - Review], Youtube video, by Rubik's

== External Links ==
* [https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/WC2015 WC2015 full results on WCA Database]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170209170727/http://www.cuber.com.br/worlds/ World Rubik's Cube Championship 2015], Official website (Internet Archive)

[[Category:World championships]]

The Ideal Solution

2020-01-15T19:28:59Z

Spacecircles: Added some history about this guide

[[File:The Ideal Solution - Booklet.jpg|thumb|alt=The original solution for the Rubik's Cube as printed by Ideal Toy Corp in the 1980's.|The original solution booklet by Ideal Toy Corp: ''The Ideal Solution'']]
'''''The Ideal Solution''''' is the somewhat [[corners first]] solving method presented in the 1980s by [[Ideal Toys]], the company responsible for producing the original [[Rubik's Cube]]s. The method is somewhat unorthodox, being that it solves the corners first of the first layer, then solves the first layer (or top according to the instructions), then it does the same with the Last layer (or bottom), and finally finishes by solving the 4 middle layer edges.

==History==
The solution guide was written by Robert (Bob) Weisman in 1981. He was working as a Sales Promotion Manager for [[Ideal Toys]], and was part of the team that introduced and promoted Rubik’s Cube when it was launched in 1980. Once the cube craze hit, consumers began writing to Ideal asking for a solution. Weisman offered to write one: it took him six months of flipping and exchanging cubies at home before he developed a solution. It was published as "The Ideal Solution", and was offered to customers who wrote in for $1.50 plus postage. He estimates that about a million and a half copies were sold, and eventually it was sold in stores alongside the Cube. His initials "RW" are inside the first page. Weisman was also an editor for Ideal's four Rubik's Cube newsletters.

== Overview ==
''The Ideal Solution'' has advantages and disadvantages over the [[Layer by layer]] method sold with modern Rubik's brand cubes ([https://www.rubiks.com/solve-it/3x3]).

'''Advantages:'''
*This method is generally easy to learn, requiring few algorithms to solve the cube and is logical enough for beginners.
*Might make solving 4x4 and higher cubes easier for beginners since parity will only occur on the edges at the end of the solve.
*An unusual solve compared with modern beginner [[Layer by layer]] approaches.

'''Drawbacks:'''
*A slow and inefficient method. The booklet boasts a solve time of 2 minutes, although a time close to 1 minute is possible. The extended time comes from how you must perform several of the algorithms; they require you to turn the whole cube to shift your grip as you go through them.

== Resources ==

*A PDF of the original booklet can be [http://www.mediafire.com/view/28vlkb912mk33at/Ideal_Solution.pdf downloaded here].
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Ideal_Solution_To_Rubik%27s_Cube&direction=prev&oldid=17605308 Article about ''The Ideal Solution''], by Robert Weisman, June 3, 2005

[[Category:Books]]
[[Category:3x3x3 corners first methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 beginner methods]]

Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group

2019-12-19T09:29:22Z

Spacecircles: /* Timeline */

The '''Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group''' is a Yahoo! group and a forum created by [[Chris Hardwick]] on 18 June 2000. It was the main site for online communication among speedcubers until 2007, when it was eclipsed by the [[Speedsolving Forums]].

==Timeline==
*2000 June 18: Chris Hardwick posts the first message to the group.
*2002 March 26: In a site-wide reorganisation Yahoo! deletes 20 months worth of messages (from 2000 August 4).
*2005 December: Peak activity - 1342 messages are posted in the course of one month.
*2007 October 6: the first day since 2000 the Yahoo! group had no post.
*2011 December 2: Last message is posted to the group.
*2019 December 14: Yahoo! "permanently" deletes all posted content from its Groups, wiping out 11 years of speedcubing history.

==See also==
*[[Japan Speed Cubing Club]] Japanese equivalent

== External links==
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/speedsolvingrubikscube/info Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?22111-Yahoo!-Speedcubing-Group-s-10th-anniversary Yahoo! Speedcubing Group's 10th anniversary]

[[Category:Forums]]

Rubik's Brand

2019-08-20T10:43:52Z

Spacecircles: Add one

{{Perhaps Outdated|reason=since new cubes/products may be released}}
{{Manufacturer
|NAME=Seven Towns Limited
|LOGO=Rubiks-logo.png
|YEARFOUNDED=1980 (Ideal) 1985 (Seven Towns)
|LOCATION=London
|YEARSACTIVE=1980-1983 (Ideal) 1991-present (Seven Towns)
|AREASSERVED=Worldwide
|WEBSITE=http://www.rubiks.com
|PRODUCTS=Rubik's Cube, Rubik's DIY, Rubik's Pocket Cube, Rubik's Revenge, Professor's Cube, Rubik's Magic, Rubik's 360, Rubik's Twist (Snake),
}}

'''Rubik's Brand''' are a puzzle designer, manufacturer and shop. They are the producer of the original Rubik's cube.

== 3x3x3 Cube ==
===Bűvös Kocka (1970s)===
The first Rubik's cubes were sold under the name "Bűvös Kocka" (Hungarian: "Magic Cube"). The first batch of 5000 were produced by Politechnika in Budapest in late 1977. Over a million were produced in the late 1970s, they were sold mainly in Hungary (Hungary was part of Communist Eastern Europe), but some reached foreign markets especially in western Europe. These early cubes are heavy (twice the weight of later ones) and very stiff. The six colours are the standard ones although they are often arranged differently from the later colour schemes.

===Rubik's Cube (1980s)===
In 1979 UK toy company [[Seven Towns]] arranged a worldwide deal for the cube with [[Ideal Toys]] - a big US toy company. Ideal began marketing and selling the cube in 1980 creating a worldwide craze. They chose to call it "Rubik's Cube" partly because there was no international patent on the invention, and they needed a distinctive name they could trademark. The Hungarian manufacturers (now called "Politoys") retooled their production lines creating a lighter cube, smoother in finish, and much easier to turn than the Bűvös Kocka.

The lack of a patent meant that many duplicates flooded market as the Rubik's Cube craze took off. These duplicates, which were often inferior, were produced in the Far East, especially in Taiwan. The cubes had names such as Magic Puzzler, Perfect Puzzler, Wonderful Puzzler, Challenge Puzzler, and Le Cube.

Other puzzles which were all sold under the Rubik name in the 1980s include:
*Rubik's Pocket Cube - the [[2x2x2 Cube]]
*Rubik's Revenge - the [[4x4x4 Cube]] invented by [[Peter Sebesteny]]
*Rubik's Wahn - the original [[5x5x5 Cube]] invented by [[Udo Krell]], sold in Germany
*Rubik's Key Chain - mini Rubik's Cube on a keychain
*Rubik's Perpetual Calendar - a calendar Rubik's Cube
*Rubik's [[Snake]]
*Rubik's Cheese - a very rare two-layer-cylinder puzzle
*[[Rubik's Domino]]
*Rubik's [[Magic (puzzle)|Magic]] and [[Master Magic]]
*Rubik's [[Clock]]

===Rubik's Cube (1990s & 2000s)===

Sales of Rubik's Cubes collapsed with the end of the Cube craze in 1983, but in the 1990s Rubik's Cubes (now under the control of Seven Towns) began being manufactured and sold again. The cube was very similar to the 1980s cube. There were many packaging variations, from several distributors depending on the country (OddzOn in the USA).

They were often used for speedcubing, but the centers were riveted rather than screwed into the core, so tension was not adjustable. The stickers were poor quality, being made from laminated paper.

[[Dan Knights]], who started speedcubing in 1999, describes the cubes he bought from OddzOn as being highly variable: "some are mediocre from the start, others can be worked with to become excellent speed-cubes." He also states that "the stickers, however, present a MAJOR problem. Everyone who cubes seriously knows this, even Rubik himself".[http://web.archive.org/web/20010421113506/http://benjerry.middlebury.edu/~knights/Cube/CubeInfo1.html]

[[Image:Rubiks-sb.jpg|none|thumb|Rubiks Storebought, c. 2008]]
<div style="clear:{{{1|both}}};"></div>

===Rubik's Studio Cube===
The [[Studio Cube]] was a 3x3x3 manufactured by Rubik's Studio in Hungary. Available in the 1990s and 2000s. More expensive than store-bought cubes, they were mainly bought as a collectable. They were very similar to the original 1980s cubes, and had a 1980-type logo. The centers were fixed with a screw, allowing the tension to be adjusted. Opinions about its suitability for speedsolving varied, although generally it was not a preferred cube, due to the flat centres (more prone to pops), required break-in, and possible modifications required (replacements of springs, screws, and possibly the core).

=== Rubik's Cube - DIY ===

Beginning around 2004,[http://www.speedcubing.com/news_archive_2004.html] the official Rubik's online shop ([http://www.rubiks.com Rubiks.com]) began selling Rubik's cube DIY kits. [[DIY]] meant that the puzzle arrived disassembled and required you to assemble it yourself. They were sometimes criticized because the center caps did not stay in as well as some other designs, although this could be fixed with either glue or a small square of paper. A better fit could be achieved once some extra plastic is shaved off. Still, unlike store-bought cubes, the center tensions were adjustable, so these cubes were often favored by speedcubers until significantly better cubes were released.

<gallery>
Image:Rubiks-diy.jpg|Rubiks DIY Pieces
Image:Rubiks-diy2.jpg|Rubiks DIY Assembly
</gallery>

=== 25th anniversary cube ===
Rubik's Cube celebrated its 25th anniversary (since its 1980 launch) in 2005, and a special edition was released. This featured a sticker in the centre of a reflective face (which replaced the white face) with a "Rubik's Cube 1980-2005" logo, and had different packaging.

===Japanese Speedcubing Kit ===
The [[JSK|Japanese Speedcubing Kit]] was a DIY cube available only in Japan in the years around 2008/9.

=== Rubik's Cube - Tiled ===
In 2012, Rubik's introduced a newer, updated version of the original cube. It featured tiles that are embedded into the pieces instead of stickers, so there isn't any chipping or peeling. Out of the box, it is incredibly tight and very slow. After breaking it in well, it loosens itself and becomes faster, with corner cutting of about line-to-line forwards, but little to no reverse corner cutting. It can lock up and catch. Store-bought Rubik's cubes are popular among beginning cubers due to their widespread availability. They are not good for speedcubing, although these cubes do use screws, so it is possible to adjust the tension, ''if'' you can remove the middle tiles.[https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/5tfwdq/the_rubiks_20_has_screws_did_anyone_else_know/]

=== Rubik's Speedcube ===
The Rubik's Speedcube was Rubik's first official speedcube. It was introduced in 2013. It is similar to the 2012 tiled cube but the center caps can be removed and the core disassembled to adjust the tensions. Compared with the Chinese-brand speedcubes, Rubik's Speedcube was generally regarded as a below average speedcube. It is smooth and very fast, but there are pops and lockups, poor corner cutting and almost no reverse corner cutting. [https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/rubiks-speed-cube.45682/ Review]

=== Rubik's GAN Speedcube ===
Rubik's second attempt at a speedcube was a collaboration beteen Rubik's Brand and [[GAN|Gan Cube]]. Officially just called the "Rubik’s Speed Cube", although it was designed by Gan. It was released in 2017.

== 2x2x2 Cube ==

Also known as the 'Mini Cube'. Rubik's brand 2x2's are smaller than most [[2x2x2 cube|2x2x2 cubes]], therefore it can fit in your pocket - therefore the name Pocket Cube.
[[Image:Rubiks 2x2x2.jpg|none|thumb|Rubik's 2x2x2 Cube]]

== Rubik's Revenge ==

Older Rubik's brand 4x4s were often used by speedcubers, since they can be good but require a long time to properly break in. These cubes can get surprisingly loose before they become unusably pop-prone, because unlike the [[Eastsheen]] cubes they do not have internal pops. Rubik's has now re-tooled this cube, and it now has a slightly modified mechanism. People have said that this cube locks up too much and pops too much. This brand fell out of favor with the release of the [[Eastsheen]] c. 2002.

[[Image:Rubiks revenge.jpg|none|thumb|Rubik's Revenge]]

== Professor's Cube ==
The Rubik's 5x5 is not a very good speedcube and is known by some as a "Rubik's Brick" due to the extreme amount of force that was once required to make turns on this puzzle out of the box. Although this puzzle has been retooled, and the newer Rubik's 5x5 cubes are better, they are still not as good as other cubes. The outer layers tend to be much harder to twist than the inside layers. This is the largest of the main 5x5 brands.

[[Image:Rubiks professor.jpg|none|thumb|Professor's Cube]]

=== Rubik's Magic ===
Rubik's Magic, is a [[Magic]] made by the Rubik's brand. The puzzle was patented by Erno Rubik in 1986, and launched into the toy shops in October that year. 1980s versions were made by Matchbox Toys. A version with more tiles known as the [[Master Magic]] was also released.

=== Other Puzzles Produced by Rubik's ===
* [[Clock]]
* [[Rubik's 360]]

== See also ==
* [[2x2x2 cubes]]
* [[3x3x3 cubes]]
* [[Bigcubes]]
* [[Other Puzzles]]
* [[History of cubing]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.rubiks.com www.rubiks.com]

[[Category:Puzzle Manufacturers]]
[[Category:Puzzle Shops]]
[[Category:Brands]]

JSK

2019-08-20T10:34:38Z

Spacecircles:

[[Image:Jsk.jpg|none|thumb|right|JSK Cube]]'''J'''apanese '''S'''peedcubing '''K'''it was a [[Rubik's Brand]] DIY speedcube available around 2008/9. It was difficult to get outside of Japan, and so was not a widely used cube. At the time, it mostly received mixed reviews, but some cubers reported it to be a great speedcube.

It is functionally similar to a standard store-bought Rubik's 3x3x3, the main difference being removable caps and adjustable screws, plus it utilizes the [[Japanese color scheme]] (white opposite blue). In addition to the cube, the package includes a plastic stand, two screwdrivers (one flathead for removing the center caps, one Phillips head for adjusting screws), a tube of lubricant, and two instruction booklets (written in Japanese).

== See also ==
* [[JSK Clone]]

== External links ==
* Speedsolving.com [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12659 Review of Main 3x3x3 Cube Models]

[[Category:3x3x3 cubes]]

Olivier Gaucher

2019-08-16T08:25:34Z

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{{Infobox
|NAME=Olivier Gaucher
|IMAGE=Olivier Gaucher.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=!
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=France
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=!
|YEARSACTIVE=2004-12
|ID=2004GAUC01
|FAMOUSFOR=4x4 WR
}}

'''Olivier Gaucher''' is a French speedcuber.

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=4x4x4 European Champion | year=2004 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Jean Pons]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-end}}

[[Category:Former world record holders|Gaucher, Olivier]]
[[Category:Big Cube solvers|Gaucher, Olivier]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Gaucher, Olivier]]
[[Category:Cubers|Gaucher, Olivier]]

Rafał Guzewicz

2019-08-16T08:16:58Z

Spacecircles: /* Titles */

{{Infobox
|NAME=Rafał Guzewicz
|IMAGE=Rafał Guzewicz.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=!
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Poland
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=2006-present
|ID=2006GUZE01
|FAMOUSFOR=[[BLD]] WR, World Champion
}}

'''Rafał Guzewicz''' is a Polish speedcuber specializing 3x3, 4x4, and 5x5 [[BLD]].

