5.80 Reconstructions + Commentary

6 years ago

Competitions and Travel

Hi guys, I got home yesterday from my trip to China & Malaysia, and I've already had a couple of requests for commentary and reconstructions from my 5.80 official 3x3 average! :) Work on more video tutorials, blogs & resources for CubeSkills has "officially" resumed.

I got this average in the first round of the Malaysia Cube Open 2017, I was pretty surprised with the times I was able to post at around 9am in the morning. Big thanks to Stewy for doing reconstructions so quickly for everyone!

 

 

Scramble 1: B U' B' F' U' R2 U' L B2 L' D2 B R U' R2 B2 F2 U'

This scramble was nothing special, there weren't any crosses that were particularly easy. I did the extended cross with the red-yellow edge and the blue-yellow-red corner because I was unable to easily plan any of the other blue F2L pairs. It ended up being 14 moves, which is far from ideal, but the fingertricks were okay and it was rotationless.

Inspection: x y

3 cross edges and first pair setup: D L D U' R (U' D)

Finish X-Cross: L' U' L U2 L F' L'

Luckily, the next pair was easily visible after the X-Cross and didn't require any rotations.

2nd pair: U' R U R' U R U' R'

The third pair was also reasonably easy to see whilst executing the solution for the second pair.

3rd pair: y R' U' R U' R' U R

I paused slightly before the final pair because it was a super easy OLS case, and I just wanted to double check my recognition. I literally uploaded a random video showing this easy-to-recognise case on the CubeSkills YouTube channel earlier this year, it's quite a fun one to execute.

OLS (Orientation of the Last Slot): R U' R' U R U2' R2' F R F'

PLL was then just a T permutation :)

PLL: U' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'

5.99 seconds, 54 moves (STM), 9.02 TPS

 

Scramble 2: B U' L' U R2 B D R' D2 B2 R2 F2 U' B2 L2 D2 R2

During inspection, I saw that both the red-yellow-green and red-blue-yellow corners were correctly attached to their cross pieces, so I wanted to build an X-Cross in some fashion. Unfortunately, the red-yellow cross piece wasn't in a great position, and I was running out of inspection time, so my solution for the X-cross was a little bit ugly. A nicer alternative X-cross on yellow would have been L R' F' R2 D' R2' D', which leads to some really nice continuations. A nice double X-Cross on red which preserves both attached corners would be z D' L2 F2 L' u R' (R' U' R) (L U2 L') D2, but I really doubt I'd have seen that in inspection in a competition setting.

Inspection: x2 y

X-Cross: r' u' R l U2 l' y' R' U' R u'

Recognition of the second pair was a little bit tricky, because the green-white F2L edge was at the back of the cube. The lookahead & regrip here cost me a bit of time.

2nd pair: y' U2' R' U2 R U' R' U R

The third pair made use of the open front F2L slot.

3rd pair: U R U' R' L U2 L'

The last F2L pair was pretty standard, and cancelled into the 6 move OLL. After doing U' R U' R' U2, it's fairly straightforward to see that doing R U' R' will preserve the orientation of the back-right corner, as well as orient the 2x2 block in the back left, and so from that we can determine that we'll get a P shape OLL, and so I cancelled the last pair into OLL.

4th pair: U' R U' R' U2 R U' R2'

OLL: U' F' U F R 

Skip!

AUF: U2'

5.28 seconds, 39 moves (STM), 7.39 TPS

 

Scramble 3: L2 B' R B2 D' R B' F2 L R B' R' F R2 U2 R2

Another red cross, but this time it was 2-generator (R and D), which made it really easy to execute, and also meant that the blue-yellow F2L pair in the top-left position didn't move, and so it was easy to see the first pair. I was also really confident (but not certain) that the blue/white F2L pair would end up as a 3 move insert after I solved the first F2L pair. This meant that the cross and first 2 pairs in this solve were super quick.

Inspection: z y

Cross: D' R D' R D2

1st pair: U' R U' R' U R' U' R

2nd pair: y' R' U R

It's always a bit tricky to try and lookahead after planning this much in inspection. I was also concentrating to double check that the 2nd pair would present itself as I anticipated in inspection, so I wasn't really trying to look for the third pair. However, I did know that life would be made a little bit easier by the fact that the 2 solved pairs would end up in the back two F2L slots. Luckily enough, the 3rd pair was just an easy 3-mover (after setup), and whilst inserting the third pair, the 4th pair pops out of the FR F2L slot, ready to be solved and inserted into the final slot.

