Rubik's Cube
26 pieces, 43 quintillion states, one way home.
- Invented
- 1974 · Budapest
- States
- 4.3 × 10¹⁹
- God's Number
- 20 moves
Meet the game
The 3x3 cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian architecture professor Ernő Rubik as a way to explain movement in three dimensions. It has 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible states, every one of which can be solved in 20 moves or fewer — a figure known as God's Number.
Learning the cube is not about memory; it is about understanding which pieces a sequence moves and which it leaves alone. The layer-by-layer method breaks that into seven small goals, each needing only one or two algorithms.
Beginner questions
Learn 3×3 cube notation, pieces and the beginner layer-by-layer method. Follow written lessons, practice turns in an interactive cube and check each stage.
Where should a complete beginner start?
Start with centers, edges and corners, then learn U, D, L, R, F and B notation. Continue to the layer-by-layer lesson after the notation lesson, checking that completed pieces stay solved.
Is following an algorithm the same as solving independently?
Guided examples use prepared teaching positions to show what turns do. An independent solve also requires identifying pieces, choosing the working orientation and recognizing the current stage.
Rules and methods: Rubik’s — 3×3 Solve Guide
Tutorials
All tutorials →Cube Lesson 1: Pieces, One Turn and Its Undo
Learn the goal, three piece types and viewing versus turning, then undo a right turn and two top half-turns. Complete notation follows next.
First steps · 5 steps · 35 min
Basic Cube Notation: Read the Six Face Turns
Learn the six face letters, inverse turns and half-turns through manual examples. This lesson covers basic face turns; whole-cube rotations, slices and wide turns in other resources need separate explanations, not guesses.
Beginner · 6 steps · 25 min
Beginner's Method: Solve the 3x3 Layer by Layer
After Basic Notation, distinguish undoing a scramble record from solving layers. Learn to find pieces, establish the working position and check each stage: white cross, corners, middle layer and last layer.
Beginner · 11 steps · 70 min
CFOP, Part 1: Cross and F2L
Learn to pair a bottom-layer corner with its matching middle-layer edge and put them into place together. Identify the target pieces and follow three step-by-step cases; speed is not required.
Intermediate · 6 steps · 60 min
CFOP, Part 2: Two-Look OLL and PLL
After the first two layers, recognise cases in four stages: edge orientation, corner orientation, corner permutation and edge permutation. This differs from our beginner method; read the prerequisites rather than chaining algorithms blindly.
Intermediate · 16 steps · 45 min
Five Beautiful Patterns
Optional branch after Basic Notation: create patterns from solved, then undo them manually. CFOP is not a prerequisite.
Beginner · 6 steps · 10 min
Sections
Puzzles
A new 3×3 scramble every day plus fixed algorithm drills. Try each one yourself, then step through the turns with explanations.
Enter →
Glossary
Every common Rubik's Cube term on one page, each with a plain explanation and an example, linked back to the beginner lessons.
Enter →
History
How Rubik's Cube began and how its rules changed, in a short timeline — then try it yourself in the lessons and practice pages.
Enter →
Drag a sticker to turn a layer · Drag empty space to rotate the view