How Feliks Zemdegs Broke the Rubik’s Cube World Record(4.59 seconds) and Tutorial on how to solve.

Feliks Zemdegs, is the world’s fastest speed solver. He holds many world records and recently broke the 3×3 world record and solved a Rubik’s Cube in 4.59 seconds! This post will tell you how he did it.

First of all, lets start with how Feliks solves the cube. Feliks uses a method called CFOP. CFOP is an advanced method that solves first, a cross on the bottom layer, then solves the first 2 layer (f2l), then it orients the last layer (OLL), and finally moves around the pieces of the last layer permutimg it (PLL). This method is used by top speed solvers and has broken many records.

But what makes Feliks Zemdegs so different? As a cuber myself, I ask this a lot. First, Feliks can do at maximum, 12 turns per SECOND. It’s crazy. He is also very proficient with very little pasues. And finally he practices. He has been cubing for ten years now and really has an aptitude for it. He has broke countless records and is an inspiration for me, and many cubers.

Feliks Zemdegs at a competition in 2013.
Attribution: Lembasts at English Wikipedia

 

Why did I make this post? I made this post because I love the cube. My personal record is 28 seconds and I use the same method as Feliks called CFOP. I am going to a competition in May and will be making a post about it! My personal goals are to practice and learn new algorithms to the point that I will be sub 10 seconds and go to many competitions.

Fun Facts!

The largest cube is a 33×33!

There is a World Cube Association (WCA) which hosts competitions (I am going to one!)

The fastest time a 3×3 was ever solved (Unofficial) was 3.85 seconds but it doesn’t count because it wasn’t in a competition.

There are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible combinations for a 3×3!

The Rubik’s Cube is 40 years old.

 

How to Get Started With Solving

Now, I’m not going to put a full tutorial in here. That would be more of something for a video. But, If you are interested, I can direct you on how to get started. Here are some steps.

1. Get a Rubik’s Cube, if you just want to know how to solve it, get a Rubik’s  brand. It is the original but it is not the best but that doesn’t matter for just learning. (If you ever want to speed solve, don’t get a Rubik’s brand.)

2. Find a good tutorial for the beginner’s method (On Youtube). I recommend Noah Richardson’s beginner tutorial.

3. Deside whether you want to get faster.

4. If so practice.

5. If you ever want to get really into it, learn CFOP (the advanced method), this is what I did after about a month.

 

Thanks for reading the blog! I hope you enjoyed it! Comment down below if you have ever solved the cube or if you are into speed solving. Also, if you want more info on the subject, ask your questions in the comments!

-Happy Solving!

 

Getting Started With Fencing

I am doing the post as a follow up on the post, All About the Sport of Sabre Fencing. I hope the post inspired you to give it a try! If so, this is a post about how to get started with this amazing sport.

To get started with fencing, you need to find a club in your area that offers a beginner’s class. Almost every club does. This class will teach you the basics of fencing and help you figure out whether or not you like the sport. All clubs offer gear to borrow in a beginner’s class.


Here are a few fencing clubs in the area

Midsouth Fencer’s Club (I highly recommend! I am in the Academy class there and will soon be in the youth competitive program. It’s a great club! )

Research  Triangle Fencing School


Once you have found a club and finished the beginner’s program, if you want to continue you can talk to the club for next steps, and even get your own gear! I hope you will like the sport!

 

 

All About The Sport of Sabre Fencing

Think of a sport. What comes to mind? Basketball, soccer, football? Probably the sport of fencing does not come to mind. You might not even know what fencing is. I love fencing. I really like out of the ordinary sports. Fencing, is a sword fighting sport involving three different swords. The epee, the foil, and the sabre. I do sabre. Sabre fencing is a sport where the objective is to score a point on the other fencer by hitting them with your sword.

 

A fencer ready to bout, avantgardefencersclub.com

Rules

In fencing, you usually play to 15 points. There are not a ton of rules but there is a right of way rule. That means if both people hit, the one who started to attack first gets the point. Also who ever parries (blocks) last has the priority. There are other rules like you can’t run or cross your feet. You can’t go off the end of the piste (the fencing strip).

The fencing piste, thefencingcoach.org.uk

 

Safety

Fencing is one of the safest sports you can play while folowing your club’s rules and whearing safe safety equipment.

 

Two fencers in about, betterfencer.com

 

I hope you would like to try out this amazing sport. It is very beginner friendly, and almost every club has a beginner program.