How To Solve A 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube - Mini Cube - 2x2 Rubik's Cube Solution
84In this tutorial, you will learn How To Solve A 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube (2x2 Rubik's Cube).
If you don't have any experience in the resolution of the Rubik's cubes, to learn how to solve the Mini Cube is a good start point.
The Mini Cube is easy to solve. Mastering the mini cube is a good intruduccion to the resolution of more complex cubes, since the methods are similar.
I suggest that you read through how to solve the Mini Cube first, but if you are only interested in learn how to solve the 3x3x3 Rubiks Cube, you can do it without the need of reading this tutorial.
(But of course, I highly recommend it :) )
The 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube it's also known as Pocket Cube,Mini Cube, Junior Cube, Ice Cube or 2x2 Rubiks Cube.
Table Of Contents
• How To Solve A 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube
• Pieces and Layers
• Description Of The Algorithm
• Step 1, Bottom Layer Corners
• Step 2, Orient the Top Layer Corners
• Step 3, Permute the Top Layer Corners
• Solve A 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube
• Step 1, Bottom Layer Corners
• Down Face color on Front Face
• Down Face color on Right Face
• Down Face color on Upper Face
• On Front Face not in position
• On Right Face not in position
• Step 2, Orient the Top Layer Corners
• Upper Face color on the Right Face
• Upper Face color on the Back Face
• Step 3, Permute the Top Layer Corners
• Permute Three Corners Counter-Clockwise
• Permute Three Corners Clockwise
How To Solve A 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube
In order to understand How To Solve A 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube, you need to be familiar with the notation. If you don't know it, please read 'How to solve a Rubiks Cube' before continuing.
First a description of the algorithm will be shown, and then the movements.
For the purposes of the following tutorial, a series of colors will be chosen for the faces, you can choose others.
Pieces and Layers
- Corner.- a physical corner piece. A corner piece has three sides. There are eight corners.
- Face ...- one of the sides of the cube.
- Layer...- the cube consists of two layers (Top/Bottom).
How To Solve A 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube - Description Of The Algorithm
The algorithm is divided in three steps. In each step a series of moves are executed to solve a cubie. The series repeats (non resolved cubies) until completing the step.
(For a better understanding of the description, the black stickers represents an irrelevant color for that move.)
Step 1, Bottom Layer Corners
Place the correct corner cubes in position on the Bottom layer. When all the corners are in position, the Bottom layer is solved.
Step 2, Orient the Top Layer Corners
Place the correct corner cubes in position on the Top layer, without caring about the other colours around the side.
Step 3, Permute the Top Layer Corners
If the corners are not in their solved positions, the next step is to position the corners correctly.
Congratulations! You have solved the cube.
The Pocket Cube is the 2×2×2 equivalent of a Rubik's Standard Cube.
The cube consists of 8 corner pieces, and no other types of cubies.
The number of possible positions of the cube is 3674160.
An easier version of the Pocket Cube exists, dubbed the "Junior Cube". This version has only two colors, with a picture of a monkey on one face.
This puzzle has many guises, these puzzles change shape when they are mixed, sometimes in quite amusing ways.
All these puzzles can be solved in the same way as the normal mini cube.
How To Solve A 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube - Algorithm
Now that you understood the method, it is time to put in practice.
Step 1, Bottom Layer Corners
Choose a color for the Down Face : (let's take White, it can be any color).
Find in the Top Layer a Corner Piece with the color of the Down Face (White).
There are three possible states (turn the Top Layer if necessary).
Use one of the following procedures to solve the cubie:
Down Face color on Front Face
Down Face color on Right Face
Down Face color on Upper Face
If the Corner Piece is in the Bottom Layer in place but not in position, use one of the following procedures.
Down Face color on Front Face not in position
Down Face color on Right Face not in position
Rotate the cube cw 90-degree (or Down Face ccw 90-degree), and look for the Front color of the recently resolved piece (let's take Green).
Now find in the Top Layer a piece with both colors (White and Green) and repeat until all four corners are solved.
Step 2, Orient the Top Layer Corners
A Corner Piece which needs to be oriented is one which does not have the Upper Face color (Yellow).
Identify the corners that need to be oriented, It is possible to have to twist 2, 3, or 4 Corner Pieces.
Turn the Top Layer so that the Corner Piece which needs to be oriented is at the Back-Right.
There are two possible states: Upper Face color (Yellow) on the Right Face or the Back Face.
Upper Face color on the Right Face
Upper Face color on the Back Face
After orienting the first Corner Piece the First Layer are scrambled.
DON'T ROTATE THE CUBE, MAINTAIN THE FRONT FACE.
Turn the Top Layer so that the next Corner Piece which needs to be oriented is at the Back-Right and then proceed the same as before.
Once you have twisted all the corners the First Layers will have restored itself.
Step 3, Permute the Top Layer Corners
If the cube is not already resolved, You need to exchange three corners.
Turn the Top Layer so that a Corner Piece is located in its solved position.
Turn the cube in your hands so that you hold it with the solved corner at the Front-Left position.
There are two possible states:
Permute Three Corners Counter-Clockwise
Permute Three Corners Clockwise
Permute Two Top Layer Corners
It can happen that when finishing the Step 2 you have to exchange only two corner pieces, not three. To solve this case, you will perform a series of movements that exchange two Front Corner Pieces.
There are two possible states:
Wrong Corners are Side by Side
Wrong Corners are Diagonally
In the first case, performing the movements the cube is resolved. In the second case, there will be three corners to solve, continue with Step 3.
