Step 6 of 8
Parity and a whole solve
The goal
To solve the whole cube: edges, the parity formula if needed, corners.
Where parity comes from
- The edge swap also swaps two corners, and the corner swap also swaps two edges. Do two swaps, and these side effects cancel out.
- If the edges have an odd number of letters, one swap is left without a pair. But then the corners have an odd number too: always, that is how the cube works. It happens in about half of all solves.
- The parity formula goes between edges and corners. It swaps exactly those two corners, and the two edges that the last corner swap will put back. With an even number of letters it is not needed.
Parity formula (Ra Perm)
Only with an odd number of letters. Done after the edges, before the corners.
R U' R' U' R U R D R' U' R D' R' U2 R' U'
The order of a solve
- Recall the edges. Each letter: setup, swap, setup undone.
- An odd number of edge letters? Do the parity formula.
- Recall the corners and do them the same way.
While solving you need not think about the buffer, cycles or flipped pieces: it is all in the letters.
Everything on one screen
EdgesCorners
Buffer
top right, B
top left back, E
Target
top left, D
bottom right front, V
Setups
L Lw D Dw
D F R
Never memorised
B M
A E R
Edges R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'
Corners R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R
Parity R U' R' U' R U R D R' U' R D' R' U2 R' U'
An example without parity
Apply this scramble with white on top and green towards you. Press 3D to see a letter's moves from exactly this point of the solve.
Letters
Scramble (white on top, green towards you)
B2 R2 B2 L U2 R' B2 R2 B2 R' U' B' F L' B D R B2 D B' D' UEdgesQUSRNXIVPRDE
Q
Lw' D L2 swap L2 D' Lw
U
D' L2 swap L2 D
S
Lw' D' L2 swap L2 D Lw
R
L swap L'
N
Dw L swap L' Dw'
X
L2 swap L2
I
Lw D' L2 swap L2 D Lw'
V
D2 L2 swap L2 D2
P
Dw' L' swap L Dw
R
L swap L'
D
swap
E
L Dw' L swap L' Dw L'
CornersMWQXMDUIVP
M
F swap F'
W
D' swap D
Q
R D' swap D R'
X
D2 swap D2
M
F swap F'
D
F2 swap F2
U
D swap D'
I
F R' swap R F'
V
swap
P
R F swap F' R'
An example with parity
Scramble (white on top, green towards you)
U' L2 D' U R2 B' D' U' L2 B2 R' U' B' F' L U2 F R2 U'EdgesKDIEXOWJHLQNX
K
Lw D L2 swap L2 D' Lw'
D
swap
I
Lw D' L2 swap L2 D Lw'
E
L Dw' L swap L' Dw L'
X
L2 swap L2
O
D' Lw D L2 swap L2 D' Lw' D
W
D L2 swap L2 D'
J
Dw2 L swap L' Dw2
H
Dw L' swap L Dw'
L
L' swap L
Q
Lw' D L2 swap L2 D' Lw
N
Dw L swap L' Dw'
X
L2 swap L2
±
Parity
CornersOUSCVNQIF
O
R2 F swap F' R2
U
D swap D'
S
D F' swap F D'
C
F2 D swap D' F2
V
swap
N
R' F swap F' R
Q
R D' swap D R'
I
F R' swap R F'
F
F' D swap D' F
Your first blindfolded solve
- Do the example above with your eyes open, letter by letter.
- Take a new scramble, find the letters, write them down and check them in the trainer.
- Solve from the paper with your eyes open, without checking the cube along the way.
- The same with your eyes closed. It failed? That is normal: find the letter where you slipped.
- Once it works from the paper, memorise the letters as a story and put the paper away.
If it does not work
›The most common mistake: a wrong undo of the setup. The undo is the same moves in reverse order, in the reverse direction.
›Do not hurry, and tighten the cube so it does not fall apart in your hands: one popped piece ruins the whole attempt.
›Lost your place blindfolded? Finish the attempt, take off the blindfold and look at the result. Which pieces are out of place often shows the letter where it went wrong.