== Achievements ==

=== Milestones ===
Rafał was the first cuber to officially achieve the following milestone:
* 3x3 blindfolded: sub-1 (54.22)

=== Titles ===
{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Leyan Lo]] | year=2005 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Blindfolded World Champion | year=2007 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Guillain Potron]] | year=2009 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Bernett Orlando]] | year=2007 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5 Blindfolded World Champion | year=2009 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Chris Hardwick]] | year=2011 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Old Multi-BLD World Champion | year=2007 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Tim Habermaas]] | year=2009 (new Multi-BLD) }}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Stefan Pochmann]] | year=2006 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Blindfolded European Champion | year=2008 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Ville Seppänen]] | year=2010 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dror Vomberg]] | year=2004 }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Blindfolded European Champion | year=2008, 2010 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Marcell Endrey]] | year=2012 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Stefan Pochmann]] | year=2004 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5 Blindfolded European Champion | year=2008 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Bence Barát]] | year=2010 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dennis Strehlau]] | year=2008 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Multi-BLD European Champion | year=2010 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Marcell Endrey]] | year=2012 }}

{{S-end}}

== See also ==
* [[List of World Records/Multi-BLD]]

[[Category:Former world record holders|Guzewicz, Rafal]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Guzewicz, Rafal]]
[[Category:Blindfold cubers|Guzewicz, Rafal]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Guzewicz, Rafal]]
[[Category:Cubers|Guzewicz, Rafal]]

Dennis Strehlau

2019-08-16T08:13:55Z

Spacecircles:

{{Infobox
|NAME=Dennis Strehlau
|IMAGE=DennisStrehlau.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Germany
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=2007-present
|ID=2007STRE01
|FAMOUSFOR=3x3 multi-BLD WRs
}}

'''Dennis Strehlau''' is a [[Germany|German]] speedcuber. He was the first person to official solve 8/8 and 10/10 cubes in 3x3 multi-BLD.

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Stefan Pochmann]] | year=2006 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 Multi-blind European Champion | year=2008 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Rafał Guzewicz]] | year=2010 }}

{{S-end}}

== See also ==
* [[List of World Records/Multi-BLD]]

[[Category:Former world record holders|Strehlau, Dennis]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Strehlau, Dennis]]
[[Category:Cubers|Strehlau, Dennis]]

{{Stub}}

Stefan Pochmann

2019-08-16T08:10:45Z

Spacecircles: /* Achievements */

{{Infobox
|NAME=Stefan Pochmann
|IMAGE=StefanPochmann.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Germany
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=2003-present
|ID=2003POCH01
|FAMOUSFOR=[[Classic Pochmann]], [[M2/R2]], multiple world titles and records, all-around puzzleman, general awesomeness
}}

'''Stefan Pochmann''' is a German speedcuber famous for inventing the [[Classic Pochmann]] and [[M2/R2]] blindfoldsolving methods and his numerous other contributions to cubing. Stefan is an active user of the [[Speedsolving Forums]], where he has gained a reputation as a rare beacon of reason.

== Progression ==
Stefan started cubing around 1982, didn't cube much in the 1990s and joined the new wave of cubing in 2003 when he found other cubers on the internet. Inspired by [[Richard Carr]], [[Dror Vomberg]] and other blindcubing pioneers, he invented his classic blindsolving method, then became the first megaminx blindsolver and first official 5x5x5 blindsolver. During 2004-2007 he became a good all-rounder, setting 21 world records in six events and dominating megaminx and clock for a while. Stefan isn't very competitive anymore, but remains quite active on the forums. His lasting contributions to cubing include his blindsolving methods and his work on the WCA results website.

== Major Contributions and Projects ==
=== Methods ===
* Invented [[Classic Pochmann]] and [[M2/R2]] blindfold solving methods
* Invented the Pochmann method for the [[Master Magic]], which he used to win the [[World Championship 2005]]. It has since been supplanted by [[Alexander Ooms]]'s method.
* Invented the Pochmann method for the [[Rubik's Clock]] in 2005, which he used to win the [[World Championship 2005]]. It has been used since with little modification by all world record holders
* Found and popularized [http://www.stefan-pochmann.info/spocc/speedsolving/3x3/ several 3x3 last layer algorithms]

=== Program and Services ===
* Created the WCA Database with [[Clément Gallet]] and [[Josef Jelínek]]
* Created [http://ptimer.net/ ptimer.net], a timer for making videos
* Created [http://speedcubes.net/ speedcubes.net], an ongoing project for a ratable database of different cubes
* Created [http://cubeweb.info/ cubeweb.info], a custom search engine for cube sites

=== Other ===
* Proposed the [[Blonk number]] and [http://www.stefan-pochmann.info/cubieverse/ the Cubiverse]

== Achievements ==

Stefan has held world records in Megaminx, Clock, Magic, Master Magic, 5x5 blindfolded and old Multiblind.

=== Firsts ===

In addition, Stefan achieved several firsts in blindfold cubing.
* First person to officially solve a 5x5 blindfolded.
* First person to unofficially solve a Megaminx blindfolded.
* Real Team-BLD with [[Tim Habermaas]]: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?25506-World-Domination-Day-1 World Domination, Day 1]

== Sample Quotes from Pochmann Magic 8-Ball List ==
Stefan's charisma has in particular inspired the custom-made Pochmann 8-Ball, using quotes from his forum posts.
* I WANT A FLYING PONY
* I HAVE EVIDENCE
* WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
* DON'T FORGET TO WEAR YOUR HELMET (see the [http://www.stefan-pochmann.info/spocc/videos/ Master Magic HowTo] video)
* BOY DO YOU SUCK
* YOU'RE SO CUTE
* UH... WHAT?
* AGAIN: NO
* CHEERS!
* WRONG. IDIOT.

== Trivia ==
* [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?30838-Stefan-in-little-TV-competition Stefan in little TV competition]
* In November 2011, Stefan performed live on a very famous German TV show called "Wetten Dass," solving a 3x3 blindfolded under water. Although he went over the time limit, his performance was voted the best by spectators. Stefan won a car, likely the second most expensive prize anyone has won by cubing (after [[Simon Westlund]]'s Sweden's Got Talent victory). See [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2huaQLUWU8 Stefan live on German TV] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2huaQLUWU8 video] and [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?33563-Stefan-Blindfolded-Underwater-On-TV.... this one] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q3paEpZgys one including Stefan winning the car].
* [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?31649-Stefan-Pochmann-wears-a-helmet-at-the-Canadian-Open-2011 Stefan Pochmann wears a helmet at the Canadian Open 2011]
* Stefan was a vehement critic of the Rubik's Revolution at its release. Ever the puzzleman, however, he invented [http://uncletyson.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/stefan-pochmann-and-the-rubiks-revolution/ his method], then won the Rubik's Revolution event at Worlds 2007 and US Nationals 2009 to prove its stupidity. And to win the prize money.
* "pochmann" is a verb, often used as "get pochmanned." See [http://pochmann.me/ pochmann.me].
* Stefan abhors smoke and famously chose not to defend his German national title in 2007 because the venue (a toy fair) used to be full of smoke and he had left the venue coughing terribly the year before.

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Grant Tregay]] | year=2003 }}
{{S-title| title=Megaminx World Champion | year=2005 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Erik Akkersdijk]] | year=2007 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Jaap Scherphuis]] | year=2003 }}
{{S-title| title=Rubik's Clock World Champion | year=2005 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Ernesto Fernández Regueira]] | year=2007 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Jaap Scherphuis]] | year=2003 }}
{{S-title| title=Master Magic World Champion | year=2005 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Máté Horváth]] | year=2007 }}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year=}}
{{S-title| title=5x5x5 Blindfolded European Champion | year=2004 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Rafał Guzewicz]] | year=2008 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year=}}
{{S-title| title=Rubik's Clock European Champion | year=2004 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Mátyás Kuti]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dror Vomberg]] | year=2004 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 Blindfolded European Champion | year=2006 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Rafał Guzewicz]] | year=2008 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=Megaminx European Champion | year=2006 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Erik Akkersdijk]] | year=2008 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 Multi-blind (Old Style) European Champion | year=2006 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Dennis Strehlau]] | year=2008 }}

{{S-end}}

== See also ==
* [[Classic Pochmann]]
* [[M2/R2]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.stefan-pochmann.info/spocc/ Stefan Pochmann's Cube Corner]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?5381-Interview-with-Stefan-Pochmann Interview with Stefan Pochmann]
* [http://www.speedcubes.net/ SpeedCubes.net]
* [http://www.ptimer.net/ PTimer]
* [http://www.cubecastpodcast.com/episodes/ CubeCast Podcast: Episode 10 - Stefan Pochmann]
* [http://www.youtube.com/StefanPochmann Stefan's Youtube Videos]

[[Category:Former world record holders|Pochmann, Stefan]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Pochmann, Stefan]]
[[Category:Programmers|Pochmann, Stefan]]
[[Category:Megaminx solvers|Pochmann, Stefan]]
[[Category:Magic solvers|Pochmann, Stefan]]
[[Category:Master Magic solvers|Pochmann, Stefan]]
[[Category:Clock solvers|Pochmann, Stefan]]
[[Category:Method inventors|Pochmann, Stefan]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Pochmann, Stefan]]

Jaap Scherphuis

2019-08-16T08:03:28Z

Spacecircles: /* Achievements */

{{Infobox
|NAME=Jaap Scherphuis
|IMAGE=Jaap Scherphuis.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Netherlands
|BIRTHDATE=c.1972
|AGE=
|JOBS=software engineer
|YEARSACTIVE=1981-present
|ID=2003SCHE01
|FAMOUSFOR=website, puzzle collection, puzzle theory
}}

'''Jaap Scherphuis''' is a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] cuber from Delft, Netherlands. He is one of the biggest puzzle collectors in the world and a prominent puzzle theorist. His website, Jaap's Puzzle Page, is one of the most comprehensive guides to many puzzles.

He got his first [[Rubik's Cube]] when he was about 8 or 9, and solved it with the aid of a solution booklet. From then on he tried to solve puzzles himself, solving [[Pyraminx]], [[Orbit (puzzle)|Orbit]], [[Alexander's Star]], and [[Rubik's Revenge]] in quick succession (although edge parity stumped him). Over the years he learned a lot of puzzle theory, and has also written computer programs for solving puzzles. He attended [[World Championship 2003]] in Toronto and still finds it "hilarious that I won the [[Rubik's Clock]] event there."

== Achievements ==
{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=Rubik's Clock World Champion | year=2003 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Stefan Pochmann]] | year=2005 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=Rubik's Magic World Champion | year=2003 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Alexander Ooms]] | year=2005 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=Master Magic World Champion | year=2003 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Stefan Pochmann]] | year=2005 }}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=Rubik's Magic European Champion | year=2004 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Henrik Buus Aagaard]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-end}}

== See also ==
* [http://www.jaapsch.net/puzzles/ Jaap's Puzzle Page]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?19772 Interview with Jaap Scherphuis]

[[Category:Former world record holders|Scherphuis, Jaap]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Scherphuis, Jaap]]
[[Category:Programmers|Scherphuis, Jaap]]
[[Category:Magic solvers|Scherphuis, Jaap]]
[[Category:Master Magic solvers|Scherphuis, Jaap]]
[[Category:Clock solvers|Scherphuis, Jaap]]
[[Category:Puzzle theorists|Scherphuis, Jaap]]
[[Category:Cubers|Scherphuis, Jaap]]

Dror Vomberg

2019-08-16T07:59:42Z

Spacecircles: /* Achievements */

{{Infobox
|NAME=Dror Vomberg
|IMAGE=Dror Vomberg.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=!
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Israel
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=!
|YEARSACTIVE=2003 - 2014
|ID=2003VOMB01
|FAMOUSFOR=[[3x3]], [[4x4]] [[BLD]] WR
}}

'''Dror Vomberg''' is an Israeli speedcuber. He set 3BLD and 4BLD world records at the [[WC2003|World Rubik's Games Championship 2003]], with times of 3:56.00 and 22:35.00 respectively. He was the only person at the competition to compete in 4BLD and 5BLD. At Euro 2004, he broke his own 4BLD world record with a time of 19:14.00. He later obtained a European Record for 4BLD with a time of 12:22.00, done at the [[WC2005|World Championship 2005]]. At the same competition, he obtained a European Record for 3BLD with a 2:37.72 solve.

He also previously held multiple Russian national records for non-blindfolded events. As of 2015, he has a national record in Clock single and average.

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Blindfolded World Champion | year=2003 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Leyan Lo]] | year=2005 }}
{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Blindfolded World Champion | year=2003 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Chris Hardwick]] | year=2007 }}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Blindfolded European Champion | year=2004 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Stefan Pochmann]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Blindfolded European Champion | year=2004 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Rafał Guzewicz]] | year=2008 }}

{{S-end}}

[[Category:Former world record holders|Vomberg, Dror]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Vomberg, Dror]]
[[Category:Blindfold cubers|Vomberg, Dror]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Vomberg, Dror]]
[[Category:Cubers|Vomberg, Dror]]
[[Category:Clock solvers|Vomberg, Dror]]

Kåre Krig

2019-08-16T07:49:49Z

Spacecircles:

{{Infobox
|NAME=Kåre Krig
|IMAGE=
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Sweden
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=2004-present
|ID=2004KRIG02
|FAMOUSFOR=Feet WR
}}

'''Kåre Krig''' is a Swedish speedcuber. He set the 3x3 with feet single world record in 2004 and 2005.

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 With Feet European Champion | year=2004 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Anssi Vanhala]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-end}}

== See also ==
* [[List of World Records/Feet]]

[[Category:Former world record holders|Krig, Kare]]
[[Category:Feet solvers|Krig, Kare]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Krig, Kare]]
[[Category:Cubers|Krig, Kare]]

Gilles van den Peereboom

2019-08-16T07:42:26Z

Spacecircles:

{{Infobox
|NAME=Gilles van den Peereboom
|IMAGE=
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Belgium
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=2005-2013
|ID=2005PEER01
|FAMOUSFOR=
}}

'''Gilles van den Peereboom''' is a [[Belgium|Belgian]] speedcuber. He set the [[Magic]] average world record in 2006.

Gilles has lived in [[Korea|South Korea]] since 2008.

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Jarosław Nowicki]] | year=2004 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3x3 One-handed European Champion | year=2006 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Milán Baticz]] | year=2008 }}

{{S-end}}

== See also ==
* [[List of World Records/Magic]]

[[Category:Former world record holders|van den Peereboom, Gilles]]
[[Category:Magic solvers|van den Peereboom, Gilles]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|van den Peereboom, Gilles]]
[[Category:Cubers|van den Peereboom, Gilles]]

Olivier Gaucher

2019-08-16T07:34:27Z

Spacecircles:

{{Infobox
|NAME=Olivier Gaucher
|IMAGE=Olivier Gaucher.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=!
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=France
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=!
|YEARSACTIVE=
|ID=
|FAMOUSFOR=4x4 WR
}}

'''Olivier Gaucher''' is a French speedcuber.

