History of ZBLL

This page covers a history of ZBLL that I posted to speedsolving.com in April 2022. Many more details about the history can be found on the CubingHistory.com page. Most in the community assume that ZBLL is a proposal or development from Zbigniew Zborowski and Ron van Bruchem. However, the fact is that the algorithm set already existed for the Petrus method and was developed by Bernard Helmstetter. Ron and Zbigniew had a goal of getting to an all edges oriented last layer in CFOP and so they created the steps of F2L-1, ZBLS, then solve the last layer in one step (overall called the ZB Method). They even specifically mention that they are using Bernard Helmstetter's development for the Petrus method. The community mistakenly named the oriented edges last layer subset ZBLL based on Ron and Zbigniew's ZB method. The name ZBLL was assigned by CFOP users, whether aware or unaware of Helmstetter and Petrus being the originators, to create a matching pair with ZBLS (or ZBF2L as it was called at the time). In this post I go over the history and why I think it may be a good idea to rename the subset.

Around 2001 and 2002, Zbigniew Zborowski and Ron van Bruchem proposed the idea of solving the final F2L corner and edge while orienting the last layer edges. Then the solver finishes the last layer using a single algorithm. Below is a link to the original website.

ZB Method website

Zbigniew and Ron called this a new 3x3x3 method, the ZB method. They didn’t call the final last layer step ZBLL. That is something that the community started calling it. The earliest use of the acronym ZBLL that I’ve found comes from Makisumi Shotaro in a post where he is discussing how algorithm sets should be named.

However, there is a problem. The Petrus method already existed with an all edges oriented last layer. Further, someone by the name of Bernard Helmstetter generated all of the algorithms for a single look Petrus last layer before the ZB method was proposed. Even more, these algorithms were published by Ron on speedcubing.com, his own website. The entire community knew about and was using this website. The fact that Ron and Zbigniew themselves knew about this last layer subset having already been generated for the Petrus method is further evidenced by the fact that Zbigniew says on his site “The conception of above combine is not new! Bernard Helmstetter created this for Lars Petrus a few years ago.” then provides a link to Helmstetter’s algorithms. Lars Petrus had even started trying to learn the full set and said that a one look all edges oriented last layer is "a very good way to exploit the advantage of the Petrus method".

Bernard Helmstetter's website

Zbigniew Zborowski's last layer page (with mention of Helmstetter's work)

Lars Petrus’ last layer page (with discussion about Helmstetter’s algorithms)

Helmstetter's algorithm list on speedcubing.com

My proposal is that it is most logical to call the oriented edges last layer subset PHLL or HPLL. P for Petrus and H for Helmstetter. Or a generic acronym as with CFOP. As mentioned, it seems that Ron and Zbigniew didn’t create the acronym ZBLL. The core idea of the ZB method was "ZBLS" then using the already existing idea (Petrus, Helmstetter, and others) and algorithms (Helmstetter) for a one-look oriented edges last layer. The last layer name appears to have been a mistake by the community. Extending the ZB acronym from the proposed ZB method through to the last layer.I know the immediate reaction from some will be opposition to the proposal of a name change. It’s a natural occurrence in almost every situation. People don’t like change. The easy rebuttal being popularization. However, I think that just like the Fridrich -> CFOP situation, this one makes sense. Giving the most credit in the form of the name of the last layer subset.