3rd pair: U2' R U R'

4th pair: y' U' R U' R' U R U R'

This OLL really sucks to execute under pressure. The F2L was finished in just over 3 seconds, but I got quite nervous & panicked whilst executing the OLL, which caused some lockups. It could have quite easily been a sub 5 solve with just slightly better execution.

OLL: L F' L' U' L U F U' L' 

Skip again!

AUF: U'

5.25 seconds, 38 moves (STM), 7.24 TPS

 

Scramble 4: R F2 R' U B2 L' B L' B' L U' F2 U' R' U2 F R U2

I panicked a lot in inspection here, so much so that I didn't correctly plan the first pair, and ended up solving it very inefficiently. 

Inspection: x'

Cross: D R D F L F D

1st pair: U' F' U' F R U' R' U' R U R'

Luckily, my stupidity ended here and the rest of the solve was really smooth. I solved the next pair with two rotations, but it worked out nicely as the 2 solved pairs ended up in the back, and the final two pairs didn't require any rotations as the edges were oriented.

2nd pair: y R U' R' y R' U' R

3rd pair: U' L' U2 L U' L' U L

4th pair: U' R U' R' U2 R U' R'

Once I got to OLL, I noticed that the UFL corner and UF edge pieces were a correctly-connected block, and I also know that the standard OLL algorithm for this case preserves this block, as well as attaches the UBL corner to it. Based on this, I could tell that there would be a 1x3 white block for PLL, and I also knew that it would end up on the left hand side (just based on experience and knowing what the OLL algorithm does). Therefore, I'd have either a J permutation or an F permutation as my PLL, so there was almost no pause between the OLL and J perm on this solve.

OLL: U2 R' U' F U R U' R' F' R

PLL: R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R'

6.13 seconds, 63 moves (STM), 10.28 TPS

 

Scramble 5: F' L2 U2 F' U2 F2 L2 F2 R2 D2 F D L R2 D2 B R2 B2 U2 R

Yeah, I messed up the execution on this last solve, and so by the time I got to PLL I knew it was going to be the worst time anyway, so I kinda gave up on it. The X-cross was far too convoluted, but the actual solution for the remainder of the solve was okay.

Inspection: x' z2

X-Cross: (U' D') R' F (U D') R' (D U') L' U L D

2nd pair: U' y' U R U2' R' L U' L'

3rd pair: U y' R U' R' U R U R'

4th pair: y R U2 R' U R U' R'

OLL: U' r U2 R' U' R U' r'

PLL: D' R U R' U' D R2 U' R U' R' U R' U R2 U

9.19 seconds, 60 moves (STM), 6.53 TPS


Thoughts on this blog

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Ondřej Berger

Ondřej Berger Posted 6 years ago

Still waiting for 4.68 :DD

And really GJ!


Sam Durocher

Sam Durocher Posted 6 years ago

Dude Feliks! Great Job! A question though. Why did everyone celebrate on the fourth solve instead of the fifth?

 


Stewy _

Stewy _ Posted 6 years ago

@Sam Durocher the fourth solve meant that the average was already a world record, because even if the fifth solve was the worst time of the average, the average would still be 5.80


Tien Tran

Tien Tran Posted 6 years ago

Do you think your third solve would've been a low 4? Also I can't seem to average sub-10, can you help?


Feliks Zemdegs

Feliks Zemdegs from CubeSkills Posted 6 years ago

The third solve can definitely be executed at that speed, assuming perfect lookahead :p

Regarding your second question, that's the purpose of this website! :) I recommend checking out the advanced 3x3 tutorials sections, as well as other resources (blogs, tools) to help you improve.


Liam Gerard

Liam Gerard Posted 6 years ago

Wow


Liam Gerard

Liam Gerard Posted 6 years ago

For the second solve, how could you plan a cross like that? I got confused just by following along! That is awesome.


Ethan Varn

Ethan Varn Posted 6 years ago

Unbelievable how you break so many world records! Constantly setting the mark for other cubers.


Ethan Varn

Ethan Varn Posted 6 years ago

Do you have any tips for cross to f2l transition? Also for Nb perm, I like the RUF one but the RUL one with a Z rotation is also nice. Which one do you recommend?