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=4x4x4 European Champion | year=2004 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Jean Pons]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-end}}

[[Category:Former world record holders|Gaucher, Olivier]]
[[Category:Big Cube solvers|Gaucher, Olivier]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Gaucher, Olivier]]
[[Category:Cubers|Gaucher, Olivier]]

WCA World Championship 2019

2019-08-15T14:44:26Z

Spacecircles: /* Media */

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right"
! style="background: silver;" colspan="2" | WCA World Championship 2019
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Location:'''
| align="center" | Melbourne, Australia
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Date(s):'''
| align="center" | July 11-14, 2019
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Preceded by:'''
| align="center" | [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 2017|WC2017]]
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Succeeded by:'''
| align="center" | [[WCA World Championship 2021|WC2021]]
|}

'''WCA World Championship 2019''' is a competition in Melbourne, Australia which was held from July 11 to July 14, 2019.

==Winners==
*3x3x3 Cube: [[Philipp Weyer]]
*2x2x2 Cube: [[Jiazhou Li]]
*4x4x4 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*5x5x5 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*6x6x6 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*7x7x7 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*3x3x3 Blindfolded: [[Manuel Gutman]]
*3x3x3 Fewest Moves: [[Firstian Fushada]] and [[Christopher Chi]]
*3x3x3 One-Handed: [[Max Park]]
*3x3x3 With Feet: [[Lim Hung]]
*Megaminx: [[Juan Pablo Huanqui]]
*Pyraminx: [[Tymon Kolasinski]]
*Rubik's Clock: [[Yunhao Lou]]
*Skewb: [[Noriyuki Okada]]
*Square-1: [[Aiden Bartlett]]
*4x4x4 Blindfolded: [[Stanley Chapel]]
*5x5x5 Blindfolded: [[Stanley Chapel]]
*3x3x3 Multi-Blind: [[Graham Siggins]]

==World Records Set==
*4BLD single of 1:08.07 by [[Stanley Chapel]]
*4BLD average of 1:21.81 by [[Stanley Chapel]]
*Skewb single of 0.93 by [[Andrew Huang]]
*5BLD single of 2:38.77 by [[Stanley Chapel]]
*7x7 single of 1:44.02 by [[Max Park]]
*7x7 average of 1:50.10 by [[Max Park]]

==Media==
*Video: WCA World Championship reports by Rubik's: [https://youtu.be/LdRcxdL4RqM Day 1]; [https://youtu.be/GRLFDsCVFnM Day 2]; [https://youtu.be/h_uEFNqXToU Day 3]; [https://youtu.be/-SoODo8aJD8 Day 4]
*Video: [https://youtu.be/3gXyNQrviR8 WCA Worlds 2019: The Cubing Experience] by LaZer0MonKey

==External links==
*[https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/WC2019 WC2019 on WCA Database]
*[https://wc2019.speedcubing.org.au/en/ WCA World Championship 2019], Official website
*World Championship 2019 discussion threads on /r/cubers (Reddit): [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/cbj6x5/wca_world_championship_2019_day_1_discussion/ Day 1]; [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/cc0kli/wca_world_championship_2019_day_2_discussion/ Day 2]; [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/ccfy2d/wca_world_championship_2019_day_3_discussion/ Day 3]; [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/ccu2xb/wca_world_championship_2019_day_4_discussion/ Day 4]

[[Category:World championships]]

WCA World Championship 2019

2019-08-15T14:37:47Z

Spacecircles:

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right"
! style="background: silver;" colspan="2" | WCA World Championship 2019
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Location:'''
| align="center" | Melbourne, Australia
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Date(s):'''
| align="center" | July 11-14, 2019
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Preceded by:'''
| align="center" | [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 2017|WC2017]]
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Succeeded by:'''
| align="center" | [[WCA World Championship 2021|WC2021]]
|}

'''WCA World Championship 2019''' is a competition in Melbourne, Australia which was held from July 11 to July 14, 2019.

==Winners==
*3x3x3 Cube: [[Philipp Weyer]]
*2x2x2 Cube: [[Jiazhou Li]]
*4x4x4 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*5x5x5 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*6x6x6 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*7x7x7 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*3x3x3 Blindfolded: [[Manuel Gutman]]
*3x3x3 Fewest Moves: [[Firstian Fushada]] and [[Christopher Chi]]
*3x3x3 One-Handed: [[Max Park]]
*3x3x3 With Feet: [[Lim Hung]]
*Megaminx: [[Juan Pablo Huanqui]]
*Pyraminx: [[Tymon Kolasinski]]
*Rubik's Clock: [[Yunhao Lou]]
*Skewb: [[Noriyuki Okada]]
*Square-1: [[Aiden Bartlett]]
*4x4x4 Blindfolded: [[Stanley Chapel]]
*5x5x5 Blindfolded: [[Stanley Chapel]]
*3x3x3 Multi-Blind: [[Graham Siggins]]

==World Records Set==
*4BLD single of 1:08.07 by [[Stanley Chapel]]
*4BLD average of 1:21.81 by [[Stanley Chapel]]
*Skewb single of 0.93 by [[Andrew Huang]]
*5BLD single of 2:38.77 by [[Stanley Chapel]]
*7x7 single of 1:44.02 by [[Max Park]]
*7x7 average of 1:50.10 by [[Max Park]]

==Media==
*Video: WCA World Championship reports by Rubik's: [https://youtu.be/LdRcxdL4RqM Day 1]; [https://youtu.be/GRLFDsCVFnM Day 2]; [https://youtu.be/h_uEFNqXToU Day 3]; [https://youtu.be/-SoODo8aJD8 Day 4]

==External links==
*[https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/WC2019 WC2019 on WCA Database]
*[https://wc2019.speedcubing.org.au/en/ WCA World Championship 2019], Official website
*World Championship 2019 discussion threads on /r/cubers (Reddit): [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/cbj6x5/wca_world_championship_2019_day_1_discussion/ Day 1]; [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/cc0kli/wca_world_championship_2019_day_2_discussion/ Day 2]; [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/ccfy2d/wca_world_championship_2019_day_3_discussion/ Day 3]; [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/ccu2xb/wca_world_championship_2019_day_4_discussion/ Day 4]

[[Category:World championships]]

List of cube solving robots

2019-08-04T21:37:36Z

Spacecircles: /* Cube solving robots */ fix link

{{Outdated}}

Constructing a [[Cube solving robot|robot]] capable of solving a [[cube | Rubik's cube]] "on its own" has been a popular challenge for engineers, with many different designs over the years.

== Cube solving robots ==
"Full solve time" is the average solving time including inspection.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Creator
! Year
! Puzzle(s)
! Method
! Full solve time
! Mechanism
! Videos
! Notes
|-
| Robbie Rubik
| Daniel Talken, Douglas Rhode, Robert Sum
| 1982
| [[3x3x3]]
| ?
| ~12 minutes
| No cameras. Scrambled cube state is typed into a computer. Cube is repeatedly flipped and the top layer turned with stepping solenoids.
| -
| Made by 3 students at the University of Illinois. (Newspaper articles: [https://newspaperarchive.com/doylestown-intelligencer-apr-14-1982-p-74/ 1], [https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=DS19820413.2.54 2], [https://newspaperarchive.com/yuma-sun-apr-13-1982-p-15/ 3].) Ideal ''Rubik's Cube Newsletter'' [http://members.ziggo.nl/tdennenb/Download/Rubik%27s%20Cube%20News%20Letter%20Vol%201%20No2.pdf Vol. 1 No. 2 (Aug 1982)].
|-
| Cubot
| Robert Dyer et al.
| 1982
| [[3x3x3]]
| ?
| ~4 minutes
| Uses cameras (a "color vision system"). Two orthogonal manipulators grip the cube edges.
| -
| Made by a team of ~20 people at Battelle's Pacific Northwest Laboratories. ([https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/830341/ 1983 Paper]). Cf. [https://www.csmonitor.com/1983/0107/010735.html this Newspaper article]. Solved "any scrambled Rubik's Cube in less than four minutes": [https://www.google.com/search?q=battelle+1982+guardian+rubik+minutes+-blade].
|-
| Tico and Teco
| Rodrigo de Almeida Siqueira
| 1995
| [[3x3x3]]
| ?
| ?
| 2 robotic arms
|
| Created at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The two robots "Tico and Teco" were also given the English names "Chip and Dale". (Original announcement on ''Cube Lovers'': [http://www.cube20.org/cubelovers/CL15/019.txt].) Website with videos: [http://fei.edu.br/~rbianchi/daia/celula/cubo/].
|-
| Deep Cube
| Evan Gates
| 2004
| [[3x3x3]]
| [[Kociemba]]
| ~10 seconds
| 6 arms (6DOF)
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjL4FgVI3Bc YouTube video]
| [https://uncletyson.wordpress.com/tag/evan-gates/ Story by Evan Gates]
No working cameras, kept internal state.
|-
| RuBot
| Pete Redmond (from Dublin, Ireland)
| 2006
| 3x3x3
|
|
| Two perpendicular arms (4 DOF)
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgrYUTy5Q14 RuBot Prototype] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkft2qaKv_o RuBot II Demonstration]
|
|-
| LEGO RUBIK UTOPIA
| Daniele Benedettelli
| 2007
| [[3x3x3]]
| [[Kociemba]]
| ~50 seconds
| LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot (3 DOF), solution found on a laptop connected via USB
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzio92VYUIQ YouTube Video]
| [http://robotics.benedettelli.com/lego-rubik-cube-solver/ Danny's website] First LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot to solve a Rubik's cube
|-
| ARM Powered LEGO/Nokia 4x4x4 Rubik's Cube Solver
| David Gilday (ARM Principal Engineer)
| 2009
| [[4x4x4]]
| creator's own table driven algorithm
| 19min for 4x4x4
| Symbian phone (with Java app) controlling LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT y-turntable, hinged hold/lift and x-spin (3 DOF)
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=052JJGBxFH0 Video of 4x4x4 solve]
|
|-
| CubeStormer
| Mike Dobson
| 2010
| 3x3x3
| [[Kociemba]]
| ?
| LEGO MINDSTORMS RCX, Four orthogonal turning arms (8 DOF)
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaRcWB3jwMo YouTube Video]
|
|-
| Rowan University Cube Solving Machine (?)
| Zach Grady and Joe Ridgeway (at Rowan University)
| 2010
| 3x3x3
| ?
| ~15 seconds
| PLC and aluminum parts, cube turning on a corner base and an extending "stepper" (3 DOF)
| [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?26083-My-Rubiks-cube-solving-robot Thread] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hk5DFxxTu0 Demonstration] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goTn0-20BAE Interview]
|
|-
| ARM Speedcuber
| David Gilday (ARM Principal Engineer)
| 2010
| 3x3x3
| creator's own 2-phase algorithm
| 15s ("for a good solve")
| Android phone (native app in C++), LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT, Four arms (6 DOF)
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77dbG6DPW_c Video of Demonstration at ARM Techcon 2010]
| ARM Powered LEGO/Nokia 4x4x4 Rubik's Cube Solver
|-
| ARM Powered Android LEGO MultiCuber 777
| David Gilday (ARM Principal Engineer)
| 2010
| [[7x7x7]]
| creator's own generic table driven algorithm capable of solving any cube size
| 40min for a 7x7x7
| Android phone (Java app), LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT, Vertical arm with x pivot and y-rotating cage. (3 DOF)
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5b9BIBuOd4 Video of a 7x7x7 Solve]
| [http://blogs.arm.com/smart-mobile-devices/254-how-i-created-the-arm-powered-android-lego-7x7x7-cube-solving-robot/ Blog Post by David]
|-
| ARM Powered Android Megaminxer
| David Gilday (ARM Principal Engineer)
| 2010
| [[Megaminx]]
| creator's own table driven algorithm
| 8 min
| Android phone (Java app), LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT, Vertical arm with x pivot, y-spin and y-rotating cage. (3 DOF)
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-S30fS944M Video of Megaminx solve]
| [http://blogs.arm.com/smart-mobile-devices/451-oh-no-not-another-arm-powered-lego-rubiks-cube-solver/ Blog Post by David]
|-
| Robot Ruby
| David Bain, Richard Bain, Daniel Purvis, Jarrod Boyes, Miriam Parkinson and Jonathan Goldwasser (Swinburne University of Technology)
| 2011
| 3x3x3
| Kociemba
| ~10s (including inspection)
| Two perpendicular arms (4 DOF)
| [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?29667-Robot-Rubik-s-Cube-Solve-10.18 Thread] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWtBTKpWVXk Robot Ruby Demonstration] (with a timer that counts frames instead of 100ths of a second?)| [http://www.swinburne.edu.au/chancellery/mediacentre/media-centre/news/2011/05/robot-ruby-breaks-rubiks-record Article on the Swinburne Website]
[http://www.theage.com.au/technology/sci-tech/meet-ruby-the-recordbreaking-robot-that-solves-rubiks-cube-20110601-1fgbc.html Article from The Age]
|-
| CubeStormer II
| Mike Dobson and David Gilday
| 2011
| 3x3x3
| David Gilday's two-phase algorithm
| (unofficial) best 4.762s, average ~5.9s (200 solves)
| LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT and Samsung GALAXY S II smartphone. Four orthogonal turning arms (8 DOF)
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d0LfkIut2M CubeStormer II (YouTube video)] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqJF3tKDnrA CubeStormer II - Seeing is Believing (YouTube video)] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JykMPW-SYQQ This is AMAZING! The CubeStormer ll breaks world record at ARM TechCon 2011 (YouTube video)]
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_RtMLIuozM CubeStormer II - David Gilday & Mike Dobson - ARM TechCon 2011 (YouTube video)] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS3-LiIQzYQ Solving the Rubik's Cube - ARM TechCon 2011 - David Gilday talks with Tomas Rokicki (YouTube video)]
Guinness World Record: 5.270s set on 11th Nov 2011 at [http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-11/11/cubestormer-ii-world-record Wired.co.uk (Article and video)]
|-
| MindCuber
| David Gilday
| 2011
| 3x3x3 and [[Void Cube]]
| 9 stage table driven
| 1m55s (2m30s with published software)
| constructed from just a single LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 kit. One pull/push tilt arm and turntable (2?DOF)
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw1BgD72vaA MindCuber (YouTube video)] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QL5DZBo8WQ ARM Powered® MindCuber solves Void Cube (YouTube video)]
| [http://mindstorms.lego.com/en-us/News/ReadMore/Default.aspx?id=423825 MindCuber bonus model instructions and software on LEGO MINDSTORMS site] [http://mindcuber.com MindCuber home page]
|-
| MicroCuber
| David Gilday
| 2012
| Microbic (12mm 3x3x3)
| 5 stage table driven
| 7 mins
| Sony Xperia Mini smartphone, Android App. and LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT mechanics. Push/push, hold and turntable (3 DOF?)
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdaacsfGQs4 MicroCuber (YouTube video)]
|-
| High Frequency Twister
| Jay Flatland and Paul Rose
| 2016
| 3x3x3 (with custom drilled center holes)
| Kociemba
| 1.0xx seconds
|
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixTddQQ2Hs4 World's Fastest Rubik's Cube Solving Robot (Jay Flatland)]
|-
| ?
| Infineon
| 2016
| 3x3x3
| Kociemba
| 0.637 seconds
| 6 arms, created to show off an Infineon AURIX™ that powers it
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1b6iPYj3YQ 0.637 seconds - a new Rubik's Cube machine world record!]
|-
| ?
| Human Controller
| 2017
| 3x3x3
| CFOP
| -
| Self-solving (motors embedded in the sides)
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt_YYSK889k Rubik's Cube Robot - self solving]
|-
| ?
| Ben Katz and Jared Di Carlo
| 2018
| 3x3x3
| Kociemba ([https://github.com/cs0x7f/min2phase min2phase])
| 0.38 seconds
| Blog posts: [https://build-its-inprogress.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-rubiks-contraption.html Ben] and [http://blog.cactus.zone/2018/03/rubiks-solver-software.html Jared]
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt00QzKuNVY 0.38 Second Rubik's Cube Solve]
|-
| ?
| xdpcz
| 2018
| 4x4x4
| Reduction
| 35.67 seconds
| [https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/the-fastest-cube-machine-for-4x4x4.69231/ Speedsolving.com Post]
| [https://m.youku.com/video/id_XMzYxOTI5MTA3Mg==.html 目前世界最快的四阶解魔方机器]
|}

[[Category:Physical objects]]
[[Category:Lists|cube solving robots]]

CFCE

2019-07-19T22:40:33Z

Spacecircles:

{{Method Infobox
|name=CFCE
|image=ELL.png
|proposers=[[Guus Razoux Schultz]]
|year=1981
|anames=CLL/ELL
|variants=[[OLL]]/[[PLL]]
|steps=4
|algs=71 to 112 F2L:0 to 41 LL: 71 (CLL: 42; ELL: 29)
|moves=54
|purpose=
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}

'''CFCE'''; Cross, F2L, CLL and ELL, a [[LBL]] where the first two layers are solved simultaneously by forming a [[cross]] and then fill in the [[F2L]] slots with [[pair]]s. The [[last layer]] is solved in two looks, first all the corners are done in the [[CLL]] step and then, for completion, all the edges in the [[ELL]] step.

