Solving the 3x3 speed cube

There are many paths to a solution. A fact that is corroborated by the various methods that can be used to solve a 3x3 speed cube. We will show you simple instructions you can use to solve the cube quickly, even as a beginner. If you are already more advanced, you can find several video tutorials below.

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Table of Contents

Have you heard of our QiYi Secret Tutorial Book?
In the QiYi Secret Tutorial Book, you will find step-by-step instructions for different types of speed cubes. The book is suitable for beginners as well as advanced cubers.

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QiYi Secret Tutorial Book

tutorials for various speed cubes, in English

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Solving methods for beginners

For beginners, there are countless tutorials available on the internet explaining how to quickly and easily solve a 3x3 cube. Since we find video tutorials especially helpful, we have included a two-part tutorial below (in German). It allows you to solve your 3x3 cube step by step, which is the so-called “layer by layer” solution, where you progress one layer at a time. Here are the individual steps:

White cross
White side
Edge pieces of the middle layer
Yellow cross
Yellow side
Positioning of the yellow corners
Positioning of the yellow edges

By the way, the video tutorials listed below don’t use any notations for the individual moves. Those letters needed to describe the turns of the cube are rather overwhelming for beginners. You can easily learn them later. But if you want to take a peek now, you can find detailed information on notations in our guide to reading notations.

Solving methods for advanced cubers

If you have been familiar with the beginner method for solving a 3x3 cube for some time now, then you have come to the right place. We will show you more advanced solving methods that allow you to beat your own records. The techniques shown here are the Fridrich method (CFOP) and the Roux method.

Fridrich method (CFOP)

The Fridrich method is very popular with speedcubers and is the one most commonly used in competitions. It is a much more efficient version of the layer by layer solution method for beginners. It is known as the CFOP method because of the first letter of each of the 4 steps:

Cross (white cross)
F2L (first 2 layers)
OLL (orient last layer)
PLL (permutate last layer)

Roux method

The Roux method is very different from other solving methods for a 3x3 cube. It is the second most popular technique among speedcubers. With the Roux method, the cube is not solved layer by layer, but instead, the cuber follows these steps:

First 3x2x1 block
Second 3x2x1 block
CMLL (corners last layer - disregarding the M Slice)
L6E / LSE (last 6 edges)

The Canadian speedcuber Kian Mansour came up with four very useful tutorials (in English) where he explains the individual steps for solving a 3x3 cube using the Roux method:

ZZ method

The ZZ method is a more modern technique for solving a 3x3 cube. ZZ stands for the initials of its inventor Zbigniew Zborowski. This solving technique combines two methods: block building (from the Roux method) and layer by layer (from CFOP). The ZZ method involves the following steps:

EOLine (edge orientation)
F2L (first 2 layers)
LL (last layer)

In the following video, YouTuber ‘J Perm’ shows you how to solve a 3x3 cube using the ZZ method (in English):

Other methods for solving the 3x3

Aside from the techniques mentioned above, there are many other methods for solving the 3x3 cube. These include, for example:

Petrus method
CFCE
Waterman method
Snyder method

If you want to read more about it, take a look at speedsolvingwiki.com for a detailed list of all 3x3 methods (in English).

QiYi Secret Tutorial Book with instructions for the 3x3 speed cube

If you prefer books to learn new things, then the Secret Tutorial Book by QiYi is the perfect companion for you. This English-language book is extremely compact and fits, for example, in your trouser pocket, jacket pocket or backpack. It allows you to carry the tutorials with you and quickly look them up while on the go. The Secret Tutorial Book contains illustrated solutions for cubes such as the 3x3 speed cube, Skewb, Pyraminx and the Mirror Cube, which are ideal for beginners.

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