Fridrich Method

Fridrich Method (Level 4)
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This method was invented by Jessica Fridrich. It is probably the most common method for speedcubing. Keep in mind that it is possible to "get lucky" and skip any of the four steps (if they are already done). By using this method, you should be able to do the Rubik's Cube in anywhere from a minute to under twenty seconds. Lefties beware! Most of the algorithms are designed for righties!

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Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Step 1
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Form a cross on one of the faces, like this:

Whatever color you choose for the cross will be your bottom color. I recommend using white, because the edge pieces you'll need will be easier to spot on the cube. You want your cube to look like this:

Practice making a cross while paying attention to most of the four pieces at the same time. Try to learn how to deal with flipped edges (edges that won't go into the cross correctly in one turn). One technique for flipped edges is this: If you have an edge that you are bringing down into the bottom layer, and there's a flipped edge in the top layer, put the first edge so it is a quarter turn away from the bottom, and put the flipped edge on the same face, so it rides with the first edge as you solve it. This works if the two edges are on consecutive faces. Also, try to learn to place the pieces in the bottom layer so they are correct with respect to each other, i.e. they are in the right order, then fix them with a turn of the D face. Doing this instead of turning D back and forth a lot saves time. Mainly, just practice, and you will learn for yourself what to do.

Step 2
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In this step, you will find a bottom layer corner (a corner with white on it, if you are taking my advice), and the edge that goes with it, and put them together into their correct location. You will do this four times to finish the first two layers. It is much more efficient to do this than to put the corners in, then put the edges in. Below are all of the situations that you could run into, except ones where both the corner and edge are in the first two layers but in different slots, and ones where the corner and edge are together in the wrong slot. Next to the cases are the algorithms for solving them, which are optimized for execution. These algorithms assume that the slot that the corner edge pair goes into is the only one that is free, so you should try out some stuff on your own if you have more than one free slot, or if you want to intentionally disturb a slot because there are pieces in there that have long solution algorithms.

If, after one of the algorithms, you see "reflection F/R", that means that this algorithm is a reflection of the previous one, and you probably won't have to memorize it, because you will see that the two algorithms are very similar. The F/R means that the algorithm is reflected across this line:

L/R would mean that it is a reflection from left to right, or a horizontal reflection, and F/B would be a vertical reflection.

R U' R' U F' U2 F U2 F' U F

R2 U2 R' U' R U' R' U2 R'

F2 U2 F U F' U F U2 F (reflection F/R)

F' U F R B U2 B' R'

R U' R' F' L' U2 L F (reflection F/R)

U R U' R' U' F' U F

U' F' U F U R U' R' (reflection F/R)

F' U' F U F' U' F

R U R' U' R U R' (reflection F/R)

F' U2 F R U2 R'

R U2 R' F' U2 F (reflection F/R)

U' F' U' F U2 F' U' F

U R U R' U2 R U R' (reflection F/R)

U2 R U R' U' F' U F

U2 F' U' F U R U' R' (reflection F/R)

R U R' U' R U R' U' R U R'

R U' R' F' U2 F

F' U2 F U F' U' F

R U2 R' U' R U R' (reflection F/R)

U2 R2 U2 R' U' R U' R2

U2 F2 U2 F U F' U F2 (reflection F/R)

R U' R' U2 F' U' F

F' U F U2 R U R' (reflection F/R)

U' R U' R' U R U R'

U F' U F U' F' U' F (reflection F/R)

U' F' U F

U R U' R' (reflection F/R)

U F' U2 F U' R U R'

U' R U2 R' U F' U' F (reflection F/R)

U' F' U2 F U' F' U F

U R U2 R' U R U' R' (reflection F/R)

U2 R U R' U R U' R'

U2 F' U' F U' F' U F (reflection F/R)

U F' U2 F U2 F' U F

U' R U2 R' U2 R U' R' (reflection F/R)

R U R'

F' U' F (reflection F/R)

U F' U' F U2 F' U F

U' R U R' U2 R U' R' (reflection F/R)

U' R U R' U R U R'

U F' U' F U' F' U' F (reflection F/R)

Now you will finish the rest of the cube in just two steps.

Step 3
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In this step, you will orient the entire last layer, which means that you will make the entire U face showing the U color, like this:

Now, look at the top face, and identify which of the following cases you have, then perform the sequence of moves that is next to it.

R U2 R2 F R F' U2 R' F R F'

F' L' U' L U F B' U' R' U R B

R' U2 R' F R F' U' F' U' F U' R

L U2 L F' L' F U F U F' U L' (reflection L/R)

R' F R F' U' L R' D' F D R L'

F R U R' U F' U2 F' L F L'

L U2 F' L' U' L U F2 U2 F' L'

R L' U' B' U B U B U B' U' R' L

L U2 L2 U' L U' L' U2 B L B'

L' B' L U' R' U R U' R' U R L' B L

L U F U' F' U F U' F' L'

R' U' F' U F' L F L' F R

R B L' B L B' L' B L B2 R'

L' B' R B' R' B R B' R' B2 L (reflection L/R)

R F' U2 F U2 F R2 F' R

L' F U2 F' U2 F' L2 F L' (reflection L/R)

R B U B' U' B U B' U' R'

L' B' U' B U B' U' B U L (reflection L/R)

R B L' B L B2 R'

L' B' R B' R' B2 L (reflection L/R)

R L2 B' L B' L' B2 L B' L R'

L' R2 B R' B R B2 R' B R' L (reflection L/R)

L' U' L B L' B' U B L B'

R U R' B' R B U' B' R' B (reflection L/R)

L' B2 R B R' B L

R B2 L' B' L B' R' (reflection L/R)

R B' R' U' R B R' B' U B

L' B L U L' B' L B U' B' (reflection L/R)

L F L' R U R' U' L F' L'

R' F' R L' U' L U R' F R (reflection L/R)

R L2 D' B' D B L B' L R'

L' R2 D B D' B' R' B R' L (reflection L/R)

B U L U' F L' B' L F' L'

B' U' R' U F' R B R' F R (reflection L/R)

L U F' U' L' U L F L'

R' U' F U R U' R' F' R (reflection L/R)

B L' B' L U L U' L'

F' U' L' U L F

F U R U' R' F' (reflection L/R)

R' U2 R2 B' R' B R' U2 R

L U2 L2 B L B' L U2 L' (reflection L/R)

F' L' U' L U F

L' U' L U L F' L' F

R B' R' U' R U B U' R'

L' B L U L' U' B' U L (reflection L/R)

L U L' U' F' L' B L F B'

R B U' L U L' B' R'

B L U L2 U' B' U B L B'

B' R' U' R2 U B U' B' R' B (reflection L/R)

R U2 R' U' R U R' U' R U' R'

R U2 R2 U' R2 U' R2 U2 R

R2 D' R U2 R' D R U2 R

U' L' F R' F' L' F R F'

U2 R' F R B' R' F' R B

L U2 L' U' L U' L'

R' U2 R U R' U R (reflection L/R)

L F' L F2 R' F R F2 L2

R U R' U' R' L F R F' L'

I know, it's a lot of algorithms. Try to learn as many as you can until you can barely recall which one is which, then practice recognition. The next day, they will be clearer. Don't do too many in a day.

Step 4
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This is the last step. You will now permute the last layer.

R2 U F B' R2 F' B U R2

R2 U' F B' R2 F' B U' R2 (reflection F/B)

R2 B2 R F R' B2 R F' R

R' F R' B2 R F' R' B2 R2 You could do a L/F reflection to the previous algorithm to solve this case, but it is faster to do this because it is easier to execute.