== The Steps ==

1. '''[[Cross]]'''

First, make a cross on any side of the cube. This entails solving all of the edges with a given color to their proper positions.

2. '''[[F2L]] (First Two Layers)'''

In this step you fill in the slots where the corners of the cross are missing. For each insertion, a corner and an edge are placed simultaneously. There are 41 basic cases for this step, but it can be learned intuitively.

3. '''[[CLL algorithms (3x3x3)|CLL]] (Corners of the Last Layer)'''

Next, solve all last layer corners in one of 42 algorithms.

4. '''[[ELL]] (Edges of the Last Layer)'''

Finally, you finish the cube by solving all the last layer edges. There are 29 algorithms.

== History ==
[[Guus Razoux Schultz]] used the full method in the [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 1982|1982 world championship finals]], where he got second place. In the early 2000s [[Masayuki Akimoto]] adopted the method and set the first Asian 3x3 single record of 17.79s at the [[World Rubik's Games Championship 2003|2003 world championship]].

Since then, CFCE adoption has been hampered by the dubious belief that last-layer recognition is harder for CFCE than for [[CFOP]], and that the ELL algorithms are bad. However recent years have seen renewed interest in the method.
:[https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/97hjrp/why_does_no_one_use_cfce_to_solve_the_rubiks_cube/ Why does no one use CFCE to solve the Rubik's Cube?], r/Cubers (Reddit), 2018

== See also ==
* [[Cross]]
* [[XCross]]
* [[F2L]]
* [[CLL]]/[[ELL]], [[CLL algorithms (3x3x3)]]
* [[OLLCP]] .. ''CLL and EO in one look.''
* [[CxLL]]

{{F2L}}

{{3CLL}}

{{ELL}}

== External links ==

[[Category:3x3x3 methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:SpeedBLD Methods]]

Chris Hardwick

2019-07-19T21:57:59Z

Spacecircles:

{{Infobox
|NAME=Chris Hardwick
|IMAGE=Chris Hardwick.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=2007
|ALIASES=cmhardw
|COUNTRY=USA
|BIRTHDATE=6 December 1983
|AGE={{Age|1983|12|6}}
|JOBS=Math Teacher
|YEARSACTIVE=2003-present
|ID=2003HARD01
|FAMOUSFOR=[[Big cube]] [[BLD]]}}

'''Chris Hardwick''' is an [[USA|American]] speedcuber from Orlando, Florida. He became well-known as the world's fastest [[OH]] cuber in 2003-4, and is now best known for his rankings in the [[4x4x4 Blindfolded]] and [[5x5x5 Blindfolded]] events. Chris was the first person in the world to complete a blindfold solve on the [[6x6x6 Cube]].

Chris has been a co-host of [[Speedcubing.com]] since 2002. He created the [[Yahoo! Speed Solving Rubik's Cube Group]] in July 2000.

Chris is also the co-proposer of the [[3-Style]] method for [[3x3x3 Blindfolded]]. It is currently one of the most used methods for solving the 3x3x3 blindfolded for world-class [[BLD]] solvers.

He was on the [[WCA]] board from 2016-17.

== Media appearances ==

Hardwick has made a number of television appearances demonstrating the Rubik's Cube, including MTV in 2002, Canada AM and Much Music in the fall of 2003, discussing the [[World Rubik's Games Championship 2003]], his first competition. His home videos have also appeared on numerous online video sites including CollegeHumor and Digg, and a video of Hardwick doing a one-handed solve appeared on VH1 in 2006 for Web Junk 20. Axe deodorant parodied another one of Hardwick's home videos in their 2006 South African "Get a Girlfriend" commercial campaign.

== Official results ==

Chris's personal best official times for the 3x3 are 12.19 seconds for the single solve and 14.35 seconds for an average of 5. In the past, Chris has set North American records in [[2x2]], [[3x3]], [[4x4]], and [[5x5]] speedsolve. He has also set the WR for 4x4 three times, twice for single and once for average. In fact, Chris was the first person to ever achieve a 4x4 single solve of under one minute in competition! Chris also set some of the first few world records for one-handed solving.

As for blindfolded events, Chris has broken the world record for 4x4 BLD three times, and the world record for 5x5 BLD six times however he no longer holds these titles.

By winning national and world championships, Chris has held the following titles: World Champion for OH (2003–05), 4x4 BLD (2007–2009), 5x5 BLD (2011–2013) and National Champion for 4x4 (2004–2006), 5x5 (2004–2006), 4x4 BLD (2006-2009 & 2010-2011), 5x5 BLD (2006–2008), Fewest Moves (2008–2009).

== Achievements ==
=== Titles ===
{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 OH World Champion | year=2003}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Ryan Patricio]] | year=2005, 2007 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Dror Vomberg]] | year=2003 }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Blindfolded World Champion | year=2007 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Kai Jiptner]] | year=2009 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Rafał Guzewicz]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5 Blindfolded World Champion | year=2011 }}
{{S-title-aft | after=[[Marcell Endrey]] | year=2013}}

{{S-ach| ach=National Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 OH US Champion | year=2004}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Ryan Patricio]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Blindfolded US Champion | year=2004}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Leyan Lo]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Speedsolve US Champion | year=2004}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Frank Morris]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=5x5 Speedsolve US Champion | year=2004}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Frank Morris]] | year=2006 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Blindfolded US Champion | year=2006, 2008 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Timothy Sun]] | year=2009 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Timothy Sun]] | year=2009 }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Blindfolded US Champion | year=2010 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Mike Hughey]] | year=2011 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=5x5 Blindfolded US Champion | year=2006}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Mike Hughey]] | year=2008-2011 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Daniel Lo]] | year=2007 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Fewest Moves US Champion | year=2008}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[David Woner]] | year=2009, 2010 }}

{{S-end}}

=== Records ===
==== World Records ====
* 2 [[4x4x4 Cube]] WR [[single]]s (1:12.85 in 2004, 55.38 in 2005)
* 1 [[4x4x4 Cube]] WR [[average]] (1:15.54 in 2004)
* 3 [[3x3x3 One-Handed]] WR singles (44.98 in 2003, 42.09 in 2004, 25.95 in 2004)
*4 [[4x4x4 Blindfolded]] WR singles (12:12.00 in 2006, 8:04.90 in 2006, 6:20.96 in 2007, 4:46.19 in 2009)
* 6 [[5x5x5 Blindfolded]] WR singles (55:21.00 in 2006, 28.28.00 in 2006, 26:19.00 in 2006, 19:55.00 in 2007, 17:22.00 in 2008, and 15:22.00 in 2008)

==== Continetal Records ====
* 2 [[3x3x3 Cube]] WR [[single]]s (15.85 in 2004, 12.87 in 2005)
* 3 [[3x3x3 Cube]] WR [[average]]s (17.91 in 2004, 16.86 in 2005, 15.96 in 2005)
* 1 [[2x2x2 Cube]] WR average (8.05 in 2005)
* 2 [[4x4x4 Cube]] WR singles (1:36.69 in 2003, 1:01.26 in 2005)
* 2 [[4x4x4 Cube]] WR averages (1:59.70 in 2003, 1:06.08 in 2005)
* 1 [[5x5x5 Cube]] WR single (2:36.85 in 2004)
* 1 [[5x5x5 Cube]] WR average (2:53.36 in 2004)
* 1 [[3x3x3 Blindfolded]] WR single (6:05.75 in 2004)
* 1 [[5x5x5 Blindfolded]] WR single (12:59.00 in 2011)

== External links ==
* [http://speedcubing.com/chris/ Chris Hardwick's Rubik's Cube Page], speedcubing.com
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20010808075618/http://www.geocities.com:80/cmhardw/ Chris Hardwick's Rubik's Cube page] at the Internet Archive. (August 2001).
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?5310-Interview-with-Chris-Hardwick Interview with Chris Hardwick]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMGARiJ-FpY Axe deodorant commercial parodying Chris Hardwick's video]
* [http://www.cubecastpodcast.com/episodes/ CubeCast Podcast: Episode 03 - Chris Hardwick]

[[Category:Former world record holders|Hardwick, Chris]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Hardwick, Chris]]
[[Category:Blindfold cubers|Hardwick, Chris]]
[[Category:Big Cube solvers|Hardwick, Chris]]
[[Category:4x4x4 solvers|Hardwick, Chris]]
[[Category:OH cubers|Hardwick, Chris]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Hardwick, Chris]]
[[Category:Cubers|Hardwick, Chris]]

Natán Riggenbach

2019-07-19T21:56:42Z

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{{Infobox
|NAME=Natán Riggenbach
|IMAGE=Natán Riggenbach.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=!
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Peru
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=2011-present
|ID=2011RIGG03
|FAMOUSFOR=Peruvian competition organizer
}}

'''Natán Riggenbach''' is a Peruvian speedcuber. He is the first competition organizer and [[WCA delegate]] from his country. He traveled to Ohio for [[US Nationals 2011]]. He has since also been a staff for [[US Nationals]]. He was a [[WCA]] board member in 2015.

== External links ==
[https://www.youtube.com/user/Anglachel7 Natán's YouTube channel]

[[Category:Organizers|Riggenbach, Natan]]
[[Category:Cubers|Riggenbach, Natan]]

Ilkyoo Choi

2019-07-19T21:55:13Z

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{{Infobox
|NAME=Ilkyoo Choi
|IMAGE=Ilkyoo Choi.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=!
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Korea
|BIRTHDATE=21 September 1987
|AGE={{Age|1987|9|21}}
|JOBS=Mathematics grad student
|YEARSACTIVE=2005-present
|ID=2008CHOI04
|FAMOUSFOR=Korean delegate
}}

'''Ilkyoo Choi''' is a [[Korea|South Korean]] speedcuber. He was a [[WCA Board]] member from around 2013-16. Ilkyoo attended Carnegie Mellon University, where he organized several [[WCA]] competitions and taught a cubing class.

He was a mathematics graduate student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

[[Category:Organizers|Choi, Ilkyoo]]
[[Category:Cubers|Choi, Ilkyoo]]

Olivér Perge

2019-07-19T21:54:07Z

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{{Infobox
|NAME=Olivér Perge
|IMAGE=OlivérPerge.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Hungary
|BIRTHDATE=
|AGE=
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=2007-present
|ID=2007PERG01
|FAMOUSFOR=
}}

'''Olivér Perge''' (Pronounced: ['oliveːr 'pɛrge]) is a Hungarian speedcuber.

He became a board member of the [[WCA]] in 2015.

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Zbigniew Zborowski]] | year=2007 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Fewest Moves World Champion | year=2009 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Sébastien Auroux]] | year=2011}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Róbert Örkényi]] | year=2007 }}
{{S-title| title=Rubik's Magic World Champion | year=2009 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Bálint Bodor]] | year=2011 }}

{{S-end}}

[[Category:Former world record holders|Perge, Oliver]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Perge, Oliver]]
[[Category:Fewest Moves solvers|Perge, Oliver]]
[[Category:Clock solvers|Perge, Oliver]]
[[Category:Magic solvers|Perge, Oliver]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Perge, Oliver]]

World Cube Association

2019-07-19T21:52:15Z

Spacecircles: /* History */

[[Image:WCAlogo.jpg|thumb|right|The WCA logo]]

The '''World Cube Association''' (abbreviated as '''WCA''') is the ruling and organizing entity for [[speedsolving]] [[Rubik's Cube]] and other [[puzzle]]s. Although the WCA has no legal status, it is regarded by all top [[speedcuber]]s as the official organization for cubing competitions and records.

==History==

The WCA was founded by [[Ron van Bruchem]] and [[Tyson Mao]], who were also the first members of the [[WCA Board]], the governing body of the WCA. [[Gilles Roux]] joined as a board member in October, 2004, and [[Masayuki Akimoto]] in September, 2005. [[Gilles Roux]] retired from the board in November, 2008, and [[Masayuki Akimoto]] retired in the beginning of 2012. In July 2012, [[Sébastien Auroux]] and [[Tim Reynolds]] joined as board members.

Tyson Mao retired from the WCA in 2013.

In 2014 the board consisted of Ron van Bruchem, [[Ilkyoo Choi]], [[Natán Riggenbach]], and Tim Reynolds.

In 2015 the board was Ron van Bruchem, Ilkyoo Choi, [[Olivér Perge]], and [[Pedro Santos Guimarães]].

In 2016 the board was Ron van Bruchem, [[Chris Hardwick]], Ilkyoo Choi, [[Luis J. Iáñez]], and Pedro Santos Guimarães.

In 2017 the board was Ron van Bruchem, Chris Hardwick, [[Luis J. Iáñez]], Olivér Perge, and Pedro Santos Guimarães.

Ron van Bruchem retired in 2018.

At the end of 2018 the board was [[Alberto Pérez de Rada Fiol]], [[Bob Burton]], [[Chris Wright]], and Olivér Perge

==Requirements for an official competition==

The following is taken from the official WCA [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/regulations/ regulations]. The following things are necessary for an official competition:
* The WCA Board must approve the competition.
* The WCA regulations must be followed.
* There must be a [[WCA delegate]] (appointed by WCA Board) attending the competition.
* The competition must be clearly announced, at least two weeks before the competition starts.
* The competition must be accessible for the public.
* The [[Stackmat]] timer (at least Generation 2) must be used for time measurement.

Official results can only be set at WCA-official events. Because of this, non-WCA-official competitions tend to receive much less interest.

