3x3 ROUX TUTORIAL
Example 1
Face green with white on top, and do this scramble:
F R L' F R' U L U2 D' B' U F L' U' D L F U2 D' R U2 B' U' L' B
Now face the blue center with the orange center on top. This puts the blue/white edge in its DL spot, so we already have a head start on the first block.
1st block: RuF' r'DB'D'B
- R gets the blue/red pieces out of the way so we can move the blue center without separating them
- uF' corrects the blue center and inserts the blue/red pieces
- r'D aligns the blue/orange pieces. We do r' instead of R' to preserve the connected green/red pieces on top
- B' makes room for the whole block to come together
- D'B finishes the 1st block
2nd block: rUr' U' r'U'r
- The green/white edge is already in place at DR
- rUr' is a standard insert for the red/green pieces, and it also paired up the green orange pieces
- U' r'U'r inserts the green/orange pieces
- This was an unusually easy 2nd block
CMLL: U R'U' RUR'F' RUR'U' R'FR2
EO: U MU'M
- Back Arrow case. The last turn is M rather than M' because we want the UL/UR edges on the bottom.
UL/UR: U M2 U'
- Since UL/UR were on the bottom, this is a quick solve. Note that the BU color is orange.
M Slice: M' U2 M U2 M2
- This is a 3-edge cycle. Since FU & BU are the same, we know we'll start with M or M'. Here it is M' because it keeps the unique edge on top.
Example 2
Face green with white on top, and do this scramble:
L B' R' L B F' U L D' L2 R2 U2 L D2 B R2 D2 F2 B U B L R' U R
Now face the red center with the yellow center on top. This puts blue center in place, and the blue/white edge is only a D2 away from its DL spot.
1st block: D'B D'rF U'r U2rB'
- D'B pairs up the blue/red pieces
- D' inserts the blue/white edge
- rF inserts the blue/red pieces
- U'r pairs up the blue/orange pieces
- U2rB' inserts the blue/orange pieces, completing the 1st block
2nd block: R2U'r'U'r2 R'U'R2U'r' U2rUr'
- R2U'r'U'r2 inserts the green/white edge
- R'U' inserts the green/orange pieces
- R2U'r' pairs up the green/red pieces
- U2 rUr' inserts the green/red pieces, completing the 2nd block
CMLL: U' R'F2RU2 rU'r' F
EO: M'U M'U'M U' M'U'M'
- Front Diagonal case. We end with UL/UR on the bottom.
UL/UR: U M2 U'
M Slice: skip
(45 moves total)
Example 3
Face green with white on top, and do this scramble:
L' U L R2 F2 U' F' U' F B' L' R' U2 R2 U' B' L B2 F2 R' D2 L' R2 U2 F
Now face the green center with the yellow center on top. This puts the blue/white edge in its DL spot.
1st block: r'D2 r'R'U FUr'f
- r'D2 pairs up the blue/orange pieces while shuffling the blue/red pieces around
- r' pairs up the blue/red pieces. I don't normally recommend pairing up both pairs before inserting either of them.
- R'U re-inserts the blue/white edge next to the blue center
- FU inserts the blue/red pieces
- r'f inserts the blue/orange pieces and anchors the block in the lower left
2nd block: U'r'U' rU'r RUR2U'R UrU'r'
- U'r'U' prepares to insert the green/white edge
- rU'r inserts the green/white edge, and the U' in the middle prevents the red/green corner from being stuck in the BR slot
- RUR2 pairs up the green/orange pair
- U'R inserts the green/orange pair
- U prepares the green/red pair for a standard insertion
- rU'r' inserts the green/red pair
CMLL: U' RUR'U' R'FR2U'R'U RUR'F'
EO: M'U'M' U2 M'UM'
- Neighbors case. M'U'M' gives us an arrow. U2 points the arrow toward the bad D edge.
- We end with M'UM' instead of M'U'M' so that the UL/UD edges end up on the bottom.
UL/UR: U M2 U
M slice: U2 M2 U2 M2
(53 moves total)
I've covered the basics of the Roux method, but this rabbit hole goes deeper.
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