Karthik Malavathula

Karthik Malavathula Posted 6 years ago

PLS READ THIS FELIKS I SPENT 1 HOUR WRITHING THIS: Thank so much for reading this I have an important question but I want to leave that to the end. I first want to thank you for all the stuff you have helped me. You have encourages to to pursue cubing after 1 year of me feeling lonely and having no friends. I thought nothing was fun and spent lunch sitting in an empty table. I first tried cubing bit I had quit for 1 year because the information in the web was not organized and clean. They would teach it in the hardest way possible. (This might be because of what websites I was looking at.) One example is not giving tips on how to memorize long algs. You have no idea how much time that tip has saved me. After a year of feeling bad I had enough. I decided to come back to cubing and I found your website, I instantly fell in love. I was astonished that you are taking the time out of our life to help make younger people with the goal of becoming a champion at solving the Rubiks cube like you. I rarely see that world #1 person at a specific activity helping others for free. I am a sub-30 solver now and in 6th grade currently. I have now made friends because the public domain were intrigued by my fast hands. My life turned around when I met your website. I could have have been the person I am today without your help. Your website is so organized and made everything look so easy. It is actually kind of strange because the things that are very little known might change your life life forever. (in this cause, cubing changed my life forever.) You have no idea how much I want to thank you right now. Although it might seem like a stupid website for you and some other people, it was life changing for me and I want you know that. All that put aside, my question is if you can post your current f2l algs that you currently use while speedsolving. (in a video or in a pdf.) You have said many times that f2l is the key to speed solving. I have also noticed that you do different f2l algs then what is on your current pdf. Your current pdf has a lot of rotations and not fast in the sub 15 zone. So can you please post your current f2l algs that u use in speed solving.In the beginning u can do f2l algs in 1 lot, but I would really like to see what u use in all slots. That would clearly make us faster because f2l is the most important part of our solve (like u said). Finally, posting your f2l algs is another step from making this amazing website to a splendorous website. I want to say a very last thank you and lots of love coming form a 6th grader in California. I hope boredom didn't tire you while reading my long essay and I hope you can answer my question. BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE :) :) :)


Karthik Malavathula

Karthik Malavathula Posted 6 years ago

P.S.

Edits for top comment

second line: encourages to to = encouraged me to

third line: cubing bit I had = cubing but I had

fourth line from bottom: f2l algs in 1 lot = f2l algs in 1 slot


Karthik Malavathula

Karthik Malavathula Posted 6 years ago

P.P.S

I want your current f2l algs in the 41 cases of F2L. I have seen your F2L: Some Useful Cases pdf. I am not interested in those. I am interested your algs for the general 41 cases because I have noticed that they changed. If you shall make a pdf or a video, I thank u with all my heart and I sure others will to.


Feliks Zemdegs

Feliks Zemdegs from CubeSkills Posted 6 years ago

Liam, heh yep it's a bit tricky. The first 2 moves place a cross edge and then align the cross layer to set up for the next pieces. The R l U2 l' places the final two cross pieces and also preserves the red-blue-yellow corner piece. The final 4 moves insert an edge with keyhole and then align the cross.

Ethan - a couple of videos in the intermediate and advanced F2L modules, I believe! :) I use the RUF algorithm for Nb but RUL is also good too!

Karthik - Awesome to hear that you're finding cubing so much fun and that I've motivated you, so thanks so much for the kind words! :) The F2L "algorithms" that I use for the 41 basic cases can be found in the F2L pdf attached to the module of the same name. Ways to solve these cases into different slot positions can be found here. These are genuinely how I'd solve those cases, I promise! :)

Feliks


Faye Yu

Faye Yu Posted 6 years ago

In the 4th solve you knew it was gonna be a J or F perm by deducing what OLL does to the cube. Do you generally look ahead into PLL like this? Is there some other trick or is it just a matter of practice/experience? Also congratz :)


Ethan Varn

Ethan Varn Posted 6 years ago

Thank you so much for responding! The video is in advanced f2l but I’m sadly not a premium member.


Feliks Zemdegs

Feliks Zemdegs from CubeSkills Posted 6 years ago

Faye - For certain OLLs, it's a lot easier to do this sort of thing, particularly for OLL algorithms which preserve blocks of pieces around the top layer. The best thing is to understand what your individual OLL algorithms do to blocks as well as what they do to corner permutation. Sounds a bit boring, but the way to do this most efficiently is to sit down and analyse what happens for every single alg you use :)

Ethan - I've actually changed the setting to make that video viewable to all. I feel like it's important enough to be considered necessary viewing for all advanced cubers, and my rule of thumb is not to paywall anything that's important for progression. Premium access videos are for extra guidance and for those after even more content. All the important techniques, advice and other strategies are available to everyone.