== List of official events ==
As of 2013, WCA recognizes the following 18 official events:
* 3x3 Speedsolve
* 4x4 Speedsolve
* 5x5 Speedsolve
* 2x2 Speedsolve
* 3x3 Blindfolded
* 3x3 [[OH|One-Handed]]
* 3x3 [[Fewest Moves]]
* 3x3 with Feet
* [[Megaminx]]
* [[Pyraminx]]
* [[Square-1]]
* [[Rubik's Clock]]
* 6x6 Speedsolve
* 7x7 Speedsolve
* 4x4 Blindfolded
* 5x5 Blindfolded
* Multi-BLD
* Skewb

== Former events ==
* 3x3x3 No Inspection (removed in ?)
* Old Multi-Blind (removed in 2008)
* Rainbow Cube (removed in 2009)
* Siamese Cube (removed in 2009)
* Rubik's Magic (removed in 2013)
* Rubik's Master Magic (removed in 2013)

== Countries recognized ==
See by continent
* [[Africa]]
* [[Asia]]
* [[Europe]]
* [[North America]]
* [[South America]]
* [[Oceania]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org Main WCA website]
* [http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/ WCA official results page]
* [https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/regulations/ WCA regulations]

[[Category:Competitive Cubing]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Websites]]
[[Category:World Cube Association]]

Masayuki Akimoto

2019-07-19T21:23:00Z

Spacecircles:

{{Infobox
|NAME=Masayuki Akimoto
|IMAGE=Masayuki Akimoto.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Japan
|BIRTHDATE=c. 1966
|AGE={{Age in years|1966}}
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=1981-present
|ID=2003AKIM01
|FAMOUSFOR=Big cube Columns First, 2003 4x4 and 5x5 World Champion
}}

'''Masayuki Akimoto''' (秋元正行) is a [[Japan]]ese speedcuber. He became a board member of the [[WCA]] in 2005. He also served as the chairman of the [[JRCA]] (Japan Rubik's Cube Association) from its foundation through 2011.

In the 1980s Masayuki Akimoto was fifth in the first national tournament in Japan, and the fourth in the second tournament. At the first tournament he states that his method was "very primitive (average about 50 sec?)" but he then developed an original corners-first method bringing his times down to about 27-28 seconds.[https://web.archive.org/web/20050310065534/http://rokumentai.akimoto3.com:80/aboute.htm]

He began cubing again in the early 2000s after not touching a Rubik's Cube for "two or three years around 1997-2000". He switched to a [[CFCE]] method similar to that used by [[Guus Razoux Schultz]], allowing him to achieve sub-20 second times. He attended the [[World Rubik's Games Championship 2003]] and won the championship for 4x4 and 5x5 using an original Columns First method.[https://web.archive.org/web/20050310065534/http://rokumentai.akimoto3.com/aboute.htm]

==Akimoto Method==
''Main article: [[Akimoto Method]]''

Masayuki Akimoto invented the Columns First method for [[Big cubes]] in the 1980s, which he used to win the 4x4 and 5x5 Speedsolve at the World Championship. The solution steps are:
# Solve the top corners.
# Solve the four middle layer dedges.
# Solve the top centre.
# Solve three dedges of the top layer.
# Solve the remaining centres.
# Solve the last dedge of the top layer.
# Solve the last (bottom) layer (corners, dedges, fix parities)

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Speedsolve World Champion | year=2003}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Yuki Hayashi]] | year=2005 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=5x5 Speedsolve World Champion | year=2003}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Frank Morris]] | year=2005 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=2x2 Speedsolve World Champion | year=2005}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Łukasz Ciałoń]] | year=2007 }}

{{S-end}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011123648/http://worldcubeassociation.org/node/1 Masayuki Akimoto new WCA board member], March 24, 2006
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090115011534/http://rokumentai.akimoto3.com/indexe.htm Rokumentai], Masayuki Akimoto's cubing website c. 2009 at the Internet Archive

[[Category:WCA Board members|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Former world record holders|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Organizers|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Cubers|Akimoto, Masayuki]]

Ron van Bruchem

2019-07-19T21:21:53Z

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{{Infobox
|NAME=Ron van Bruchem
|IMAGE=Ron van Bruchem.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Netherlands
|BIRTHDATE=20 April 1967
|AGE={{Age|1967|4|20}}
|JOBS=Corporate IT strategist
|YEARSACTIVE=1980-3, 1999-present
|ID=2003BRUC01
|FAMOUSFOR=[[WCA]] co-founder, Euro organizer, 3x3 single WR
}}

'''Ron van Bruchem''' is a Dutch speedcuber. He was a co-founder and board member of the [[WCA]] in 2004, stepping down from the position in 2018. He was the main organizer for major [[Europe]]an competitions, including the [[European Championship]]s, and of many competitions in the Netherlands and Germany. He created [[Speedcubing.com]], widely considered the first hub website for speedcubing, in July 2000.

He co-invented the [[ZB method]] with [[Zbigniew Zborowski]] around 2002. He has set world records in 2x2, 3x3, and 5x5 single.

==History==
Ron van Bruchem began cubing at the age of 13 in 1980. He was in hospital for 8 weeks and a friend's mother brought him a Rubik's Cube from Czechoslovakia. When the cube came popular in the Netherlands in 1981, he could solve it in around 35 seconds. He stopped cubing in 1983 after the cube craze, but in December 1999 he got the "Rubik's Games" computer game. This brought him in contact online with other cubers such as [[Chris Hardwick]] and [[Ton Dennenbroek]]. He created [[Speedcubing.com]] in 2000 as a hub site for speedcubing. After an aborted attempt to created a world championship in December 2001, [[Dan Gosbee]] stepped in to help, and staged the [[World Rubik's Games Championship 2003]] in Canada. The following year Ron co-founded the [[World Cube Association]] with [[Tyson Mao]], organising and coordinating competitions around the world, and helping to set-up national and local organisations.

He has competed in many tournaments, and has held the world record single for the 5x5 Cube (Belgian Open 2006), 2x2 Cube (UK Open 2007), and 3x3 Rubik's Cube (Dutch Championship 2007).

He works as a corporate IT strategist for a banking group (Rabobank).

==Fun facts==
*Ron is credited with inventing the word "speedcubing" as the result of needing a website name in 2000 (the two-word phrase "speed cubing" itself dates from 1981 [http://helm.lu/cube/cube-lovers/txt-files/cube-mail-02.txt]).
*His wedding was Rubik's Cube themed, including a six-colored cube cake that took four days to make.[http://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/07/14/rubiks-cube-fridrick-petrus]
*Ron likes to cube a lot on the toilet and sometimes a piece pops into the toilet.[https://cubingdare.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/inwrvb/]

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Lars Vandenbergh]] | year=2004 }}
{{S-title| title=5x5 Speedsolve European Champion | year=2006 }}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Erik Akkersdijk]] | year=2008 }}

{{S-end}}

== See also ==
* [[List of World Records/2x2x2]]
* [[List of World Records/3x3x3]]
* [[List of World Records/5x5x5]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.speedcubing.com/ Speedcubing.com]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_van_Bruchem Ron van Bruchem], Wikipedia article
* [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?7587-Interview-with-Ron-van-Bruchem Interview with Ron van Bruchem], Speedsolving.com
* [https://cubingdare.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/inwrvb/ Interview with Ron van Bruchem], Cubing Dare

[[Category:WCA Board members|van Bruchem, Ron]]
[[Category:Former world record holders|van Bruchem, Ron]]
[[Category:Organizers|van Bruchem, Ron]]
[[Category:Big Cube solvers|van Bruchem, Ron]]
[[Category:Method inventors|van Bruchem, Ron]]

Tyson Mao

2019-07-19T21:16:55Z

Spacecircles:

{{Infobox
|NAME=Tyson Mao
|IMAGE=TysonMao.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=2006
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=USA
|BIRTHDATE=8 May 1984
|AGE={{Age|1984|5|8}}
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=2004-2013
|ID=2004MAOT02
|FAMOUSFOR=3x3 BLD WR, [[WCA]] co-founder
}}

'''Tyson Mao''' is a Taiwanese-American speedcuber from Hillsborough, California. He was a co-founder and board member of the [[WCA]] for its first ten years (stepping down at the end of 2013).

He is perhaps best known as the organizer of major US competitions, including [[US Nationals]]. Although no longer competitive, Tyson set the 3x3 blindfolded world record of 1:58.32 in 2005, the first official time under 2 minutes.

He is the brother of [[Toby Mao]], also a well-known speedcuber.

== Organizer and competitor ==
Tyson founded the [[Caltech Cube Club]] at the California Institute of Technology and began organizing competitions in early 2004, the first official competition in the world after [[World Championship 2003]]. Together with the founding of the WCA, he is thus responsible in large part for the abundance of local competitions since 2004. As a competitor as well, he was a key member of the hayday of the Caltech Cube Club, especially its dominance in blindfold cubing through 2005.

In addition to the Caltech competitions, Tyson has been the main organizer for all US Nationals (2004, 2006-2010).

Tyson has organized or co-organized the following competitions (in chronological order):
* Caltech Winter 2004
* Caltech Spring 2004
* US Nationals 2004
* Caltech Fall 2004
* Kennedy Middle School Fall 2004
* Caltech Winter 2005
* Caltech Spring 2005
* Horace Mann Spring 2005
* Caltech Dallas Summer 2005
* Northern California Fall Open 2005
* Caltech Fall 2005
* Caltech Winter 2006
* Caltech Spring 2006
* San Diego 2006
* US Nationals 2006
* Caltech Fall 2006
* UC Berkeley Fall 2006
* Caltech Winter 2007
* EPGY California Open 2008
* Discovery Science Center 2008
* US Nationals and Open 2008
* San Francisco Open 2009
* US Nationals 2009
* [[United States Rubik's Cube Championships 2010|US Nationals 2010]]
* [[United States National Championships 2011|US Nationals 2011]]
* [[United States National Championships 2012|US Nationals 2012]]

He has in addition delegated for the following competitions:
* Rubik's World Championship 2005
* Chattahoochee Spring 2006
* Caltech Spring 2007
* US Open 2007
* Caltech Summer 2007
* Caltech Fall 2007
* Drexel Fall 2008
* Stanford Spring 2010

== Media appearances ==
In 2006, Tyson competed in the second season of the reality TV show Beauty and the Geek. As a result of this notability, Tyson has also made guest TV appearances and providing cubing footage for commercials (e.g. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gpX_FNQxoQ]).

== Perception within the community ==
Tyson has gained the nickname of "Uncle Tyson" among the cubing community for his founding works on U.S. cubing competitions. The cubing story blog [[Story Time with Uncle Tyson]], featuring an inaugural story by Tyson, was named after him.

== Interviews ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHxdmSvcrZY at US Nationals 2012]

== Trivia ==
* WCA's official scrambling orientation (white on top, green in front) was decided by Tyson.
* Tyson is responsible for starting the [[Mystery Puzzle|Mystery Puzzles]] in US competitions.
* Tyson briefly hosted the [[Sunday Contest]], before it was taken over by Jon Morris.
* Tyson brought the Caltech tradition of Negative Time Tommy's Run with the [[Negative Time Solving Contest]].

== Achievements ==
=== Milestones ===
Tyson was the first cuber to officially achieve the following milestone:
* 3x3 blindfolded: sub-2 (1:58.32)

== External links ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyson_Mao Wikipedia entry]
* [http://uncletyson.wordpress.com/ Story Time with Uncle Tyson]
* [http://uncletyson.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/wcas-scrambling-orientation/ "WCA's scrambling orientation"]
* [http://uncletyson.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/the-valentine-cube-incident/ "The Valentine Cube Incidents"]
* [http://uncletyson.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/the-origin-of-the-mystery-puzzle/ "The Origin of the Mystery Puzzle"]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP2q9YgdiS0 US Nationals seminar: Organizing Competitions by Tyson Mao]

[[Category:WCA Board members|Mao, Tyson]]
[[Category:Former world record holders|Mao, Tyson]]
[[Category:Organizers|Mao, Tyson]]
[[Category:Blindfold cubers|Mao, Tyson]]

Masayuki Akimoto

2019-07-19T21:10:11Z

Spacecircles:

{{Infobox
|NAME=Masayuki Akimoto
|IMAGE=Masayuki Akimoto.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Japan
|BIRTHDATE=c. 1966
|AGE={{Age in years|1966}}
|JOBS=
|YEARSACTIVE=1981-present
|ID=2003AKIM01
|FAMOUSFOR=Big cube Columns First, 2003 4x4 and 5x5 World Champion
}}

'''Masayuki Akimoto''' (秋元正行) is a [[Japan]]ese speedcuber. He became a board member of the [[WCA]] in 2006. He also served as the chairman of the [[JRCA]] (Japan Rubik's Cube Association) from its foundation through 2011.

In the 1980s Masayuki Akimoto was fifth in the first national tournament in Japan, and the fourth in the second tournament. At the first tournament he states that his method was "very primitive (average about 50 sec?)" but he then developed an original corners-first method bringing his times down to about 27-28 seconds.[https://web.archive.org/web/20050310065534/http://rokumentai.akimoto3.com:80/aboute.htm]

He began cubing again in the early 2000s after not touching a Rubik's Cube for "two or three years around 1997-2000". He switched to a [[CFCE]] method similar to that used by [[Guus Razoux Schultz]], allowing him to achieve sub-20 second times. He attended the [[World Rubik's Games Championship 2003]] and won the championship for 4x4 and 5x5 using an original Columns First method.[https://web.archive.org/web/20050310065534/http://rokumentai.akimoto3.com/aboute.htm]

==Akimoto Method==
''Main article: [[Akimoto Method]]''

Masayuki Akimoto invented the Columns First method for [[Big cubes]] in the 1980s, which he used to win the 4x4 and 5x5 Speedsolve at the World Championship. The solution steps are:
# Solve the top corners.
# Solve the four middle layer dedges.
# Solve the top centre.
# Solve three dedges of the top layer.
# Solve the remaining centres.
# Solve the last dedge of the top layer.
# Solve the last (bottom) layer (corners, dedges, fix parities)

== Achievements ==

{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=World Titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Speedsolve World Champion | year=2003}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Yuki Hayashi]] | year=2005 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=5x5 Speedsolve World Champion | year=2003}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Frank Morris]] | year=2005 }}

{{S-title-bef| before=None | year= }}
{{S-title| title=2x2 Speedsolve World Champion | year=2005}}
{{S-title-aft| after=[[Łukasz Ciałoń]] | year=2007 }}

{{S-end}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011123648/http://worldcubeassociation.org/node/1 Masayuki Akimoto new WCA board member], March 24, 2006
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090115011534/http://rokumentai.akimoto3.com/indexe.htm Rokumentai], Masayuki Akimoto's cubing website c. 2009 at the Internet Archive

[[Category:WCA Board members|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Former world record holders|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Former world champions|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Organizers|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Akimoto, Masayuki]]
[[Category:Cubers|Akimoto, Masayuki]]

Columns First Methods

2019-07-19T21:08:56Z

Spacecircles: /* Columns for big cubes */

{{Method Infobox
|name=Columns first
|image=Columns_first.gif
|proposers=
|year=
|anames=Columns
|variants=[[Corners first]]
|steps=2 major, several sub steps
|algs=4 min
|moves=Advanced ~45-50 [[STM]]
|purpose=
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}

'''Columns first''' is a group of [[method]]s for the [[3x3x3 cube]] that in some way build four columns of three pieces each, two adjacent [[corner]]s and the and the [[edge]] between them, as the first [[step]]s. Columns are most often aligned top to bottom but two more directions are possible. These methods can be relatively fast, effective and easy but there are few cubers who use columns as their main method.

