Method Development Competition
The Method Development Competition is an event started in August 2020 by James Straughan. It is a recurring event where competitors are given time to develop a method that fits the criteria of the current competition. Each competition has a theme or set of rules that each submitted method must fit. At the end of the competition a winning method is chosen by a vote. This page details the methods that have been submitted for each competition.
August 2020
Theme: 3x3x3 Speedsolving
EBBP
Overall winner of the competition
Step 1: Orient all edges and build a 2x2x2 block at dbl.
Step 2: Solve the dFl square.
Step 3: Solve the dbR square + DFR corner.
Step 4: Proceed with two options for finishing the solve.
Orient the last layer corners while solving the FR edge then finish with PLL.
Solve the last layer corners then finish with L5EP.
Team members: RadicalMacaroni, MichaelZRC, AlphaCuber is awesome, Sosimomonon, and Username: Username:
Square-101
Winner of Most Original and Best for FMC
Step 1: EOLine on left.
Step 2: Create a pseudopair, which is either the FR or BR edge at UF or UB then a corner attached to that edge on the left with the U layer sticker of that corner facing the left side. Then create a 1x2x3 block of oriented U/D stickers on the bottom layer on the left (at the Dl position).
Step 3: Orient the remaining corners while placing the E layer edges in the E layer.
Step 4: Build two 1x1x2 pairs on opposite sides of the D layer. One at bDL and the other at bDR.
Step 5: Permute the remaining six corners.
Step 6: Permute the remaining six edges.
Created by Vincent Trang (trangium)
Yellow Bird
Step 1: Build a 2x2x2 block at dbl.
Step 2: Build the dFr 1x2x2 and align it at dFl.
Step 3: Solve the dbR square.
Step 4: Create the pair that belongs at dFL, align it above the 1x2x2 block that was placed at dFL, then do an F' turn to complete the first two layers.
Step 5: Solve the last layer.
Created by Dylan Nyein
L2L5
Step 1: Solve the bottom layer.
Step 2: Solve three edges of the E layer.
Step 3: Solve the last layer corners, ignoring the unsolved edge slot.
Step 4: Solve the last five edges.
Created by Joseph Tudor
2 Square
Step 1: Create the two 1x2x2s that belong at dbL and dbR.
Step 2: Solve the dFL pair while orienting all remaining edges.
Step 3: Solve the dFR pair.
Step 4: Solve the last layer corners.
Step 5: Permute the remaining six edges.
Team members: Humble Cuber, Micah Morrison, Owen Morrison, and Nmile7300
23RF
Step 1: Build a 2x2x2 block at dbl.
Step 2: Solve the Ubl 1x2x2.
Step 3: Solve the 1x2x3 at dR.
Step 4: Orient all remaining edges then solve the dFL square.
Step 5: Solve the last layer.
Team members: moh_33, PetrusQuber, kubesolver, TheSlykrCubr, and CyoobietheCuber
January 2021
Theme: 3x3x3 Speedsolving
Squall
Overall winner of the competition and winner of Best for FMC
Step 1: Orient all edges and build the dbL 1x2x2.
Step 2: Solve the dFL pair.
Step 3: Solve the DF+DB edges.
Step 4: Solve the dBR pair.
Step 5: Solve the dFR pair.
Step 6: Solve the last layer corners.
Step 7: Permute the last five edges.
Created by Vincent Trang (trangium)
ECP
Winner of Most Original Method and Most Potential for Variants and Extensions
Step 1: Orient all edges while creating a face on the bottom layer.
Step 2: Orient the last layer corners while moving the E layer edges to anywhere in the E layer.
Step 3: Permute the U, E, and D layers using one of several variants.
Created by Rowan Fortier
Atropos
Step 1: Create the dbl 2x2x2 block.
Step 2: Orient all remaining edges while solving the DR edge.
Step 3: Solve the dFr 1x2x2.
Step 4: Solve the DBR corner.
Step 5: Solve the DFL corner while orienting the last layer corners.
Step 6: Permute the last layer corners while solving the BR edge.
Step 7: Permute the remaining five edges.
Team members: RedManPat, Scollier, WarriorCatCuber
Utah
Step 1: Solve the bottom layer minus the DFR corner.
Step 2: Orient all remaining edges while solving all E layer edges.
Step 3: Orient the remaining five corners.
Step 4: Finish with TTLL.
Created by William Hancock (username carcass on speedsolving.com)
August 2021
Theme: 4x4x4 Speedsolving
Triforce
Overall winner and winner of Most Original Method
Step 1: Solve the U and D centers and a 1x2x4 block on the left side.
