2x2 Cube solution

Today I am going to help you solve pocket cube or what most people call 2x2 cube.If you can already solve the classic Rubik's cube, then lucky you- you already know how to solve a 2x2 cube! Here is a nice perspective of the puzzle: the 2x2 cube is actually a regular 3x3 cube, without the edges and the center pieces. So basically solving the 2x2 cube will be identical to solving only the corners of the 3x3. You will be surprised that some of the algorithms you'll have to know are identical to those you'll need in order to solve the 2x2 .

Before starting the solution guide, make sure you know the notations. Here is the link: http://www.rubiksplace.com/move-notations/\

The link might not be working so copy paste the URL on your address bar.

The nbotations are same as 3x3 but there is no middle layer movements.

Step 1: Solving the first layer

This step is identical to step 2 of the 3x3 cube solution. Choose a color to start with (Most popular color to start with is white or yellow – In this guide I chose yellow). Choose a corner that has this color (yellow in our case), and bring the other 3 corner pieces to it.Make sure that also the side colors of the corner pieces should fit each other, not only the yellow. 

There are 3 different cases to solve a corner piece to its correct position without harming the other corners:

F D F'

R' D' R

R' D2 R D R' D' R

Now that you are done check how your first layer looks:

Step 2: Orienting the last layer pieces

Turn the cube upside down (the solved layer should be on the bottom now)The result should be that the opposite color to the color we started with will be completed.Unlike the first layer permutation doesn't matter(for now).

 There are 7 possible cases of last layer orientations (not including the already oriented case): 

(The gray color means the sticker is not the upper face color. The bars to the sides show where the upper face color is. In our case it's white, not yellow. It doesn't matter of course.) 

Case #1

R' U' R U' R' U2 R

Case #2

L U L' U L U2 L'

Case #3

R2 U2 R U2 R2

Case #4

F [R U R' U'] [R U R' U'] F'

Case #5

F [R U R' U'] F'

Case #6

[R U R' U'] [R' F R F']

Case #7

F R U' R' U' R U R' F'

You could do the second layer with only the first algorithm(execute the algorithm from different angle till the appropriate case for the algorithm doesn't come. Though it is best to learn all algorithms.

This is how your cube should look:





Step 3 (and last): Permuting the last layer pieces

In this step the goal is to permute the last layer pieces so they will be also correctly solved in relation to each other, and not only correctly oriented. This step is very similar to step 5 of the 3x3 solution (beginner's method.

Here is what you have to do now:

1. Do some U turns so the 2 adjacent same colors will line up with their color on the bottom layer. Rotate         the cube so that this solved color will be on the right face.

2.Keep the color which lined up at the back.

3.Do this algorithm as shown in image:

L' U R' D2 R U' R' D2 R2

That's it! You have solved 2x2 cube!

                                                                               Credits :

All the credit for images and helping me solve the cube goes to http://www.rubiksplace.com/cubes/2x2/

Guys, please comment on how I can improve.