==Columns for total noobs==
* Solve 4 [[FL|first layer]] corners.
* Solve 4 middle layer edges using the [[LBL]] alg and its mirror.
* Use [[Sune]] and Antisune to orient the [[LL|last layer]] [[corner]]s.
* Use [[PLL|A-PLL]] to permute the corners.
* Solve centres using M and S.
* Use M' U M and M' U2 M to solve the first layer edges.
* Use M' U M U2 M' U M to orient the last layer edges.
* Use U-PLL to permute the LL edges.

This will solve the cube but in at least 100 turns on average, probably more, there are more effective ways and using this will only complicate things, you are better of with a pure [[Corners First]] method. The whole idea is to benefit from solving the middle layer while solving the first layer corners, that's how columns differs from CF. Take a look at this intermediate method instead:

==Intermediate columns==
* Solve 4 F2L pairs.
* corners (COLL, 42 algs)
* Solve centres together with 2-3 first layer edges.
* Orient the remaining edges (EO, 5 or 9 cases depending on method)
* Permute last edges, one way is to solve the last one(s) to FL and use [[EPLL]], another is to use [[Roux]] style and put RU-LU and then permute the M-slice.

Much better, it will solve in less than 60 [[STM]], look ahead is fairly easy, and there are not more than around 20 algorithms, a method well suited for [[speedsolving]].

===Not really columns===
One way to improve the intermediate method is to skip the CP step, always solve the last FL edge(s) after EO and end the solve using [[PLL]]. That will average around 55 STM but you will need nearly twice as many algs then.

==Advanced==
See [[PCMS]] for an example.

==Columns for big cubes==
''Main article: [[Akimoto Method]]''

[[Masayuki Akimoto]] invented a columns first method for [[4x4x4]] and larger cubes some years ago that once was published at his site (that is down nowdays).

See this thread [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=363] at [[Speedsolving.com]] for more information on that.

===See also===
* [[Corners first]]

[[Category:3x3x3 methods]]

Columns First Methods

2019-07-19T21:08:02Z

Spacecircles:

{{Method Infobox
|name=Columns first
|image=Columns_first.gif
|proposers=
|year=
|anames=Columns
|variants=[[Corners first]]
|steps=2 major, several sub steps
|algs=4 min
|moves=Advanced ~45-50 [[STM]]
|purpose=
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}

'''Columns first''' is a group of [[method]]s for the [[3x3x3 cube]] that in some way build four columns of three pieces each, two adjacent [[corner]]s and the and the [[edge]] between them, as the first [[step]]s. Columns are most often aligned top to bottom but two more directions are possible. These methods can be relatively fast, effective and easy but there are few cubers who use columns as their main method.

==Columns for total noobs==
* Solve 4 [[FL|first layer]] corners.
* Solve 4 middle layer edges using the [[LBL]] alg and its mirror.
* Use [[Sune]] and Antisune to orient the [[LL|last layer]] [[corner]]s.
* Use [[PLL|A-PLL]] to permute the corners.
* Solve centres using M and S.
* Use M' U M and M' U2 M to solve the first layer edges.
* Use M' U M U2 M' U M to orient the last layer edges.
* Use U-PLL to permute the LL edges.

This will solve the cube but in at least 100 turns on average, probably more, there are more effective ways and using this will only complicate things, you are better of with a pure [[Corners First]] method. The whole idea is to benefit from solving the middle layer while solving the first layer corners, that's how columns differs from CF. Take a look at this intermediate method instead:

==Intermediate columns==
* Solve 4 F2L pairs.
* corners (COLL, 42 algs)
* Solve centres together with 2-3 first layer edges.
* Orient the remaining edges (EO, 5 or 9 cases depending on method)
* Permute last edges, one way is to solve the last one(s) to FL and use [[EPLL]], another is to use [[Roux]] style and put RU-LU and then permute the M-slice.

Much better, it will solve in less than 60 [[STM]], look ahead is fairly easy, and there are not more than around 20 algorithms, a method well suited for [[speedsolving]].

===Not really columns===
One way to improve the intermediate method is to skip the CP step, always solve the last FL edge(s) after EO and end the solve using [[PLL]]. That will average around 55 STM but you will need nearly twice as many algs then.

==Advanced==
See [[PCMS]] for an example.

==Columns for big cubes==
''Main article: [[Akimoto Method]]''
[[Masayuki Akimoto]] invented a columns first method for [[4x4x4]] and larger cubes some years ago that once was published at his site (that is down nowdays).

See this thread [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=363] at [[Speedsolving.com]] for more information on that.

===See also===
* [[Corners first]]

[[Category:3x3x3 methods]]

Layer by layer

2019-07-19T20:26:11Z

Spacecircles: Add some history

== 3x3x3 LBL Method ==
{{Method Infobox
|name=LBL (3x3x3)
|image=Layer_by_layer.gif
|proposers=[[David Singmaster]] and others
|year=1970s
|anames=Beginner's method, Samsara method
|variants=[[CFOP]], [[8355]]
|steps=5+
|algs=6+
|moves=80+
|purpose=
* [[Beginner method]]
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}

'''Layer-By-Layer''', or normally only '''LBL''' is a group of [[method]]s that solves the [[cube]] in layers. In the basic, [[3x3x3 beginner methods#Layer By Layer|beginner LBL method]], the solver finishes the layers one at a time: the [[first layer]] edges, then corners, then the second layer edges, and finally the [[last layer]]. This is a common method for new cubers to discover on their own. In more advanced LBL methods, you solve layers more efficiently or solve two layers at once. For example, in the [[CFOP method]], one solves the [[first two layers]] simultaneously by forming a [[cross]] of the first layer [[edge]]s, and then filling in four [[pair]]s of a [[corner]] and an [[edge]] into the so-called [[slot]]s.

==History==
Although it is not known who first performed a Layer-by-layer solve, the first detailed description of the method was the one invented by [[David Singmaster]]. He published it (along with his [[3x3x3 notation]]) in his Notes on Rubik's 'Magic Cube' in 1979. During the 1980s cube craze Layer-by-layer was rivalled by [[Corners First]] methods in popularity. At the [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 1982]] only four out of the nineteen competitors used methods based on Layer-by-layer, although these included [[Guus Razoux Schultz]] ([[CFCE]] method), and [[Jessica Fridrich]] (who did [[CFOP]] without F2L). Since speedcubing revived in the late-1990s, the Layer-by-layer approach has dominated both beginner solutions (where it is often called '''the beginner's method'''), and speedcubing (especially [[CFOP]]).

==Methods ==
There are many 3x3x3 methods that fully or partially use a LBL approach, including [[CFOP]], the method used by most top speedcubers in the world. Three examples of how cubers might approach LBL:

===Beginner 3x3x3 LBL===

With this method, the novice cuber truly completes each layer one after the other, using few algorithms (but taking perhaps over 100 moves). This is one of the most popular beginners' methods in existence.

* ( [[Daisy]] )
* Bottom layer: [[Corners XG]] ([[Cross]] plus Corners)
* Middle Layer: Insert the 4 middle layer edges (each edge is inserted individually)
* [[4-Look Last Layer]], sometimes actually more like 8-looks by re-using algorithms

===Intermediate 3x3x3 LBL===
At this stage the cuber may develop strategies such as keyhole to reduce middle layer moves, as well as learning further last layer algorithms.

* [[Cross]]
* [[Keyhole]] F2L
* [[4-Look Last Layer]]

===Advanced 3x3x3 LBL===
The advanced LBL cuber often uses [[CFOP]], employing fast, intuitive F2L techniques and learning many more last layer algorithms to reduce moves and improve speed further.
* [[Cross]]
* [[F2L]]
* [[OLL]]
* [[PLL]]

== 2x2x2 LBL Method ==
{{Method Infobox
|name=LBL (2x2x2)
|image=Lbl.gif
|proposers=none
|year=1970s
|anames
|variants=[[CLL]]
|steps=3
|algs=3+
|moves=25+
|purpose=
* [[Beginner Method]]
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}

As if you are solving the 3x3 using the Layer-By-Layer method.

Do the bottom layer first, then [[OLL (2x2x2)]], and last [[PLL (2x2x2)]].

__NOTOC__
 

==See also==
* [[OLL]] (3x3x3)
* [[PLL]] (3x3x3)
* [[OLL (2x2x2)]]
* [[PLL (2x2x2)]]
* [[Layer]]
* [[First Layer]]
* [[Last Layer]]
* [[4-Look Last Layer]]

== External links ==

===Web pages===

* [https://www.rubiks.com/blog/how-to-solve-the-rubiks-cube How to solve the Rubik's cube] The official beginner's guide on rubiks.com
* [http://peter.stillhq.com/jasmine/rubikscubesolution.html Jasmine Lee's Beginner Solution] Excellent beginner's solution, more concise than the rubiks.com version.
* [http://www.kungfoomanchu.com/guides/andy-klise-3x3x3-beginners-guide.pdf Andy Klise's beginner's guide] (pdf) A "cheat sheet" summary version of Jasmine Lee's page, with less explanation.
* [http://www.rubiksplace.com Beginners solution with animations] Excellent tutorial at www.rubiksplace.com
* [http://rubikscube.info/beginner.php rubikscube.info Beginner LBL for the 2x2x2]
* [https://www.speedcubingtips.eu/methodes-de-resolution/methode-simple/ 3x3x3 LBL tutorial in French by speedcubingtips.eu]
* [https://www.speedcubingtips.eu/methodes-de-resolution/methode-simple-2x2x2-pocket-cube/ 2x2x2 LBL tutorial in French by speedcubingtips.eu]

===Video tutorials===

* [http://www.rubiks.com/Academy/Tyson%20Video.aspx Tyson Mao's tutorial on rubiks.com]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/CubeRight#p/u/8/VVrOmmKnVjo CubeRight's Beginners Tutorial (HD)] Excellent tutorial, easy transition to Fridrich method.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=609nhVzg-5Q Badmephiosto's Beginners Tutorial] Quality tutorial, also designed for easy transition to Fridrich method
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsQIoPyfQzM Dan Brown's Beginner Method] combines corner orientation/permutation into one step making the solve a little easier, but much slower and more difficult to transition to Fridrich (video)

[[Category:2x2x2]]
[[Category:2x2x2 methods]]
[[Category:2x2x2 beginner methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 beginner methods]]
[[Category:2x2x2 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 Layers methods]]

CFOP method

2019-07-19T19:47:50Z

Spacecircles: Add Kurt Dockhorn to inventors list

{{Method Infobox
|name=CFOP
|image=F2Linfo.png
|proposers=[[David Singmaster]] [[René Schoof]] [[Jessica Fridrich]] [[Hans Dockhorn]] [[Kurt Dockhorn]] [[Anneke Treep]]
|year=1981
|anames=Fridrich Method
|variants=[[CLL]]/[[ELL]], [[VH]], [[ZB]], [[MGLS-F]]
|steps=4 (Cross, F2L, OLL, PLL)
|algs=Total: 78 to 119 F2L: 0 to 41 Full 2LLL: 78 (OLL: 57, PLL: 21)
|moves=~55
|purpose=
* [[Speedsolving]]
* [[Speed BLD]]
* [[One-Handed Solving]]
* [[Solving with Feet]]
}}

{{Method Header
|listofsteps=[[Cross|'''C'''ross]] -> [[F2L|'''F'''2L]] -> [[OLL|'''O'''LL]] -> [[PLL|'''P'''LL]]
|description=[[CFOP|'''CFOP''']] is the most frequently used [[speedsolving]] [[method]] for the [[3x3x3 cube]].
}}

'''CFOP''' (''Cross, F2L, OLL, PLL'', pronounced C-F-O-P or C-fop) is a 3x3 speedsolving method proposed by several cubers around 1981. It is also known as the '''Fridrich Method''' after its popularizer, [[Jessica Fridrich]]. In part due to Fridrich's publication of the method on her website in 1995, CFOP has been the most dominant 3x3 speedcubing method since around 2000, with it and its variants used by the vast majority of the top speedcubers such as [[Feliks Zemdegs]], [[Max Park]], [[Sebastian Weyer]], [[Mats Valk]], etc.

== Origin and Naming Dispute ==

Jessica Fridrich is often erroneously credited as the sole inventor of CFOP. In reality, many developments were made in the early '80s by other cubers who have contributed to the method in its current form. The constituent techniques and their original proposers are as follows:
* [[Cross]]: [[David Singmaster]]
* [[F2L]] (4x corner + edge pairs): [[René Schoof]]
* [[OLL]]/[[PLL]]: [[Hans Dockhorn]], [[Kurt Dockhorn]], [[Anneke Treep]], with many algorithms developed by [[Jessica Fridrich]]

During the resurgence in speedcubing's popularity in the late '90s and early 2000s, there was a general lack of information on the sport. Fridrich's website offered a vast wealth of information for those entering the sport, including a full description of CFOP with complete lists of algorithms. As a result, many who learned from her website began to call this method the "Fridrich Method," which explains the common use of the term today.

Several high-profile cubers have long disputed this terminology; [[Ron van Bruchem]], famously, has publicly written that he will never call CFOP the "Fridrich Method." This issue has become well-advertised within the cubing community around the year 2008, likely because of this. The term "CFOP" has since seen increasing usage compared to back then, also in part motivated by efforts to standardize terminology in method classification, and is now seen, commonly, as "Fridrich Method."

While some cubers still insist on the term "CFOP," Fridrich's contribution to the popularization of the method is undeniable, and many others accept the term "Fridrich Method" as established terminology and a perfectly valid synonym for "CFOP."

== Steps ==
CFOP can be viewed as an advanced version of a [[Layer-By-Layer]] method. In particular, it combines some steps of the said method into one by using many more algorithms. Here, we outline pure CFOP without any additional trick. Also, the cube is commonly solved with the white side on top for the cross, yellow on the bottom for the cross, and opposite for the other steps. However, it is NOT required.

{|
|| [[File:Cross 2.jpg|120px|Cross|link=Cross]]
| valign="top" | '''[[Cross]]'''

Make a cross on one side by solving all edges of a given face. A
Make sure to align the edges with the second-layer centers.

It is recommended that you solve the cross on the bottom, left, right or back face and that you become familiar doing the cross with all colors; not just one.
|}

{|
|| [[File:F2Linfo.png|120px|F2L|link=F2L]]
| valign="top" | '''[[F2L]] (First Two Layers)'''

Fill in the four '''slots''' between the cross pieces, one slot at a time. Each slot is filled by inserting a corner and its corresponding edge simultaneously. Most of the 41 cases have reasonable intuitive solutions. The completion of this step leaves one with just the last layer, typically placed on top.
|}

{|
|| [[File:OLLinfo.png|120px|OLL|link=OLL]]
| valign="top" | '''[[OLL]] (Orientation of the Last Layer)'''

Make the entire top side (the last layer) of the cube a solid color. 57 nontrivial cases.

''Those new to [[OLL]] break up the step into two. This greatly reduces the number of cases; [[2-look OLL]] has 9 cases. However, note that this is a few seconds slower''
|}

{|
|| [[File:PLLinfo.jpg|120px|PLL|link=PLL]]
| valign="top" | '''[[PLL]] (Permutation of the Last Layer)'''

Finally, you finish the cube by permuting the top layer of the cube. 21 nontrivial cases.

