How to solve the Rubik's Cube: Beginner's Method [part 2/3]

Now that we have the entire first layer finished, we're going to finish the entire sec— two layers. So what do we need to do to finish the first two layers? We are aiming at something like this. The first two layers are finished and we are only left with one unsolved layer. So what do we need to do to get those two? We only need to fill in these four edges and we'll be done second layer. So this stage is about filling those edges in. So find an edge on this upper layer. We're going to be shooting those edges into the middle layer one by one. So this blue-orange edge has to come here between the orange-blue center. So now, first thing, align the edge with its center. So not like this, because these two colors are not the same. Align it with its edge. Like so, with that center, so these two colors match. Now hold the cube so that that edge is on the right, on the right side. Now we have two algorithms. The first one will shoot this edge to the, to this position. The second one will shoot this edge to this position. In this case, we want this orange-blue edge to come to this position, so just hold the cube like this and do the following algorithm. That will solve that edge. Let's find another, let's find another one. See this blue-red? It has to come here between the blue and the red center. So we're going to align it with its center, blue with blue. We're going to hold it such that it's on the right, and again we're trying to shoot it here, so we're going to use that same algorithm. Okay, so we filled that one in as well. Now, do we have any more corners— I mean, edges on this last layer? Yes, we do. One more edge here. Align that edge with its center, hold it so that it's on the right, and now we don't want to shoot it here like we did in the last case. We want to shoot it here, so do this following algorithm. And that filled that edge. So do we have any more edges? No, we don't. The problem is that the edge is placed in, but it's flipped the wrong way. In this case, what you have to do is you have to use one of the algorithms to pop this edge out like we did with the corners. Just pretend you want to insert one of these edges, and then by inserting one of these edges, you'll pop this one out. And then you'll be able to put it in the right way. So, for example, pretend we want to put this one here. Do that algorithm. We put that one in, and in process, we put this one out. So just align it with the center, hold it on the right. We want to put this here. This, this case, we'll do just that. We finished the entire crystal layers. So for this stage, you only need to know those two algorithms. We are now going to solve the orientation of edges. What we're trying to do in this stage is we're trying to orient all the edges. Now, all that orientation means is that an edge is yellow, a correct orientation. This is a correctly oriented edge because the yellow is on the top. This is a correctly oriented edge because the yellow is on the top. These two are incorrectly oriented edges because yellows are not on the top. We are trying to get to a point where all the edges are oriented, they're all yellow. So there's only pretty much two cases in here. Actually three, but two algorithms you have to remember. To flip two edges that are adjacent like this. On the front and right, if you want to flip two edges like this, hold the cube like this and do the following. That will orient those edges, and you will have all the edges oriented. Now, we can have, uh, what if you have a case like this? In this case, we want to orient opposite edges. These two we want to orient. So if you want to orient the front and the back edge, hold the cube like this, do the following algorithm. That will orient all the edges. Now, the third case that I talked about is if none of the, if none of the edges are oriented, like so. So do just one of those algorithms, for example, the second one. You will reduce it to a case that you know because you know how to orient two edges that are adjacent to each other. Hold the cube like this, eh, and you will be done orientation of edges. So we are now going to end the orientation step by doing the corner orientation. There's only 7 cases that you can run into in this step. You only need to know algorithms for 2 of those 7 cases. You need to know the algorithm for this one and this case. This is— these are the fish pattern cases. We call them that because they look like fishes. They are not the same. They do look very similar if you look at them from the top, just like that, but This one has yellow here, this one has yellow here instead. So they are slightly different. So in those other 5 cases, what you will be able to do is you're going to be able to hold the cube in a certain way, which I'm going to show you, and you're going to apply the first algorithm, and then you're going to reduce that particular case into either of these 2 cases. So then you'll be able to solve it. So I'm now going to give you the algorithms for these two cases, and for the first one, hold the cube like this with the good corner close to you. If you see yellow here, it's the first case. Do the following algorithm. That will solve the orientation. If you hold the cube like this in the second case, you will not see yellow here. Turn the cube around, you put that good corner in there, and do the following algorithm. That will solve that orientation. Now we have 5 more cases that are a little more complicated. I have an example of one of those here. If we have this case, so we have 2 bad corners, we are going to hold the cube like this, and we're going to apply the first algorithm. As you can see, I reduced it to a fish pattern case. Do I see yellow here? No, I don't, so it's the second case. Turn the cube around and do the algorithm, and that fixes the orientation. I'm going to list the other cases as well. If you get any of the following algorithms, just hold the cube as is shown on the picture and apply the first algorithm. You will then reduce the cube to a case that you can handle. Only now that we are done with the orientation can we worry about the actual positions of all the pieces on the last layer. We are going to do the corners first, and we're going to position them correctly. So what you're going to do in this stage is you're going to go through the entire cube, each 4 sides here, and try to find 2 corners that have matching sticker colors in here. Blue-red doesn't match. These 2 don't match, don't match, match. You're going to put those 2 matching corners onto the right, and you're going to do the following algorithm. Now this algorithm has an X in it. This is a cube rotation. All it means is that the F side becomes the U side, so X is like this. So hold the 2 in here, we do the algorithm as X R2 D2 R U R' D2 R U' R B X'. Now as you can see, we fixed all the corners and we're only left with the edges to take care of in the next step. Sometimes you arrive at a combination where you can't find two matching sticker colors. In this case, hold the cube in any way you want and just apply that algorithm I just showed you. So, x R2 D2 R U R' D2 R B And now you should be— you should have two matching colors somewhere if you've done it right. So we have matching colors here, hold the cube like this and do x R2 D2 R' D2 R U R B. And as you can see, we have all the corners solved.