Solving Any Sized Rubiks Cube

One needs to know how to solve a 3 x 3 cube and understand additional few move sets explained in this
instructions to solve Rubiks cube of any size. If one has also solved the 4 x 4 Rubiks cube, then solving
any cube above that size is simply the application of the same move sets. Once one understands, what
each of the move sets do, then it is simply the application of ones intuitive intelligence to arrive at the
sequence of moves to resolve any situation.
This solution relies on the users expertize to solve at least a 3 x 3 Rubiks cube.

Solving any sized cubes essentially involves the following three steps:
1. Positioning the center pieces
2. Forming the edge groups.
3. Solving it as a 3x3.
The first two steps are aimed at converting cubes of any size into a scrambled 3x3. In the first step the
centre pieces are put together. In the second step edge groups are formed.
Once the two steps are completed, the cube will be identical to a scrambled 3 x 3 cube, with the centre
pieces on each face forming the center equivalent to a 3 x 3 and the edge groups being equivalent to the
edges on the 3 x 3.
I will be using a 8 x 8 cube for the instructions. However, the instructions are applicable to any size cubes
above 3 x 3.

Piece Notations:

Centre pieces are single faced with

single color each. Number of center
pieces vary with the size of the
cube. However there would be only
six colors or groups of center pieces

Corner pieces are

three faced with
three different
colored faces. Corner
pieces are always 8
for any size of cube

Venugopal Pisharody

Edge pieces are two faced with two

different colored faces. Number of
edge pieces vary with the size of the
cube. However, there would be only
12 groups of edge pieces

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Move Notations:
Here I have tried to maintain the notations in line with other sized cubes. For the extra layers, I have just
used any alphas to keep it simple. You may use whatever is convenient to you. Once the center pieces
are solved than only the outer layers of the cube are of primary importance.

Ui

U
u

ui
Ti
ti
g
G
d
D

T
t
gi
Gi
di
Di
Li

li

Oi

oi

si

Si

ri

Ri

B
b
A
a
ni
Ni
fi
Fi

Venugopal Pisharody

U Topmost face/row
u Layer adjacent to Topmost face
T, t, G, g Middle rows
d Layer adjacent to bottommost face
D Bottommost face
R Rightmost face/column
r Layer adjacent to rightmost face
O, o, S, s Vertical columns
l Layer adjacent to leftmost face
L Leftmost face/column
F Front Face
f Layer adjacent to front face
A, a, N, n Middle layers
b Layer adjacent to backmost face
B Backmost face
Each turn is one 90 rotation or turn
No Suffix Clockwise Rotation

Suffix i Anticlockwise Rotation

2 indicates two turns.

Bi
bi
Ai
ai
n
N
f
F

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Step 1: Positioning the centers.

Note that for odd sized cubes, i.e 5x5, 7x7, 9x9, 11x11 etc, orientation of the centers with reference to
each other is fixed, hence, one doesnot need to worry about getting the center orientations correct. One
needs to note the position of the central piece and bring all the other center pieces to that face.
While in case of even sized cubes, i.e 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 etc one needs to review the corner pieces to
understand which centers are on opposite faces and how the centers are oriented to each other. In most
standard cubes, faces are positioned as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.

White and Yellow are opposite faces

Red and Orange are opposite faces.
Blue and Green are opposite faces.
With Yellow to the top, White to the bottom, Red to the right and Orange to the left, Blue should
be to the front and Green should be at the back.

So when working with even sized cubes, once you have put the first four sets of center pieces together,
you should ensure that you position the last two centers correctly or you will need to reposition two of
the center positions in the third step of solving the cube as a 3 x 3 cube. You may also end up needing to
regroup some of the edge pieces also in the third step of the solution, if the center orientation is not
correct.
You only need your intuition, two basic move sets or principles and lots of practice to get the center pieces
positioned correctly.
Following two move sets are handy in putting the center pieces together.
1. Retaining a column in a face and moving in a column from another face. Though a column is
mentioned as a column is moved, it applies for individual pieces also:
i. Align the current column to be retained with the column in another layer that needs to be
moved to the current layer.
ii. Rotate the outside column to the position of the current column. May involve one or two turns,
depending on whether the two columns are on adjacent faces or on opposite faces.
iii. Rotate the current layer thru two turns.
iv. Reverse the move in step ii to bring back the current column to its original position.
The following is an illustration of above four steps:

Si

U2

Step i

Step iv

Step ii
Venugopal Pisharody

Step iii
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2. Moving one center piece from an adjacent face or an opposite face to the current face:
i.