''Those new to [[PLL]] break up the step into two. This greatly reduces the number of cases; [[2-look PLL]] has 6 cases. However, note that this is a few seconds slower''
|}

== Pros ==

* '''Easy to learn''' - CFOP is widely considered to be the easiest method to learn, as it transitions easily from beginner's methods.
* '''Doesn't require a large understanding of how the cube works''' - Due to the lack of blockbuilding or edge orientation needed in CFOP, the method relies more on pattern recognition and algorithms. Although the cross and F2L are solved intuitively, they are more straightforward than the blockbuilding with Roux or the edge orientation and blockbuilding with ZZ.
* '''Is by far the most researched method''' - As CFOP is the most widely used method and has been for many years, there has been far more research done on CFOP than any other method, which means more resources, a larger variety of algorithms to choose from, and more community members to assist and give advice. All world records for the 3x3 Rubik's Cube since 2003 have been set with CFOP, with the exclusion of Kian Mansour's 9.54 one-handed Ao5 in May 2018.
*'''Statistically the fastest speedsolving method''' - Statistically speaking, CFOP has proven to currently be the fastest method, despite the move count. As of June 1, 2016, the top four speedsolvers in 3x3 average use the method, as well as the top fifteen speedsolvers in 3x3 single.

== Cons ==

* '''Algorithms''' - CFOP with 4 Look last layer makes a total of 16 algorithms (10 2-look OLL algs and 6 2-look PLL algs). Full CFOP has 57 OLLs and 21 PLLs for a total of 78 algorithms. If a person learned one full CFOP alg a day (OLL and PLL), it would take a bit over 2 and a half months to learn all of them.
* '''Move count''' - CFOP has a slightly higher average movecount than that of ZZ and much higher movecount compared to Roux.
* '''Reliance on Inspection''' - CFOP relies on the use of inspection time, in order for the cross (and the first pair, depending on how advanced the user is) to be solved quickly. In instances where there is no inspection time, such as big cube solves where one must transition between the cube's reduction and 3x3x3 steps, this can be a drawback as the cross has to be done on the fly rather than being planned out. Although this may be the case, CFOP is still the most popular choice for the 3x3x3 stage on big cubes as the planning and execution of a Roux or ZZ solve is typically more difficult than doing CFOP.
* '''Difficulty of Cross''' - Planning the cross during inspection can take a while to master. It requires a fair amount of experience, similar to planning the first block with Roux or the EOLine with ZZ.

== See also ==
* [[Cross]]
* [[F2L]]
* [[OLL]]/[[PLL]]
* [[4LLL]]
* [[CFCE]]
* [[ZZ]]
* [[Roux]]

{{F2L}}

{{OLL}}

{{PLL}}

== External links ==

* [http://solvethecube.110mb.com/ Joël van Noort's tutorial] (broken link, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20120209000259/http://solvethecube.110mb.com/ archive.org])
* [http://erikku.er.funpic.org/rubik/Fridrich.html Erik Akkersdijk's tutorial] (broken link, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20140329024426/http://erikku.er.funpic.org/rubik/Fridrich.html archive.org])
* [http://cubefreak.net/speed/cfop/ Shotaro Makisumi's tutorial]
* [http://www.ws.binghamton.edu/fridrich/cube.html Jessica's Homepage]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-xbcAMfWwM Badmephisto's Intuitive F2L Tutorial]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2322 Fridrich Method] - info on its origin.
* [http://algdb.net/ All the CFOP algs that you can think off]
* [https://www.speedcubingtips.eu/methode-cfop/ tutorial in French by speedcubingtips.eu]

[[Category:3x3x3 methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:SpeedBLD Methods]]
[[Category:Acronyms]]

Waterman method

2019-07-19T19:40:38Z

Spacecircles:

{{Method Infobox
|name=Waterman
|image=Waterman_method.gif
|proposers=[[Marc Waterman]] and [[Daan Krammar]]
|year=1982
|algs=117 Total 42 (Step 2) 75 (Step 3)
|anames
|variants
|steps=3
|moves=40 to 45 [[STM]], over 50 [[HTM]]
|purpose=
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}
The '''Waterman method''' is a method for solving the [[3x3x3 cube]] which was invented by [[Marc Waterman]] in the 1980s. The method is based on [[Corners First]] methods but is efficient enough to be used for advanced speedsolving.

==History==
The method was developed by Marc Waterman and his friend [[Daan Krammer]] in 1981. Marc added "a lot of additional processes and shortcuts" to achieve a sub-17-second average by the mid-1980s ([[Minh Thai]]'s 1982 "world record" by comparison was 22.95 seconds). The method seems to have been little-known however. When cubing revived in the late 1990s [[Jessica Fridrich]] put her algorithms on her webpage leading to the rise of [[CFOP]] as a main speedcubing method. Although many websites mentioned the Waterman Method, its details were nowhere to be found.[https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/speedsolvingrubikscube/conversations/messages/19821] In August 2004 [[Josef Jelínek]] contacted Marc Waterman[https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/speedsolvingrubikscube/conversations/messages/12622] and obtained information about the method which he placed on his rubikscube.info website.

==Classification==
It has occasionally been questioned as to whether the Waterman method is a true Corners First method. According to Josef Jelínek:[https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/speedsolvingrubikscube/conversations/topics/30299]
<blockquote>Waterman's method can be considered pure Corners-first. The main reason for that is that you can solve all corners first before starting solving edges without any change to the sequences used or a method itself except for swapping two steps.

The reason Marc solved one layer completely first was probably because he was used to do it like that. It is sometimes (often) easy to see how to put some edges (and a center) to the first layer during completing the first four corners, so reducing the number of turns required for the first layer. CLL sequences used preserve the first layer. Personally, I solve all corners first + some obvious edges of the first layer.</blockquote>

==Steps==
The steps are as follows:
# Solve one layer of the cube. The original way to do this is by first putting together the corners and then solving the center and edges together. This can also be done with [[block building]] (start with a 1x2x3 block as with [[Roux]] and then fill in the last three pieces).
# Solve the corners of the opposite layer. This is done in one step in the style of [[CxLL]]. After this step, turn the cube so that the solved layer is on L.
# Solve two of the edges on R, while at the same time placing a third somewhere in the R layer. Finish the R edges while orienting the M edges, all in one algorithm. This step is difficult to learn and has around 80 algorithms, but the algorithms mostly use only M, R, r, and U moves, so this is a fast step. Step 3c: Solve the M edges. This is trivial and there are only a few possible cases, all very fast.

If you are interested in learning this method you should check out [http://rubikscube.info/waterman/index.php Josef Jelinek's webpage] which has thorough descriptions as well as an unfinished list of algorithms for the last four steps. He also has a copy of the original booklet containing the method.

For the difficult L6E step check out Eric Fattah's [[LMCF]] method which is said to contain "FULL documentation and graphics for the complex Waterman L6E step". [https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2QnZ3uD6I8kbnRRM0sxSDhHbkk/view Documentation]

== See also ==
* [[Corners First]]
* [[Roux Method]]

== External links ==
* [http://rubikscube.info/waterman/index.php rubikscube.info Waterman Tutorial]

[[Category:3x3x3 methods]]
[[Category:2x2x2 methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:2x2x2 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 corners first methods]]

Waterman method

2019-07-19T19:39:48Z

Spacecircles: /* Steps */

{{Method Infobox
|name=Waterman
|image=Waterman_method.gif
|proposers=[[Marc Waterman]] and [[Daan Krammar]]
|year=1982
|algs=117 Total 42 (Step 2) 75 (Step 3)
|anames
|variants
|steps=3
|moves=40 to 45 [[STM]], over 50 [[HTM]]
|purpose=
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}
The '''Waterman method''' is a method for solving the [[3x3x3 cube]] which was invented by [[Marc Waterman]] in the 1980s. The method is based on [[Corners First]] methods but is efficient enough to be used for advanced speedsolving (average times of under 20 seconds).

==History==
The method was developed by Marc Waterman and his friend [[Daan Krammer]] in 1981. Marc added "a lot of additional processes and shortcuts" to achieve a sub-17-second average by the mid-1980s ([[Minh Thai]]'s 1982 "world record" by comparison was 22.95 seconds). The method seems to have been little-known however. When cubing revived in the late 1990s [[Jessica Fridrich]] put her algorithms on her webpage leading to the rise of [[CFOP]] as a main speedcubing method. Although many websites mentioned the Waterman Method, its details were nowhere to be found.[https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/speedsolvingrubikscube/conversations/messages/19821] In August 2004 [[Josef Jelínek]] contacted Marc Waterman[https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/speedsolvingrubikscube/conversations/messages/12622] and obtained information about the method which he placed on his rubikscube.info website.

==Classification==
It has occasionally been questioned as to whether the Waterman method is a true Corners First method. According to Josef Jelínek:[https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/speedsolvingrubikscube/conversations/topics/30299]
<blockquote>Waterman's method can be considered pure Corners-first. The main reason for that is that you can solve all corners first before starting solving edges without any change to the sequences used or a method itself except for swapping two steps.

The reason Marc solved one layer completely first was probably because he was used to do it like that. It is sometimes (often) easy to see how to put some edges (and a center) to the first layer during completing the first four corners, so reducing the number of turns required for the first layer. CLL sequences used preserve the first layer. Personally, I solve all corners first + some obvious edges of the first layer.</blockquote>

==Steps==
The steps are as follows:
# Solve one layer of the cube. The original way to do this is by first putting together the corners and then solving the center and edges together. This can also be done with [[block building]] (start with a 1x2x3 block as with [[Roux]] and then fill in the last three pieces).
# Solve the corners of the opposite layer. This is done in one step in the style of [[CxLL]]. After this step, turn the cube so that the solved layer is on L.
# Solve two of the edges on R, while at the same time placing a third somewhere in the R layer. Finish the R edges while orienting the M edges, all in one algorithm. This step is difficult to learn and has around 80 algorithms, but the algorithms mostly use only M, R, r, and U moves, so this is a fast step. Step 3c: Solve the M edges. This is trivial and there are only a few possible cases, all very fast.

If you are interested in learning this method you should check out [http://rubikscube.info/waterman/index.php Josef Jelinek's webpage] which has thorough descriptions as well as an unfinished list of algorithms for the last four steps. He also has a copy of the original booklet containing the method.

For the difficult L6E step check out Eric Fattah's [[LMCF]] method which is said to contain "FULL documentation and graphics for the complex Waterman L6E step". [https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2QnZ3uD6I8kbnRRM0sxSDhHbkk/view Documentation]

== See also ==
* [[Corners First]]
* [[Roux Method]]

== External links ==
* [http://rubikscube.info/waterman/index.php rubikscube.info Waterman Tutorial]

[[Category:3x3x3 methods]]
[[Category:2x2x2 methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:2x2x2 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 corners first methods]]

LMCF

2019-07-19T19:26:36Z

Spacecircles: /* The Steps */

{{Method Infobox
|name=LMCF
|image=Corners_first.gif
|proposers=[[Eric Fattah]]
|year=2017
|anames
|algs=26-776
|variants=[[Waterman]]
|steps=5
|moves=~45
|purpose=
* [[Fewest Moves]]
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}

The '''LMCF Method''', or Low Movecount Corners First, was invented by Eric Fattah. It is an improved version of the [[Corners First]] Method. Because of its low movecount, the method can easily be used to get sub-10 singles with only 4-5 TPS.

== The Steps ==

1. Solve the corners with full [[EG Method|EG]]. Make sure the centers are solved relative to the corners.

2. Transition Phase - This step doesn't require any algorithms, but it is very important. During the transition phase you solve 1 or 2 of the edges in the top layer while scanning the E slice for your E2L (Edges of the 2 Layers) pairs.

3. Solve all but two of the remaining E2L pairs. In order to maintain a low movecount, solve you E2Ls in pairs or triplets. This step is done intuitively. By the end of this step the E slice will have become the M slice, and the U layer the R layer.

4. Solve the remaining 2 edges on the right/left faces while orienting the edges in the M slice. This step can be completed in as little as 8 algorithms or intuitively.

5. Permute the remaining M slice edges. There are only 3 cases, and they all are solvable in 5 moves or less.

== Pros ==
* Low Movecount (~45 moves STM)
* Gradual progression from beginner to advanced
* 2x2 step is very optimized
* Algorithms are often shorter and easier to learn than ZBLLs or OLLCPs
* Skips on steps allow for very fast singles
* Algorithm carryover with 2x2

== Cons ==
* Can be difficult to understand for beginners
* High algorithm count
* Very reliant on slice moves, making it hard to use for big cubes
* Little support from high end cubers
* Not good for use in OH and Feetsolving because of reliance on slice moves.
* Difficult to achieve high TPS due to reliance on intuition during E2L

== Resources ==
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUJ1XEZ0AzQ Eric Fattah's tutorial video]

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2QnZ3uD6I8kNkpHSURSbzluc2s/view Eric Fattah's tutorial PDF]

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2QnZ3uD6I8kbnRRM0sxSDhHbkk/view L7E Method PDF]

[https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/full-lmcf-3x3-method-now-available.63998/ Speedsolving.com Forum thread]

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7WhTGSCugc 8.77 second LMCF solve]

[[Category:3x3x3 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 corners first methods]]

LMCF

2019-07-19T19:26:16Z

Spacecircles:

{{Method Infobox
|name=LMCF
|image=Corners_first.gif
|proposers=[[Eric Fattah]]
|year=2017
|anames
|algs=26-776
|variants=[[Waterman]]
|steps=5
|moves=~45
|purpose=
* [[Fewest Moves]]
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}

The '''LMCF Method''', or Low Movecount Corners First, was invented by Eric Fattah. It is an improved version of the [[Corners First]] Method. Because of its low movecount, the method can easily be used to get sub-10 singles with only 4-5 TPS.

== The Steps ==

1. Solve the corners with full [EG Method|EG]. Make sure the centers are solved relative to the corners.

2. Transition Phase - This step doesn't require any algorithms, but it is very important. During the transition phase you solve 1 or 2 of the edges in the top layer while scanning the E slice for your E2L (Edges of the 2 Layers) pairs.

3. Solve all but two of the remaining E2L pairs. In order to maintain a low movecount, solve you E2Ls in pairs or triplets. This step is done intuitively. By the end of this step the E slice will have become the M slice, and the U layer the R layer.

4. Solve the remaining 2 edges on the right/left faces while orienting the edges in the M slice. This step can be completed in as little as 8 algorithms or intuitively.

