Second layer
Once you solved the first layer and the green side, you need to
solve the second layer. Turn the cube upside down so the blue side is up. You
look around the up side and you need to find a piece in the cross that does not
have a blue color, say, its top color is white and its other side is orange.
You twist the top layer until that piece is in its correct side, i.e., the
orange side in the example. Then you put that side to the front. Then you need
to put that piece in the second layer of the same side. To put it on the right
of the middle piece, do U, R, Ui, Ri, Ui, Fi, U, F. To put it on the left of
the middle piece, do Ui, Li, U, L, U, F, Ui, Fi. Using these two algorithms,
you should solve the entire second layer.
Last layer
To solve the last layer and the entire cube, you need to look at
the blue side. The blue side usually should have the backward L as shown in
Figure II (note that the backward L is on the top left), the line as shown in
Figure III (note that the line is horizontal, not vertical), or the cross as
shown in Figure IV.
Figure
II
Figure
III
Figure
IV
The goal is to get it to the
cross. If you have the backward L, you first need to get it to the line and
then you get it to the cross. If you have the line, you just get it to the
cross. When you have the backward L, do F, R, U, Ri, Ui, Fi. You will have the
line. Then you repeat the algorithm to get to the cross. Once you got the cross
you twist the top layer until at least two edge pieces of this cross are in its
correct side. Turn the cube so the two correct edge pieces are on your right
side and the opposite side. Then you just do R, U, Ri, U, R, U, U, Ri, U. All
the top layer edge pieces will be in their correct positions. Here’s the case
when the two correct edge pieces are not next to each other. Then you put one
in the front and one in the back, and do this: R, U, Ri, U, R, U, U, Ri. Then
you have two correct pieces next to each other, and you can do the normal way.
Figure
V
On very rare occasions, you may
first have the blue dot as shown on Figure V, instead of backward L, straight
line or the cross. In this case, you can do F, R, U, Ri, Ui, Fi on any side to
get to the backward L. Then you can follow the above instructions.
By now, you’ve gotten the edge pieces
finished. Then you need to get the corner pieces in their correct position. To
do that, you need to find a corner piece in its ready position. For example, a
piece with colors blue, red, and yellow needs to be in the corner of the blue,
red and yellow side. You put this piece in the right top of the front side.
Then you do U, R, Ui, Li, U, Ri, Ui, L once or twice to get all the corner
pieces in the ready positions. Sometimes you may not be able to find one piece
in its ready position, then just start from any side with the above algorithm.
Then you find a corner piece
with blue side not on the top, and turn the cube so that it is on the top right
of the front side. Then you do Ri, Di, R, D a few times until all the three
colors of this piece are in their correct positions. Remember, in this step,
you will ruin the bottom two layers, but don’t panic. Believe me, the cube is
going to come back in the end.
Then you keep the front side
unchanged, and twist the top layer until another unfinished corner piece is on
the top right of the front side. You do Ri, Di, R, D until it is in the right
position. You repeat doing that until the corner pieces are all in their
correct positions. Then you are just one step from finishing your first rubiks
cube!!! I believe that you are smart enough to figure out that easy step by
yourself.
Congratulations, and I hope
this taught you a lot and you liked it. Thanks for reading!
