How does Speedcubing work?
Every time you mix up (scramble1) a cube2 it creates a pattern that is very unlikely to have ever been seen before (there are 43 quintillion different combinations of the 3x33). Speedcubing is solving the cube2, so all the colours are back in the right order, as quickly as you can. That’s it. You can Speedcube anywhere but if you take part in an official competition then you can get your times officially recognised by the World Cube Association (WCA)4 and see them on their website World Cube Association (https://www.worldcubeassociation.org).
Glossary:
1 Mixing up the cube. In competitions there are ‘official’ scrambles that must be used.
2 Shorthand for any of the twisty-puzzles regardless of the shape.
3 Normally written as 3x3 but pronounced "3 by 3" is the original cube as designed by Ernő Rubik (the Rubik’s Cube). Each face has nine pieces with three along each edge.
4 World Cube Association which is the governing body for Speedcubing.
1 Mixing up the cube. In competitions there are ‘official’ scrambles that must be used.
2 Shorthand for any of the twisty-puzzles regardless of the shape.
3 Normally written as 3x3 but pronounced "3 by 3" is the original cube as designed by Ernő Rubik (the Rubik’s Cube). Each face has nine pieces with three along each edge.
4 World Cube Association which is the governing body for Speedcubing.
(back to Index)
Previous: What is Speedcubing?
Next: How do you learn to solve a cube?
Kirsty Grainger, 2023-2024