László Csonka

László Csonka Posted 6 years ago

Hi, Feliks!

Congrats for your times! :)

What do you think? Should I learn Friedrich method or color neutrality first?

 

 

(And would that 5.25 be a sub-4.69?) :)


Austin Chuong

Austin Chuong Posted 6 years ago

Great that you're back! I'm looking forward to the 6x6 and 7x7 tutorial modules which will help me get sub 10. :P

 

Cheers


Ethan Varn

Ethan Varn Posted 6 years ago

Again, thank you so much Feliks!


Prateek Behera

Prateek Behera Posted 6 years ago

Go get that world record feliks cmon get sub 4.69 we all know u can do it

 


Aaditya Sikder

Aaditya Sikder Posted 6 years ago

Reconstruction of your pb 3.01.


Feliks Zemdegs

Feliks Zemdegs from CubeSkills Posted 6 years ago

László - Colour neutrality first, assuming it won't take very long! (because you haven't been cubing too long)

Austin - Sub 10 on those? I'm sure with a bit of practice you could get sub 10 before I even start scripting anything haha

 


Bill Hayes

Bill Hayes Posted 6 years ago

Hi, Feliks. Can I ask you about a few things?

 

Do you know all your OLL algorithms' PLL skip?

How much time did you spend while learnt all 57 OLL and 21 PLL algorithms at the beginning?

Do you think you'll get a sub-30 on 5x5, a sub-1 on 6x6 and a sub-1:45 on 7x7 one day?

Do you have days when you can't get any sub-5/sub-6 single or sub-7 average on 3x3 at home or are you always fast?

How many ZBLL, OLL and PLL algorithms do you know?


Jacky Tran

Jacky Tran Posted 6 years ago

Hey Feliks, I'm not sure if this is the place to talk about this certain topic I'm going to ask you about but, hear me out.

How did you stay dedicated to cubing? Anything particular? Because I started cubing 2 weeks ago and I don't want to stop, I've been having this hunch that I'm going to stop sooner or later, but I want to continue this hobby of mine.

Anyways thanks for reading this (If you are) 

Cya later!


Karthik Malavathula

Karthik Malavathula Posted 6 years ago

Thanks for responding to my f2l question FELIKS but I GOT proof that u use different algs for f2l: Ok, first of all thank u for responding to me for my f2l question. (I'm the guy that wrote a 1 hour essay thanking u.) You seem to claim that u actually use those f2l algs that u gave us, but on the practice x-look solves which video can be found here. You can see on the last f2l pair you do the algorithm R' D' R U' R' D R U R U' R' to solve it. On your useful cases pdf which can be found here u recommend the algorithm M U r U' r' U' M' for the same case. That would be fishy enough but on the first f2l algorithms pdf which can be found here u recommended the algorithm y' (R' U R) U2' y (R U R'). I'm really confused of which algorithm you actually use o_0. Also pls don't take this as hate, u already know I luv your website, I just trying to find out the truth and pls don't hesitate to make another pdf telling us your current f2l algs.


Feliks Zemdegs

Feliks Zemdegs from CubeSkills Posted 6 years ago

Hey Karthik - The same F2L case can be solved in different ways :) I sometimes solve the same F2L case differently depending on how many edges are oriented on my last layer, where the F2L slot is, or if other F2L slots are empty. It's good to learn multiple ways to solve the same pair as you get more advanced - the F2L algorithms in the F2L module are the simplest solutions for those new to learning F2L and wishing to make some of their solutions more efficient. For that case, I generally use (R' U R) U2' y (R U R') as per the F2L alg sheet.

Bill - 

  • Not all of them
  • It took me about 9 months, but I was very slow and lazy, I preferred to practice rather than just learning algorithms.
  • Not sure, those are very hard barriers haha
  • Always fast :p
  • I probably know about 100 ZBLL cases, and all the OLLs and PLLs

Jacky - I don't cube when I don't want to, I never force myself to practice. It just so happens that I still find cubing and the community so fun after all these years.


Erik Roth

Erik Roth Posted 6 years ago

Hi, Feliks.

In your opinion, which is the time that can be reached with beginner's method?

My record is 12.45 and I have more and more 12, 13 seconds times but I don't know whether able to do a sub-10.

