Solve a 3×3 from memory
Learn pieces and notation from zero, then a complete layer-by-layer method. Practice recognizing cases and recalling moves without a cheat sheet.
Prerequisite: No cubing experience or notation knowledge. Standard six-color 3×3; sighted solving, not blindfolded. Eleven lessons and 22 illustrated exercises start with the pieces and move notation. Follow legal-turn demonstrations, practice on a freely turnable cube, and gradually close the move reminders. The goal is a full sighted solve without instructions, not a speed target.
Lessons
- 1
Recognize the pieces before making turns
A cube is made of pieces with attached stickers, not 54 independent colored squares.
- 2
Read and perform one turn at a time
Learn six face names, a reversal mark, and a half turn before learning sequences.
- 3
Gather four white petals around yellow
Use a temporary target to lift white edges without solving their side colors yet.
- 4
Turn the daisy into a correct white cross
Use the second color of each petal to choose its home.
- 5
Complete the white layer with one four-move group
Locate a white corner by all three colors, then work in one front-right slot.
- 6
Insert the four middle-layer edges
Choose an edge without yellow and decide whether its top sticker belongs left or right.
- 7
Make a yellow cross without judging corners
Recognize a dot, an L, a line, or a cross using only the four top edges.
- 8
Match the yellow cross to the side centers
Keep the yellow cross while exchanging its misplaced edge pieces.
- 9
Put yellow corners in their homes before twisting them
Judge a corner by its three colors, regardless of which sticker faces upward.
- 10
Finish corner twists without changing your grip
The lower layers temporarily look wrong. Finish every four-move group and move between corners using U only.
- 11
Solve by recognizing checkpoints and recalling the action
Remove the move list gradually, then solve different scrambles without opening it.