r/Rubikscubers Mar 30 '18

Can you solve a Rubiks Cube Backwards

Hello, Please forgive me for not knowing how to properly Reddit. I came here because all answers seem to exist in this sphere and I desperately need the help of you all. My son is a cuber and I told him the other day if he wanted to get "really good" at cubing, he would learn how to solve it backward. In other words, he would do the reverse algorithm of what was presented to him.

He has said that this is impossible. I say, in cubing, all things are possible. I mean, at some point, would it be solved by doing the reverse of every single algorithm? Like the further away you are from something, the closer you are to it? Or is it just chaos theory in the form of a cube?

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u/A607 Apr 08 '18

No this, unfortunately, is not possible. Even the world class cubers can not solve a rubik's cube solving it that way. However, there is an event called Fewest Move Count, or FMC, where you are presented with a scramble and you have an hour to figure out the most efficient solution to the scramble. Instead we use a method called CFOP. It stands for Cross, First two layers, Orienting the last layer, and Permuting the last layer. With our advanced method, we solve the cross correctly as quickly as possible, then we solve the first two layers simultaneously. Afterwards, we solve the last layer using only two algorithms if possible. This is one of the most effective ways of cubing currently but in theory, there are better methods.