Solving the Rubik's Cube

Solving a Rubik's Cube is usually done layer by layer. Trying to do it face by face would be nigh impossible, as you couldn't do the other faces without screwing up the ones you may have already done.
I will cover three ways of solving the Rubik's Cube: beginner, intermediate and advanced, and I advise you to start with the beginner method. The intermediate method is similar to the beginner, except the last layer is slightly different, allowing for faster times. The advanced method is what is known as the Fridrich method and, with practice, will allow you to achieve times of less than 20 seconds. I myself use a mixture of the intermediate and advanced methods, as I have not yet learnt all of the Fridrich method.
I will try to explain everything in a way where you can understand, as when I first learnt I had to figure stuff out because the tutorial wasn't that good.

If you have comments, feel free to email me here.

Contents

Beginner Method Intermediate Method Advanced Method
Beginner Method - The Cross Intermediate Method - Introduction Advanced Method - Introduction
Beginner Method - The Corners Intermediate Method - OLL Advanced Method - F2L
Beginner Method - The Second Layer Intermediate Method - PLL Corners Advanced Method - OLL
Beginner Method - The Last Layer Cross Intermediate Method - PLL Edges Advanced Method - PLL
Beginner Method - The Last Layer Edges
Beginner Method - The Last Layer Corners A
Beginner Method - The Last Layer Corners B

Advanced Method

Introduction

This method of doing the Rubik's Cube involves remembering a lot of algorithms to cope with different situations. If you wish, you can use a cut down version of the Fridrich method which I am attempting to learn. This involves using doing the starting cross, some F2L, the third layer cross, some OLL and two PLL cases. Only some F2L cases need to be used as you can always get to the position where the corner and edge are in the top layer. Similarly, a lot less OLL algorithms need to be remembered as getting to the cross is easy.
I have created some nice, handy printable documents that you can stick somewhere where you can learn them easily. The F2L one is here and the OLL/PLL one is here.
This method start in exactly the same way as the others - forming a cross. However, this is done on the bottom layer straight away as turning the cube over costs time.

Step 1 - F2L

This step involves solving the first layer corners and second layer at the same time, to get this:

To see all of the cases and what to do for each, go here.

Step 2 - OLL

This step involves orienting all of the last layer cubies so the yellow face is complete, like this:

Again, laziness prevails so go here to see all of the OLL cases.

Step 3 - PLL

This step involves permuting all of the last layer cubies so the cube is complete, like this:

Here are all of the PLL case algorithms, in what I think is a logical order:
If you need help with notation, go here.
x R2 D2 R U R' D2 R U' R x z' R2 U2 R' D' R U2 R' D R'
M2 U M2 U2 M2 U M2 U2 M2 U M2 U x M2 U2 M2 U2
R' U R' U' R' U' R' U R U R2 R2 U' R' U' R U R U R U' R
R' F' L' F R F' L F R' F' L F R F' L' F R' U R U' R2 F' U' F U R F R' F' R2 U' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'
R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' L' U' L F L' U' L U L F' L2 U L U
R' U2 R U2 R' F R U R' U' R' F' R2 U' L U2 L' U2 L F L' U' L U L F L2 U
R' U R' U' B' D B' D' B2 R' B' R B R F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'
R' U R U' R' F' U' F R U R' F R' F' R U' R R U' R' U l U F U' R' F' R U' R U l' U R'
Note: l means turn the left and middle face together.
R U R' F2 u' F U' F' U F' u F2 R2 u' R U' R U R' u R2 B U' B'
F' U' F R2 u R' U R U' R u' R2 R2 u R' U R' U' R u' R2 F' U F


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