5. Permute the remaining M slice edges. There are only 3 cases, and they all are solvable in 5 moves or less.

== Pros ==
* Low Movecount (~45 moves STM)
* Gradual progression from beginner to advanced
* 2x2 step is very optimized
* Algorithms are often shorter and easier to learn than ZBLLs or OLLCPs
* Skips on steps allow for very fast singles
* Algorithm carryover with 2x2

== Cons ==
* Can be difficult to understand for beginners
* High algorithm count
* Very reliant on slice moves, making it hard to use for big cubes
* Little support from high end cubers
* Not good for use in OH and Feetsolving because of reliance on slice moves.
* Difficult to achieve high TPS due to reliance on intuition during E2L

== Resources ==
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUJ1XEZ0AzQ Eric Fattah's tutorial video]

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2QnZ3uD6I8kNkpHSURSbzluc2s/view Eric Fattah's tutorial PDF]

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2QnZ3uD6I8kbnRRM0sxSDhHbkk/view L7E Method PDF]

[https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/full-lmcf-3x3-method-now-available.63998/ Speedsolving.com Forum thread]

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7WhTGSCugc 8.77 second LMCF solve]

[[Category:3x3x3 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 corners first methods]]

LMCF

2019-07-19T19:24:16Z

Spacecircles:

{{Method Infobox
|name=LMCF
|image=Corners_first.gif
|proposers=[[Eric Fattah]]
|year=2017
|anames
|algs=26-776
|variants=[[Waterman]]
|steps=5
|moves=~45
|purpose=
* [[Fewest Moves]]
* [[Speedsolving]]
}}

The '''LMCF Method''', or Low Movecount Corners First, was invented by Eric Fattah. It is an improved version of the Corners First Method. Because of its low movecount, the method can easily be used to get sub-10 singles with only 4-5 TPS.

== The Steps ==

1. Solve the corners with full [https://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/EG_Method EG]. Make sure the centers are solved relative to the corners.

2. Transition Phase - This step doesn't require any algorithms, but it is very important. During the transition phase you solve 1 or 2 of the edges in the top layer while scanning the E slice for your E2L (Edges of the 2 Layers) pairs.

3. Solve all but two of the remaining E2L pairs. In order to maintain a low movecount, solve you E2Ls in pairs or triplets. This step is done intuitively. By the end of this step the E slice will have become the M slice, and the U layer the R layer.

4. Solve the remaining 2 edges on the right/left faces while orienting the edges in the M slice. This step can be completed in as little as 8 algorithms or intuitively.

5. Permute the remaining M slice edges. There are only 3 cases, and they all are solvable in 5 moves or less.

== Pros ==
* Low Movecount (~45 moves STM)
* Gradual progression from beginner to advanced
* 2x2 step is very optimized
* Algorithms are often shorter and easier to learn than ZBLLs or OLLCPs
* Skips on steps allow for very fast singles
* Algorithm carryover with 2x2

== Cons ==
* Can be difficult to understand for beginners
* High algorithm count
* Very reliant on slice moves, making it hard to use for big cubes
* Little support from high end cubers
* Not good for use in OH and Feetsolving because of reliance on slice moves.
* Difficult to achieve high TPS due to reliance on intuition during E2L

== Resources ==
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUJ1XEZ0AzQ Eric Fattah's tutorial video]

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2QnZ3uD6I8kNkpHSURSbzluc2s/view Eric Fattah's tutorial PDF]

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2QnZ3uD6I8kbnRRM0sxSDhHbkk/view L7E Method PDF]

[https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/full-lmcf-3x3-method-now-available.63998/ Speedsolving.com Forum thread]

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7WhTGSCugc 8.77 second LMCF solve]

[[Category:3x3x3 speedsolving methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 corners first methods]]

Corners First

2019-07-19T19:22:30Z

Spacecircles:

{{Method Infobox
|name=Corners First
|image=Corners_first.gif
|proposers=[[Ernő Rubik]]
|year=1974
|anames=CF
|variants=[[Waterman]], [[Roux]], [[Ortega]], [[Guimond]]
|steps=3
|algs=4 min
|moves
|purpose=
* [[Speedsolving]]
* [[Beginner Method]]
* [[Blindsolving]]
}}

'''Corners First''' methods, abbreviated as '''CF''', are [[speedcubing]] methods that solve all of the corners (relative to each other) before anything else. There are not very many serious CF solvers for [[3x3x3]] these days, but CF methods are relatively easy to invent and were very popular in the [[1980s]]. At least in theory, CF methods exist for all puzzles with corners, although for many puzzles (such as [[big cube]]s) they are impractical for speedsolving. For the [[2x2x2]], on the other hand, there are only corners, so any method is in effect a CF method, and ideas from 2x2 solving can be applied to CF methods on any larger [[cube]] puzzle. The most popular methods for solving the corners are [[Guimond]], [[Ortega]], and [[CLL]]; there are many ways to do the edges, perhaps the most efficient of which is the [[Waterman]] method.

==History==
The first ever solve of a Rubik's Cube was by [[Ernő Rubik]] himself in 1974, and he used a corners first solution he developed himself over several weeks. One of the first published guides specifically intended for speedcubing was [[Jeffrey Varasano]]'s 1981 book ''Conquer the Cube in 45 Seconds'' which used a corners first solution. The first official speedcubing World record (in 1982) was done using corners first (22.95 secs by [[Minh Thai]]). Around that time [[Marc Waterman]] and [[Daan Krammer]] developed the [[Waterman Method]], a highly evolved corners-first method with more than 100 algorithms, allowing Marc Waterman to achieve sub-17-second averages and some of the fastest times of the 1980s.

In the 21st century very little attention has been paid to corners-first methods for 3x3x3 cubes although there are similarities with the highly-efficient [[Roux Method]]. In 2017 [[Eric Fattah]] proposed an efficient corners-first method which he called [[LMCF]] (Low Movecount Corners First).[https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/full-lmcf-3x3-method-now-available.63998/] Around the same time another proposal was a Roux-Waterman hybrid known as [[WaterRoux]].[https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/the-waterroux-3x3-method-thread.64140/]

== Beginner CF Methods ==
There are no specifically named methods in this group, but a typical beginner CF method may look like this:

'''Corners:'''
* Solve the corners of the first layer using intuition.
* Orient the [[LL]] corners using R U R' U' R' F R F' or a similar algorithm.
* Permute the [[LL]] corners using a 3 cycle of corners (A Permutation)
'''Centres:'''
* Move centres into position using slice turns (trivial).
'''Edges:'''
* Place the edges of the E layer using moves like ([[AUF]]) + M' R U' M U R'.
* Place the edges of first layer using M' U M or M' U2 M.
* Orient the last layer edges using [[EOLL#EOLL preserving corners|EOLL]].
* Permute the last layer edges with [[EPLL]] (for the most basic methods this can be done with only the [[PLL#U Permutation : a|U-perm]]).

===See also===
* [[Columns first]]
* [[Edges First]]
* [[Waterman]]
* [[Roux]]

== External links ==
* Josef Jelínek's [http://www.rubikscube.info/ Rubikscube.info], has corners first solutions ranging from beginner methods to the Waterman method
* Solvador Cubi's [http://solvexio.cf/app/#/Corn_E_Midge/ Corn.E.Midge] method with only 16 algs to solve the 3x3 using fewer than 70 moves!

[[Category:3x3x3 methods]]
[[Category:3x3x3 corners first methods]]

Mats Valk

2019-07-19T19:03:58Z

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{{Infobox
|NAME=Mats Valk
|IMAGE=Mats Valk.jpg
|IMAGEYEAR=!
|ALIASES=
|COUNTRY=Netherlands
|BIRTHDATE=4 May 1996
|AGE={{Age|1996|5|4}}
|JOBS=Student
|YEARSACTIVE=2007-current
|ID=2007VALK01
|FAMOUSFOR=3x3 WR, 4x4 WR
}}

'''Mats Valk''' is a Dutch speedcuber. He has been one of the fastest 3x3 and 4x4 solvers in the world since 2009. He has set 4x4 single and average world records in 2011 and 2012 and the 3x3 single in 2013 and 2016. He has also set European records in 3x3, 4x4, 2x2, and 3x3 OH.

==History==
Mats was the first significant Dutch challenger to [[Erik Akkersdijk]]. Their rivalry between 2009 and 2012 was compared to that of [[France|French]] cubers [[Jean Pons]] and [[Edouard Chambon]] during 2005-2007.

From 2011 onwards he was the most significant challenger to the supremacy of [[Feliks Zemdegs]]. He was runner-up to Zemdegs in the 3x3 event at both the Rubik's world championships of 2013 and 2015.

Mats broke the 3x3 world record with a time of 5.55 seconds at the ''Zonhoven Open 2013'' in Belgium on 3 March 2013. This record stood for over 2 years. He broke the world record again with a time of 4.74 seconds at the ''Jawa Timur Open 2016'' in Indonesia on 6 November 2016.

==VLS==
Mats is the creator of the [[VLS]] (Valk Last Slot) 3x3 algorithm set, which correctly orients the last layer while inserting the last corner-edge pair of the first two layers. Valk used one of these algorithms to complete the cube in his 2016 3x3 world record.

==The Valk==
Mats collaborated with [[QiYi]] to set up his own brand, '''The Valk''', creating cubes according to his own specifications. The design of the mechanism and the performance of the cube has to be approved by Mats himself before the cube is mass-produced and sold. The first cube released under this brand was the [[Valk 3]] on 15 August 2016.

== Achievements ==

=== World records ===
Mats currently holds no world records. He has previously held the following world records:

'''Single'''
*3x3x3 cube: 4.74 at Jawa Timur Open 2016
*3x3x3 cube: 5.55 at Zonhoven Open 2013
*4x4x4 cube: 26.77 at German Open 2012
*4x4x4 cube: 30.02 at Dutch Nationals 2011

'''Average'''
*4x4x4 cube: 33.57 at German Open 2012

=== Titles ===
{{S-start}}

{{S-ach| ach=Continental titles}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Giovanni Contardi]] | year=2010 }}
{{S-title| title=4x4 Speedsolve European Champion | year=2012 }}
{{S-title-aft | after=[[Sebastian Weyer]] | year=2014}}

{{S-title-bef| before=[[Philipp Weyer]] | year=2016 }}
{{S-title| title=3x3 Speedsolve European Champion | year=2018 }}
{{S-inc}}

{{S-end}}

== Notable videos ==
* [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?34172-Mats-Valk-official-World-Record-4x4-single-30.02 Mats Valk official World Record 4x4 single : 30.02]
* [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?36416-video-Mats-Valk-Single-WR-26.77-average Mats Valk Single WR 26.77 + average]

== See also ==
* [[List of color blind cubers]]
* [[List of World Records/4x4x4]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/mvcuber12 Mats Valk's YouTube channel]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?33225-Mats-Valk-just-got-a-6.84-single! Mats Valk just got a 6.84 single!]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?33337-Mats-Valk-s-6.41-European-Record-at-2011-Dutch-Open-(with-close-up-amp-slow-mo) Mats Valk's 6.41 European Record at 2011 Dutch Open (with close up & slow mo)]
* Speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?38613-Mats-Valk-official-3x3-average-7-77 Mats Valk official 3x3 average: 7.77]

[[Category:World record holders|Valk, Mats]]
[[Category:3x3x3 solvers|Valk, Mats]]
[[Category:4x4x4 solvers|Valk, Mats]]
[[Category:Speedcubers|Valk, Mats]]
[[Category:Cubers|Valk, Mats]]

Sunday Contest

2019-07-18T00:27:48Z

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'''Sunday Contest''' was an unofficial online weekly contest, active from 2004. It was hosted in 2004 by [[Tyson Mao]]. From 2005, it was hosted by [[Jon Morris]]. In its later form, there was only one category, an [[average of 12]] for [[3x3 speedsolving]].

Tyson's weekly for-fun puzzle was the inspiration for [[Mystery puzzle|mystery puzzles]].

== See Also ==
* [[Online contests]]

== External Links ==
* [http://www.nascarjon.us/sunday.php|The Sunday Contest] (now defunct, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20111017022620/http://www.nascarjon.us/sunday.php this 2011 snapshot] at the Internet Archive)

[[Category:Online contests]]

Fewest Moves Challenge (online contest)

2019-07-18T00:19:32Z

Spacecircles:

''This page is about the online contest. For the [[WCA]] official event, see [[Fewest Moves]].''

'''Fewest Moves Challenge''' (or '''FMC''') was a weekly [[Online contests|online contest]] for [[Fewest Moves]]. It was launched in 2004 by [[Dan Harris]]. Apart from a brief hiatus, it was active until around 2013. making it the second longest running online cubing contest after the [[Sunday Contest]]. There were over 400 rounds of the Fewest Move Challenge.

== History ==
[[Dan Harris]] launched the weekly Fewest Moves Challenge in early 2004, hosting it on his website CubeStation (older domain). Since March 2008 (Round 180), it was hosted at fmc.mustcube.net, maintained by [[Per Kristen Fredlund]].

== See also ==
* [[Online contests]]

== External links ==
* [http://fmc.mustcube.net/ Fewest Moves Challenge] (now offline, see [https://web.archive.org/web/20131111220557/http://fmc.mustcube.net/ this 2013 snapshot] at the Internet Archive)
* speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?13599-The-FMC-thread The FMC thread]

== References ==
* speedsolving.com: [http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?3176-FMC-is-reopening!! FMC is reopening!!]
* Yahoo!: [http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/speedsolvingrubikscube/message/4161 **26/04/03 FMC Challenge Results**]

[[Category:Online contests]]

WCA World Championship 2019

2019-07-17T21:54:49Z

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{| class="wikitable" style="float: right"
! style="background: silver;" colspan="2" | WCA World Championship 2019
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Location:'''
| align="center" | Melbourne, Australia
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Date(s):'''
| align="center" | July 11-14, 2019
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Preceded by:'''
| align="center" | [[World Rubik's Cube Championship 2017|WC2017]]
|-
| align="right" style="background: #F0F0F0;" | '''Succeeded by:'''
| align="center" | [[WCA World Championship 2021|WC2021]]
|}

'''WCA World Championship 2019''' is a competition in Melbourne, Australia which was held from July 11 to July 14, 2019.

==Winners==
*3x3x3 Cube: [[Philipp Weyer]]
*2x2x2 Cube: [[Jiazhou Li]]
*4x4x4 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*5x5x5 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*6x6x6 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*7x7x7 Cube: [[Max Park]]
*3x3x3 Blindfolded: [[Manuel Gutman]]
*3x3x3 Fewest Moves: [[Firstian Fushada]] and [[Christopher Chi]]
*3x3x3 One-Handed: [[Max Park]]
*3x3x3 With Feet: [[Lim Hung]]
*Megaminx: [[Juan Pablo Huanqui]]
*Pyraminx: [[Tymon Kolasinski]]
*Rubik's Clock: [[Yunhao Lou]]
*Skewb: [[Noriyuki Okada]]
*Square-1: [[Aiden Bartlett]]
*4x4x4 Blindfolded: [[Stanley Chapel]]
*5x5x5 Blindfolded: [[Stanley Chapel]]
*3x3x3 Multi-Blind: [[Graham Siggins]]

==World Records Set==
*4BLD single of 1:08.07 by [[Stanley Chapel]]
*4BLD average of 1:21.81 by Stanley Chapel
*Skewb single of 0.93 by [[Andrew Huang]]
*5BLD single of 2:38.77 by Stanley Chapel
*7x7 single of 1:44.02 by [[Max Park]]
*7x7 average of 1:50.10 by Max Park

==External links==
*[https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/WC2019 WC2019 on WCA Database]
*[https://wc2019.speedcubing.org.au/en/ WCA World Championship 2019], Official website
*World Championship 2019 discussion threads on /r/cubers (Reddit): [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/cbj6x5/wca_world_championship_2019_day_1_discussion/ Day 1]; [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/cc0kli/wca_world_championship_2019_day_2_discussion/ Day 2]; [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/ccfy2d/wca_world_championship_2019_day_3_discussion/ Day 3]; [https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/ccu2xb/wca_world_championship_2019_day_4_discussion/ Day 4]

[[Category:World championships]]