For example, because the white and red piece has a white sticker and a red sticker, whenever you use it to solve the white face, you are also starting to solve the red face.

Just like how the centre piece of any face is always that colour, every piece will always have the same stickers on (unless you're the worst sort of cheater, but you wouldn't be reading this if you were).įact number 2 (that the cube is solved in layers) is a direct result of this. This is really very important, as it means that instead of trying to shuffle around the 54 stickers of the cube, you're actually only moving 20 pieces (8 corner pieces and 12 edge pieces). You can test this quite easily by rotating any face of the cube - you can see that the centre pieces only ever rotate, and never move around in relation to each other.

But here's why they're important: because the centre pieces don't move, the face with a white sticker in the centre will always be the white face. Well now you're aware of them, so that's a good start. The cube is solved layer by layer, not face by face.The first thing to do is to be aware of two facts: My personal record is 17.24 seconds - do you think you can beat it? If you can already solve one, then why not head over to the speedcubing page and really step up your game. This beginner's guide will teach you how to solve the famous Rubik's Cube, even if you've never picked one up before! If you got given one for Christmas, found one in the dusty cupboard of an aging relative, or need to win a bet and soon, then read on to learn the method!

3x3 rubiks cube timer