All events · 3x3x3 Blindfolded · Practise · Algorithms
3BLD · Intermediate
Letter pairs, images and a memory palace; handling twists and flips. Consistent success, sub-5-minute solves.
Move sequences on this page were checked in a cube simulator (cubing.js): they are legal and, where the text says so, do what it claims. Strategy advice is guidance, not machine-checked.
Memorising with images
Turn pairs of letters into images (an object or person for each possible pair), then place the images along a route you know well. This is the memory palace. A typical scramble gives roughly nine or ten letter pairs for the edges and corners together.
Edges and corners that need twisting
Some pieces are in the right place but flipped or twisted. Note them while inspecting and fix them with setup-and-algorithm combos at the end. Corner twists and edge flips both come in groups that obey a simple rule: the total twist of all corners returns to zero, and the total flip of all edges returns to zero.
Speeding up execution
Replace long setup moves with shorter ones. Commutators let you cycle three pieces with fewer moves than a sequence plus setups. The approach on the Advanced page builds on this.
R U' R U R U R U' R' U' R2 — Ua: another pure edge 3-cycleR2 U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R' — Ub: the same cycle the other way