how to solve a 3x3x3 blinfolded

speedcubing.org

 

 

 

 

 

How to solve a 3x3x3

BLINDFOLDED!

 

Please note: this guide presumes that you already know how to solve a 3x3x3, if you do not then please learn that first.

Step 1: buy a good cube

I should not need to tell you this by now, if your cube cannot turn well then buy a better one, you can buy better cubes from speedcubing.org very easily.

Most of the top blindfolded solvers are still using the MoYu WeiLong GTS3M or the MoYu HuaMeng YS3M Ballcore

Step 2: learn the notation

You should already know the following notation, if you do not then learn it

                       

 

 

 

 

                      

 

 

 

 

How it works: in official competitions, you start the timer with the cube under a cover, after the timer has started you take the cover off and look at the cube following the memorization in step 4, then put the blindfold on and do execution as in step 5.

Step 3: the algorithms

You need to learn the following algorithms

 

algorithm	What it does
	Swaps the two ‘stickers’ shown
	Swaps the two ‘stickers’ shown
	Solves parity (you will find out more about that later on)

Step 4: the memorization

Part 1: corners

All of the corner stickers on the cube are marked with a particular letter as shown:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. We let sticker ‘A’ be the buffer, we look all 3 stickers on that corner piece and find where the piece (and specifically that sticker) need to go and memorize the letter where it needs to go.
2. Then look at the letter you have just memorized and find where that corner and sticker need to go, repeat this process.
3. To make memorization easier you can put 2 letters into a pair and make a word out of it e.g c and t could make CaT you can then make a sentence out of these to help you remember them for example “the CaT PuShed the RaiL” you can also use this technique for edges
4. If your memorization takes you back to the buffer ‘A’ or one of the other stickers on it (‘A’ or ‘R’) then check to see whether there are any corners that you have not memorized yet,

 1.if there are not then move on to edges

 2. if there are then you need to start a new cycle involving them; memorize a sticker you have not yet involved and go back to 2, your memorization should take you back to the sticker you have just memorized, you must memorize that sticker again.

5. If you have any twisted corners then memorize one sticker on that twisted corner and then the other sticker where that first sticker should be.
6.  Once you have memorized all the corners then move on to edges, make sure to seperate your corner memorization from your edge memorization. If you have an odd number of letters it means you have parity, you will also have an odd number of letters for edges and will have to do an algorithm at the end to fix it.

Part 2: edges

All of the edge stickers on the cube are marked with a particular letter as shown:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We let sticker ‘B’ be the buffer, we look at both stickers on that edge piece and find where the piece (and specifically that sticker) need to go and memorize the letter where it needs to go.

Then look at the letter you have just memorized and find where that edge and sticker need to go, repeat this process.

If your memorization takes you back to the buffer ‘B’ or the other sticker on it ‘M’ then check to see whether there are any edges that you have not memorized yet,

 1.if there are not then you have finished

 2. if there are then you need to start a new cycle involving them; memorize a sticker you have not yet involved and go back to 2, your memorization should take you back to the sticker you have just memorized, you must memorize it again.

If you have any flipped edges then memorize both stickers on that edge

 Once you have memorized all the edges then you have finished memorization.

 

 

Step 5: execution

Since you have not done this before we do not recommend that you actually put the blindfold on now because you will not be able to see the instructions, put the cube under the table or something so you cannot see it but you can see the instructions

Part 1: corners

Recall your first letter and move that sticker to the ‘P’ sticker, make sure that you do not move edges ‘A’,’D’,’E’ or ‘Q’, remember the moves you do to get the sticker to ‘P’, these are your ‘set-up moves’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the sticker is in place then do the following algorithm:

 

and then reverse the set-up moves.

Repeat this with all the letters you memorized for corners

 

If you have memorized an even number of letters for corners then move onto edges (part 2), if you have memorized an odd number of letters then do the following algorithm before moving on to edges (part 2):

 

 

Part 2: edges

Recall your first letter and move that sticker to the ‘D’ sticker, make sure that you do not move corners ‘B’,’C’,’J’,’M’,’N’ or ‘Q’, remember the moves you do to get the sticker to ‘D’, these are your ‘set-up moves’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the sticker is in place then do the following algorithm:

and then reverse the set-up moves.

Repeat this with all the letters you memorized for edges

 

 

Your cube should now be solved, if it is not then consider what mistakes you may have made, very few people are successful at this on their first attempt, keep trying and you should be able to do it soon.

 

 

 

 

What next?

The cubing community is a fast-growing worldwide community

The World Cube Association hosted 1154 cubing competitions in 2018. You can see if there are any near you at www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions

 

Other puzzles are available such as:

 

You can buy these online at speedcubing.org or from Daniel in person