Making The Start Cross. Stage 1 of First Beginners Method
There are several options for making the starting cross. The starting cross making technique is often called "intuitive" and is considered simple.
But in reality, for a person who first took a Rubik's cube in hands, there are no "intuitive" and understandable "out of the box" methods. Detailed explanation required. Later, after gaining experience, all the steps of the first stage of the solving really become intuitive and understandable. But at the first acquaintance with the cube, this is not observed, of course. There may be rare exceptions.
For acquaintance, I will give three options for making the starting cross:
- When the cross is immediately solved correctly on the side facing up through the middle layer.
- When the cross is solved on the opposite side, regardless of the correct location of the edge elements, followed by the correct solving on the main side.
- When the cross is immediately solved correctly on the starting side facing down.
In this blog I public the parts of my book about one way to solve the Rubik's cube.
If you buy this book, you will also support me and my work!
The book is available in the coolest bookstores in the world (I will indicate some, there are more than 30 of them): Apple, Amazon, Google, 24SYMBOLS and others
You can find it by the author "Vladimir Shveda" or the title "One Easy Way To Quickly Solve A Rubik's Cube".
Some links:
- https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Quickly-Solve-Rubiks-Cube-ebook/dp/B08NZ5BQB4/
- https://www.24symbols.com/author/vladimir-shveda?id=1603087
Whatever, you will learn one simple and straightforward way to assemble a starting cross. If you are interested in other methods, then be sure to subscribe to my profile on Patreon. I plan to introduce students in detail to at least three different ways to solve Rubik's Cube for beginners.
Let’s make the starting cross at yellow side
We will use a very simple option to form a starting cross through the start of the build on the yellow side.
Position the cube so that the white center is down and the yellow center is up. The arrangement of the colors of the other sides is not important in this step.
Our tasks at this stage:
- first place the edge elements of the Rubik's cube on the upper (yellow) side to make a white cross with a yellow center;
- then immediately place the white edges correctly on the white side (with a white center).
When completing the first task, you should end up with something similar to the one shown in the photo below.
The order and logic of actions when solving a cross
It is necessary to move the edge elements of the Rubik's cube to the yellow side in any way to get a white cross on the yellow side. Be sure to try it yourself! To get a feel for how this can be done. There are only four edge elements of the cross: white-blue, white-green, white-red and white-orange.
These edge elements can be in five spatial positions. Let's choose any of the positions.
Maintain the vertical axis of the cube at all times, with yellow at the top and white at the bottom. Rotate the cube along the vertical axis until one of the edge elements is on the front side of the cube and you can see it clearly.
Situation 1: First and second spatial arrangement of an edge element with white color
These are the cases when the required edge cube is on the middle layer. These two cases can be combined because they merge into each other due to the rotation of the cube along the vertical Y-axis once by 90 degrees.
An example in the figure below. Gray surfaces are those surfaces that do not affect the solution at this step (they are shaded gray so as not to be distracted). In the example in the figure, the white-green element is already in place (in its slot) and we will not move or replace it.
The white-red edge element is in the first picture in red on the F side, white on the R side. This is the left picture. The second, right, figure shows the result of rotating the entire cube along the vertical Y axis.
When rotated along the Y axis one turn to the left (or clockwise), this element will appear in white on the left side of the side that now becomes front - F. And its red sticker will be on the L side.
We call the sides of the cube according to their spatial arrangement in relation to us. We don't bind to colors and their offsets.
So how do we put the white-red cube in its place next to the yellow center with the white sticker facing up?
Place the cube towards you as shown in the first (left) picture above. Now just do the F' movement, that is, rotate the front side counterclockwise. In this case, the white-red element will rise with its white sticker on the yellow plane and stand next to the yellow center.
From the situation on the right (second) figure, the same movement will already be called L'.
Notice that the white-red cube in our example occupies a slot next to the yellow center. And the cube, which was there before this rotation, leaves this position! And if you already have another edge element with white color up there (not like in the example), then it will need to be removed to the side by moving U or U'. See the situation.
Situation 2: Third spatial arrangement of edge element with white color
This is the case the edge element is on the third, lower layer in the example (or opposite the solving top layer). However, its white sticker is on the front, not the bottom. In this case, you need to put this element on top, in white next to the yellow center. You must first bring it to the middle layer, that is, bring it to a situation in the first or second spatial position (situation 1). The figure below shows the position before and after this rotation.
To move the blue-white cube in the example as shown in the figures, you need to perform the F' movement. That is, turn the front side counterclockwise, as if lifting the cube being moved from bottom to right and up. And now, according to the already familiar logic, we simply raise this white-blue element, rotating the right side as if from ourselves, or in the accepted designation we perform R (rotation of the right side clockwise). As a result, the element will take its place near the yellow center with the white sticker facing up.
In this situation, it is more profitable to make just such a movement, as described in the previous paragraph. After all, if you move the cube to the left and upward with the movement F, but in the next step we will have to make an extra movement to free up the slot that is occupied by another white edge element on the upper side. It is located to the left of the yellow center on the U side.
Situation 3: The fourth spatial arrangement of the edge element with white color
This is the case the edge element is on the third, bottom layer in the example (or opposite to the top). But at the same time, his white sticker is directed downward. In our example, this will be a white-orange edge element.
In this case, you need to rotate the cube so that this element is on the front side with its colored sticker (in the example - orange). Now make sure that the edge slot on the front and top sides is not occupied by another white-colored cube. If so, then rotate the top U layer to free this slot from the white-colored cube.
Then just rotate the front side 180 degrees, that is, two rotations F or F'. These movements can be denoted simply F2 (or F2', which in this case is completely equivalent). Here's a drawing before and after rotation.
Situation 4: Fifth spatial arrangement of an edge element with white color
This is the case the edge element is on the first, top layer, but the white sticker is turned not upwards, but towards the observer, on the side (frontal, for example). The solution to this case is very simple. Just do F or F' and transfer this edge element to the second (middle) layer. Then decide in the way you are already familiar with!
Let’s make the starting cross at white side
Now we need to move the white edge elements to the side with the white center. That is, the opposite. We will do this by turning the sides of the side cube by 180 degrees, already familiar to you.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is necessary to preserve the spatial orientation of the Rubik's cube along the vertical axis: yellow center up, white center down.
What does it mean to collect the correct white cross?
This means that when on the white side (where the white center is) we should get a white cross from the edge elements of the cube (on which there are only two-colored stickers). At the same time, other colors of the same edge elements will also be located on their own side (if you are guided by color): red next to the red center, green next to green, orange next to orange and blue next to blue. The example shows only two sides: red and blue.
How do I place the white edge pieces correctly?
In order to correctly place the white-red, white-blue, white-green and white-orange edge elements on the white side, you just need to rotate the upper U layer to combine each such element in turn with its second color with the same color of the central sticker on the side of the cube. And then rotate that side 180 degrees. That is, so that the white sticker from the top side goes to the bottom side.
The procedure is simple. We carry out in turn:
- We start with any such white-colored element;
- Combine the colored sticker with the center of the side surface of the same color;
- We flip this side with color 180 degrees, rearranging the white color from top to bottom.
And we do this four times, according to the number of rays of the cross. As a result, you will get the correct white cross, as in the above picture.
Good job! I'll try to make some video. If you need it, please, take a comment below.
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