Align the column containing the center piece to be moved (in the adjacent or opposite face)
to the column in the current face, where it is to be moved. I have put a dot on the center
piece for illustration. You will not have this dot in the actual cube.
ii. Rotate the column in the adjacent or opposite face to the current face. It would involve one
turn for adjacent faces and two turns for opposite faces.
iii. Rotate the current face by one turn.
iv. Rotate the column containing the center piece of interest by required turn(s) forward. One
turn for adjacent faces and two turns for opposite faces.
v. Reverse the move in Step iii above.
vi. Reverse the move in Step ii above.
vii. Repeat the move in Step iii above
viii. Reverse the move in Step iv
Following illustrates the above steps for adjacent faces:

Ui

Step i

oi

Step iii
Step iv

Step ii

ri

Ui

Step v
Step vii
Step viii

Step vi

Above moves combined can be written as rUioi U riUio. As said earlier this move set is for adjacent faces.
For opposite faces the move set becomes r2Uioi2 U ri2Uio2.
In general the above move set can be written as X Ui Y U Xi Ui Yi, where X & Y can be single columns or
group of columns. Only condition is that X & Y or the columns in the groups should never overlap or be
the same.
Venugopal Pisharody

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With practice will come better understanding and then you will be able to do multiple columns together.
With all the center pieces in position, the cube will look something like the following:

Step 2: Forming The Edge Groups.

In this step, I usually keep the White center and Yellow center as the top and bottom face. The top and
bottom face will be storage area for the completed edge groups, while the layers in between the top and
bottom face will be our operating area for maneuvering the edges.
For this step, you need to understand only the following three move sets:

FRi FiR:
This moves the edges on the top of the front face to the right of the face, keeping the inside faces as is.
The leftmost edge becomes the topmost edge and so on with the rightmost edge becoming the bottom
most edge to the right of the face.

FRiFiR

RFi U RiF:
This move effects the edge group to the right of the front face. It flips the positions of the edges and at
same the time reverses the faces of the edges. Topmost edge becomes the bottommost, second from top
assumes second from bottom and so forth. The position of the faces of each of the edges in the edge
group is also interchanged. In an odd sized cube, the central edge remains in the same position, with only
the position of the two faces of the edge interchanged.

RFi U RiF

Venugopal Pisharody

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RURi:
This move is used to move the completed edge group to the top face or storage layer and replace it with
an unsolved edge group.

RURi

Above three move sets have following complementary move sets:

Basic Move Set

Complementary

FRi FiR

FiL FLi

RFi U RiF

LiF Ui LFi

RURi

LiUiL

Effect
Moves the top edges to
the left
Effects the edges to the
left, the same way the
basic move effect the right
edges

Extended

Effect

---

---

X RFi U RiF Xi
X represents any
of the rows u, T,
t, G, g, d or its
groups

Moves the edges

in the right side
edge group to the
left side
depending on the
row(s) used in X

Xi LiF Ui LFi X
X represents any
of the rows u, T,
t, G, g, d or its
groups

Moves the edges

in the left side
edge group to the
right side
depending on the
row(s) used in X.

Moves the completed

edge group on the left to
the top storage layer.

First objective is to form the first 8 edge groups and push them to the top and bottom layers for
storage. Once these eight edge groups have been located to the top and bottom layers, you need to
realign the center pieces in the operating zone. All it should require is turning the layers in the operating
zone till all the center pieces are correctly positioned once again. After completing the eight edge groups
and locating them to the top and bottom layers, and realigning the center pieces in the operating zone,
your cube could look like this this is just one of the many possible combinations:

