All events · 3x3x3 Fewest Moves · Practise · Algorithms
FMC · Beginner
Find a short solution within one hour using block building and commutators. Any solution under 80 moves.
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.
The rules
You get a scramble and one hour. You write the solution on paper and it must be at most 80 moves. The count uses the half-turn metric: a half turn such as R2 counts as one move. You may use any cube to experiment, but the written solution must solve the scramble.
A simple plan
Build a 2x2x2 block, then extend it to a 2x2x3. Then solve the first two layers except for one slot. Finally, find the shortest way to finish. A good fallback is the beginner method: it always gives a valid answer, just not a short one.
Check your answer
A solution to a scramble works backwards too: if a sequence A solves scramble S, then the inverse of A solves the inverse of S. You can use this to extend a partial solution from either end, which is called NISS.
Finishing with a pure cycle
When only a few pieces remain, a commutator or a known cycle like the A-perm can finish without touching anything else. Test your idea on the cube before writing it down.
R' F R' B2 R F' R' B2 R2 — cycles three corners, nothing else