Learn to solve Rubiks Cube – How I did it

I’ve envied the speedcubers impressive ways to solve Rubik’s cube for their speed in particular but also just the ability to just solve it. The damn cube has cost me countless frustrations as a kid. I’ve sworn to never touch tha so-called toy again. Anyhow the time has come to make amends and I decided to learn to solve the Rubiks cube.

Our whole life is solving puzzles.

Erno Rubik

Besides it being a great party trick (I’ve yet to be at a party with a Rubik’s cube, but now I’m ready) it improves memory, patience and problem solving skills. I found videos that were simply too fast for me. This didn’t reduce my frustrations. I found the encouraging website youcandothecube.com which has an uncomplicated step-by-step guide to each algorithm.

The solution itself is easy to follow but to learn it by heart requires some repetition. I’ve found the best way to remember the algorithms is to follow the piece in focus and repeat. Put the guide away, give it a few tries, wait a day, repeat. I hate to admit it but it took quite awhile for me to realize that repeating the algorithm allows for another try. That eliminates the need to scramble and redo the steps up to. Only to realize that by stroke of pure luck the step is not needed…

I don’t see this as a challenge since it was achievable in about two weeks. My evenings were not fully allocated to the cube but I did hear some questions like “Why is daddy playing with that toy?” and “Don’t you have to get up in the morning?”. Point is, I did spent in the ballpark of 20 hours to learn to solve rubiks cube.

That’s how I learned to solve rubiks cube and once you’re able to follow the piece AND know how to nail the destination it’s a satisfying feeling of accomplishment.