back to Phase 4 or
How to solve a Rubik's Cube
Moves for this phase:
F1 H-1 F-1 H-1 F1 H1 F-1 or
F1 H-1 F-1 H2 F-1 H-1 F1
(see How to solve a Rubik's Cube for a description of the move notation)
What this move does:
Hold the cube with the keyhole on the top-front edge. Rotate the horizontal slice until the piece that goes in the keyhole is on the front-right edge. If the missing piece is facing the right way (white side of the block on the right side), use the first version of the move. If the white face is on the green side, use the second version. This move will fill the keyhole.
How to use it:
We now have side 2 (the yellow side) done and side 1 (the white side, the first side you solved) is done except for the missing keyhole piece. All you have to do now is replace it. This is pretty simple.
ever-present spiffy ASCII "art"
white side white side
____________ ____________
/ / / /| r / / / /| r
o / W / / W / | e o / W / / W / | e
r / / / / | d r / / / / | d
a |^^^|^^^|^^^| R/| a |^^^|^^^|^^^| R/|
n O | G | | G | / | s n O | G | | G | / | s
g |___|___|___|/ | i *or* g |___|___|___|/ | i
e | | | | W/| d e | | | | G/| d
| | G | G | / | e | | G | W | / | e
s |___|___|___|/ | s |___|___|___|/ |
i | | | | R/ i | | | | R/
d O | G | G | G | / d O | G | G | G | /
e |___|___|___|/ e |___|___|___|/
Y Y Y Y Y Y
yellow side yellow side
Rotate the horizontal slice until the missing piece is on the right-front edge, like in the above diagrams. The keyhole piece is the bold piece. If it looks like the first diagram, use the first version of the move (F1 H-1 F-1 H-1 F1 H1 F-1). If it looks like the second diagram, use the second version (F1 H-1 F-1 H2 F-1 H-1 F1).
The idea behind this move is that you've got to get the white-green edge opposite the yellow-green edge. The first part (F1 H-1 F1) puts the yellow piece that goes opposite the keyhole piece into the keyhole. You then move the keyhole piece to the back of the cube (H-1 or H2, depending on how the piece is oriented). Now turn the front so the yellow block is opposite the white block (the keyhole piece). Now you simply turn the horizontal slice until the yellow block and the white block are on their respective edges, and then turn the front so those edges are back with their faces.
This is always the hardest part for me to do successfully. If you mess up, you can probably put one of the pieces back in place and start this phase over. If you succeed.. you're only 4 pieces away from having a solved Rubik's Cube.
Move on to Phase 6 or
go back to How to solve a Rubik's Cube