Step 2: Solve the two DF and DB edge pairs and their centers. This step extends the 1x2x4 block to a 2x3x4 block on the bottom layer.
Step 3: Pair the U and D edges while also forming the centers into horizontal pairs.
Step 4: Move all E layer edge wings into the E layer while orienting the U and D edges.
Step 5: Solve the last six E layer edge wings.
Step 6: Solve the last six corners. The recommened steps are to solve the DR corners then solve the four U layer corners using a single algorithm.
Step 7: Do a y rotation then permute the remaining five edges while solving the five horizontal center pairs.
Created by Vincent Trang (trangium)
TSSH
Winner of Most Ergonomic
Step 1: Solve the L and R centers.
Step 2: Finish the last four centers then solve any two correctly adjacent edges on the left side.
Step 3: Add the corner that goes with the two adjacent edges and the third edge that matches the corner to create a 3x3x3 block.
Step 4: Solve one of the remaining D layer edges.
Step 5: Solve the 1x1x3 corner and edge pair to connect to the 3x3x3 block and D layer edge to create a 3x3x4 block.
Step 6: Solve the final bottom layer edge.
Step 7: Pair the remaining edges.
Step 8: Solve the rest like a 3x3x3 puzzle.
Created by V Achyuthan and friends
Bar4E
Step 1: Solve the L and R centers.
Step 2: Solve three edges on the left side.
Step 3: Build three half center bars using the remaining unsolved centers.
Step 4: Pair three edges and keep them on the right side bottom three layers.
Step 5: Build the remaining center pieces into half center bars.
Step 6: Pair two more edges and place them at UL and UR.
Step 7: Solve the last four edges and the centers.
Step 8: Solve the rest like a 3x3x3 puzzle.
Created by Aedan Bryant (TipsterTrickster)
SCR
Step 1: Solve a 1x3x3 block on the left and the R center.
Step 2: Expand the 1x3x3 to a 3x3x3 block.
Step 3: Solve the last two centers.
Step 4: Pair the remaining edges.
Step 5: Solve the rest like a 3x3x3 puzzle.
Created by JMark (GodCubing)
234
Step 1: Solve the L and R centers.
Step 2: Build a 1x3x4 block on the left side.
Step 3: Expand the 1x3x4 block into a 2x3x4 block by adding two opposite D layer edges and their centers.
Step 4: Pair up five edges and keep them on the left and right sides.
Step 5: Pair up two more edges, leading to the final edge being paired automatically.
Step 6: Finish the bottom three layers without caring about the centers.
Step 7: OLL then PLL.
Step 8: Finish the remaining centers.
Created by StrategySam
2023
Theme: 3x3x3 Speedsolving
Hosted by Kristopher Tibbetts
2NAKe
Winner of Most Original
Step 1: Solve the dL 1x2x3.
Step 2: Solve the remaining three D layer edges oriented but in any permutation. Also solve the FR and BR edges into their correct positions.
Step 3: Solve the last two D layer corners
Step 4: Use OLLCP to solve the last layer corners and orient the U layer edges.
Step 5: Permute the last seven edges.
Created by Travis Dumaran
Triceratops
Winner of Best for FMC
Step 1: Solve the dL 1x2x3.
Step 2: Solve the three dR edges.
Step 3: Orient all remaining edges while solving the DF and DB edges and the M layer centers.
Step 4: Orient the remaining corners while solving the DBR corner or both DR corners.
Step 5: Finish with TTLL or PLL.
Created by DoAnKhang
PBCS
Winner of Best for 2H and Best for OH
Step 1: Build the dl 2x2x3.
Step 2: Pair up the DR corners with the DR edge to create a bar. The corners are allowed to be swapped and the entire bar can either be oriented or misoriented.
Step 3: Solve the bar while orienting all remaining edges.
Step 4: Solve the U layer corners.
Step 5: Permute the last six edges.
Created by Daylen Hall (The Horrormusician), Kristopher Tibbetts (Twisted101), and Ethan Hayes (CubeAlgs101)
JJ Method
Step 1: Build the dbl 2x2x2 and add the DF edge.
Step 2: Orient all remaining edges.
Step 3: Solve the dFL pair.
Step 4: Permute the remaining six corners as in CEOR.
Step 5: Finish the solve using the RU move set also as in CEOR.
Created by Rannanjay Singh Kotwal (JDAW6)