That 12.45 was (OLL - F U R U' R' F' and U2 + Y perm + U').


Caleb Shim

Caleb Shim Posted 6 years ago

hi Feliks

I am trying to get down to sub-20 and I average around 19-20, but I seem to not be able to fully become sub 20

What technique did you use to get to sub20??


Mahor Nagda

Mahor Nagda Posted 6 years ago

hey feliks, im a sub 20 cuber and i want to get to sub-15, i use one look pll and two look oll, what should i do next to get ty goal, learn the 57 oll's, switch to roux or learn more f2l tricks. i really need advice as i have become a little stagnant since the past 1 month


Aye Manik

Aye Manik Posted 6 years ago

Hi Feliks.

I'm a kid who just started learning CFOP. And I have done learning OLL, PLL and all. 

But I noticed that I am really slow at Cross. 

What should I do to be able to be fast at cross?


Adam Ye

Adam Ye Posted 6 years ago

@Mahor Nagda I'm in the same boat. Looking forward to Felik's answer.


Baharin Ismail

Baharin Ismail Posted 6 years ago

hello...i have been using advanced f2l,but i take about 13 to prepare f2l,i don't know how to get more fast in f2l


Erik Bryland

Erik Bryland Posted 6 years ago

Hi Feliks, I was just wondering about the OLL on the third solve. Do you know the alg (y2) R U R' F' U' F U R U2 R', and if you do, why don't you use it?


Feliks Zemdegs

Feliks Zemdegs from CubeSkills Posted 6 years ago

Erik - Yep I know it, but on the third solve, my OLL alignment was off by U2 (from that algorithm), so I did the other case.


zuhayr Haq

zuhayr Haq Posted 6 years ago

Hi Feliks,

 

I just learnt full pll  and oll but i still average high 30 . what do you recommend to get faster


Ethan Jan

Ethan Jan Posted 6 years ago

I tried the scrambles with the same solutions you did, but I still can't get the same times.  How should I speed up my TPS?


Shankar S

Shankar S Posted 6 years ago

@zuhayr Haq full PLL and OLL isn't that necessary, they only make u faster by about .8 to 1s per solve, focus on cross building,f2l and lookahead. Transition between stages is vital too


Shankar S

Shankar S Posted 6 years ago

@ethan jan. Turn fast not hard but slow enough for u to see the next pair or some fraction of it. Remember your mind should be faster than the hand movements


Corner Cutter

Corner Cutter Posted 6 years ago

Congrats on the awesome WR average!


nathan agan

nathan agan Posted 6 years ago

great job Feliks now you have to beat the new single wr 4.59


Chainer GT

Chainer GT Posted 6 years ago

Sub 6 on the first solve!


zuhayr Haq

zuhayr Haq Posted 6 years ago

my f2l is sub 5 but i realised my cross is slow. how do i improve


Stanley Wang

Stanley Wang Posted 6 years ago

On solve 5, if you did a SUPER easy edge control alg on the last pair (U F' L' U' L F) and did the classic COLL (R2 D R' U2 R D R' U2 R'), you would've ended up with a (E)PLL skip :P.


zuhayr Haq

zuhayr Haq Posted 6 years ago

can you organise a comp  in sydney. good job on wr

 


zuhayr Haq

zuhayr Haq Posted 6 years ago

115 wr as of 19/12/2017 good job!!!


gabriel sebastian murillo

gabriel sebastian murillo Posted 6 years ago

My oll and pll can take for 5 seconds only but my cross and f2l takes 15 to 17 seconds what can i do to be fast


zuhayr Haq

zuhayr Haq Posted 6 years ago

How do you memorize so much algs?!!!


Adam Khan

Adam Khan Posted 6 years ago

When inserting your last pair in the back and there are no edges oriented is there a better way to orient edges than and backwards sledgehammer?


zuhayr Haq

zuhayr Haq Posted 6 years ago

Can you add more tutorials on other events ( 2*2,6*6 and 7*7)


Lance Aguilar

Lance Aguilar Posted 6 years ago

gj feliks also i got your signature at Adelaide summer 2018


Showdown baxa

Showdown baxa Posted 4 years ago

Congratulations on your 5.69 average! Will you be doing a reconstructions+commentary on it?


Abhijeet Ghodgaonkar

Abhijeet Ghodgaonkar Posted 3 years ago

Amazing average and congrats yo



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