Now you know How To Solve A 2x2x2 Rubiks Cube.
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Acknowledgement : Table Of Contents by Darkside
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CommentsLoading...
Hi Darkraven
The following movements permute the two Front Corner Pieces :
B U' F' U B' U2 F U' F' U2 F
If the wrong Corners are side by side, place them at the Front.
If the wrong Corners are diagonally to each other, performing the movements with any two Corners will leave three Corners to solve.
Hi and thanks a lot for the help. Actually I have a solution which is a combination of yours and the one in the manual of my cube. The steps are the following:
1st Step: Get bottom layer either way
2nd Step: Put the top layer cubies in the correct place no matter if they're not oriented. To do this I can always rotate the top layer in order to need to permute either
The two back cubes: R B R' D' R' D B'
The right front corner and the left back corner: B' R B' R' D' R' D
3rd Step: Orient the top layer corners using your algorithm.
After performing these 3 steps one may need to rotate the top layer to adjust it to the bottom layer, but that's all.
I said something wrong in the last post. The sentence "I can always rotate the top layer in order to need to permute either..." is false. This would mean that I could always put 2 corners in the right position, but they could be 1 correct and 3 wrong. Anyway using once one of the two sequences in my 2nd step you can get to the situation with 2 correct and 2 wrong corners.
Hi Darkraven
Thanks for share your experiences and solutions.
Nice tutorial. Easy enough to follow, and not too confusing (Im a complete novice with solving the things)
Thanks Ryan, that was my intention. :)
Bob instructions pal, cheers
Hi, I love your tutorial and was able to solve my 2x2x2 in just a few minutes with your help, thanks! I tried following the instructions for permuting 2 corners following your response to Darkraven and i finally figured out that(I think your diagram for permuting 3 corners counter-clockwise shows an inverted B move and is not designated as such and caused confiusion as i used that as a guide as to which way to turn B for solving permute 2 corners.ps i am new to computers, what is a URL?Pss your diagrams are the ONLY one that works, and it works great, please add permute 2 corner diagram for perfection in idiot proofness.
Hi Dadio.
I am very happy that you have found useful this tutorial.
You are correct, the movement shown is B2'.
Being B2 and B2' the same movement, I didn't correct the images, but you made a valid point.
I will correct the images as soon as possible, and add the Permute Two Corners Pieces.
A URL is the address of a WEB page, if You had a Blogger Blog it could be: dadio.blogger. com
and this url would appear as a link in Your name in the comment.
Hi I Like Your way to solve this cube but I got problem to solve because I don't know which side is before and after. I which is before in the picture the right one or the left ?
Hi Franky
The notacion is explained here : http://hubpages.com/hub/How_To_Solve_A_Rubiks_Cube
Hope this help you.
well the 2x2x2 is the easiest to solve even blind folded :) but it`s a good pratice to the bigger cubes
Thanks.. at last after 2 day with confuse my self with the cube, I can solve it.. thank you very much for the solution..
Hi, I'm glad to be of help. Thank you for stopping by.
THANK YOU!!! We have a Homer Simpson 2x2x2 puzzle that has been going around the office and I FINALLY solved him. I hope my co-worker is still going to buy me lunch :)
Nice tutorial like it
Thank you Vim :)
I can do step one with no problem, but once I solve step two, it messes up the bottom. Do you know what I'm doing wrong?
Hi Anonymous
The step orient the top layer corners is a tricky step in all the cubes. In this step you should maintain the front face during the whole process.
You should:
A- Select the Front Face.
B- Turn the top layer so that the corner you are working on is at the Back-Right position (ie North-East as you look at it).
C- Identify whether the upper face color (Yellow, following the example) sticker on the corner sits on the Right face or the Back face.
D- Apply the correct move so that the upper face color is moved to the top.
E- STOP. Now the first layer are scrambled. DON'T ROTATE THE CUBE IN YOUR HANDS, MAINTAIN THE FRONT FACE and turn the top layer to bring the next corner that you want to work on into the Back-Right position. Go back to C.
Hope this help
Thank you, that did help!
Thank you! Best instructions I have found!
Thank you very much!!!
Please help me i can easy mkae the white stuff correct but the yellow stuff doesnt work. It dont cover all possibiltis of the yellow placements
Hi Andreas
Please, try to explain better your problem.
Hey, i can follow the steps easily, but when i have to permute to cubes next to eachother, the algorithm just messes up my cube. i've tried it many times making sure i follow it exactly, can you help me? :)
Hi Joel.
Do you refer to 'Permute Two Top Layer Corners'? The movements are correct. Perhaps you are making a mistake in one of the steps.
Do you have clear the difference between the X and X2 movements, or between the X and X' movements?
I think i do mean two top layer corners, and sometimes i cant get the yellow side after the white and corners. i am new to cubing and get a little confused, could you help please? :)
Joel, all the help that I can give you is on this page.
Please, make sure that you understand the notacion correctly, folow the link 'How to solve a Rubiks Cube' below the Table Of Contents for a detailed description.
Also read the explanation that I made 9 comments above to Anonymous, it is important.
And finally, do the movements carefully, trying not to make mistakes.
Good luck!
Darkraven 3 years ago
After completing Step 2 sometimes I have to permute only 2 corners instead of 3. I admit that I do Step 1 in my own way, so maybe there's some point in your way of doing it that ensures to come up with 3 corners to be permuted. Is that right?