Venugopal Pisharody

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The second objective is to form the last four edge groups in the operating zone without dislocating the
center pieces. It is essential to realign all the center pieces, if they have been disturbed, before starting
this step. Realign the centers, if required. Use any of the above moves, complementary or extended
moves to complete the final four edge groups.
Following illustrates a typical situation for understanding:

d RFi U RiF di

Move set RFi U RiF, as explained in one of the above para flips the location of an edge in an edge group
along with interchanging the position of the colors on its face. Encapsulating this move set in any of the
row combination, i.e d..di, uiu, Ti..T, tit, G..Gi, ggi, or group of them will move
corresponding edges in the right edge group into the left edge group.
Similarly encapsulating LiF Ui LFi in any of the row combination, i.e di..d, uui, T..Ti, tti,
Gi..G, gig, or group of them will move corresponding edges in the left edge group in to the right
edge group.
For odd sized cubes, the central piece of an edge group always remain in position, with only the colors
of the faces interchanged, hence, to align relative pieces to this central piece, it is essential to bring
related edges to the edge group, that houses the central piece.
If the edge pieces are not in the required position as illustrated above, then use RFi U RiF or
LiF U LFi without any encapsulation to bring the pieces to required position before executing the
encapsulated move set. See following illustration for details:

RFi U RiF

Though the above is illustrated for edges at top and bottom positions, it is true for edges at any
positions. Only in case of odd sized cubes, the central piece in an edge group remains in position with
only the colors interchanged.

Venugopal Pisharody

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There are two specific situations that one encounters in this step.
One Situation is relevant to odd sized cubes only. For the last two edge groups, the central piece may be
different or interchanged with reference to the other edge pieces while trying to solve the last two edge
groups. As it cannot be demonstrated with a 8x8 cube, will use a 5x5 for illustration and explain how to
extend the concept to other cubes. Note following illustration:

d RFi U RiF di
di LiF Ui LFi d

The above move set d RFi U RiF di - di LiF Ui LFi d can be extended by rewriting it as:
X RFi U RiF Xi - Xi LiF Ui LFi X, where X stands for the group of rows below the central piece. E.g if for a
9x9 size cube, if we designate the central row as H, while the other rows designations are same as the
8x8, then X = gGd and Xi = giGidi and the above move set becomes:
gGd RFi U RiF giGidi - giGidi LiF Ui LFi gGd
Second Situation is when two of the pieces in the last edge group have their faces reversed relative to the
other pieces in the group. Usually, these would be two complementary pieces, i.e if one is the second
from top, then the other will be the second from the bottom. The situation and the solution is illustrated
below:

G2B2R2TR2 GiR2GR2F2 GF2TiB2G2

The above move set can be written in the general form X2B2R2YR2 XiR2XR2F2 XF2YiB2X2, where X & Y
are complementary rows and can vary basis which two edge pieces have reversed faces and can have any
of the following combination:
X
d

Y
u

With all the 12 edge groups completed and center pieces in place, the cube will be equivalent to a
scrambled 3 x 3 Rubiks cube and can now be solved like a standard 3 x 3 Rubiks cube.

Venugopal Pisharody

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Step 3: Solving it as a 3 x 3.
Now the cube is equivalent to a 3 x 3 and can be solved like a standard 3 x 3 Rubiks. In case you are not
versed with the same, following is a great resource:
http://lghttp.38568.nexcesscdn.net/8013252/pdf/uploads/general_content/Rubiks_cube_3x3_solutionen.pdf
One last situation, known as a parity error is encountered with even sized cubes. This error occurs in the
very last phase of the third step, i.e the last phase of solving the cube as a 3x3 cube. This error consists of
two of the edge groups on the top face not being in position, with all the other pieces in position. There
are two likely scenarios, in one these edges are on adjacent faces and in the other these edges are on
opposite faces. In both these cases the move set used is same. For opposite faces, the one move set used
solves the cube, while for adjacent faces, the move set converts it to a normal three unsolved edge groups,
which then needs to be solved like a 3 x 3.
Following illustrations for understanding:
Opposite Faces:

X2U2X2U2 u2Y2u2

Adjacent Faces:

X2U2X2U2 u2Y2u2

For adjacent faces, hold the cube as shown with one of the dislocated edge group to the front and the
other to the right and then execute the move set. After executing the move set, once again use the 3x3
solution to position the edge groups as required.
Here X is the group of columns to the right of the cube center, less the rightmost column, i.e for a 8x8
cube X=sSr. Y is the group of rows to the top of the cube center less the uppermost row or face, i.e for a
8x8 cube Y=uTt.
Replacing X & Y in above move set, for a 8x8 cube, the move set becomes s2S2r2U2 s2S2r2U2 u2u2T2t2u2

.Happy Solving..
Venugopal Pisharody

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