- - Solving Cubes (Rubiks Magic Cube) CLUB - -

[Bob Cubes]

Hi My name is Bob and me and my family (11 years old son & 5 years old) are into cube solving, puzzles solving etc etc..


Both my son (Grade & daughter (Grade 1) plays the piano and we enjoy time together swimming etc ...

If any one is into solving cubes, or have interests or have any questions, please let me know....

Meantime, I leave you with my son 6.8 second solve of the cube during the recent World Cube Association Singapore Rubiks Open 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy_z336r5g0

If any parent wants their kid with something that enhances & stimulates the mind, brain and memory power & improves the way one learns & increases IQ & improves reflexes........ SOLVING CUBE does !

It also stress relieving and helps one to remain calm and relax.

Our youtube channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/fiboo551
& in there you will also find the early days when my son started playing the piano at the age of 3.

Feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Cheers !

[timtamfan]

Welcome. DD is still cracking her head (and the cube) trying to solve it without success. Me, I gave up donkey years ago ha ha. Too tough too tough

[Bob Cubes]

its actually very easy to solve .. how old are you ? are you the mum or dad (like my generation) or the child ? who's dd ? how old is she/he ?


Rubik's Cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian professor of architecture
Ernő Rubik.

As you know, when we were young, widespread international interest in the cube began in 1980, which soon developed into a global craze.

On 5th June 1982, World Cube Association organized the 1st World Championship in Budapest. The height of the craze began to fade away after 1983, but with the advent of the Internet in the early 21st century, speedcubing sites began to surface.

Simultaneously spreading effective speedsolving methods & teaching people
new to the cube to solve it for the first time, these sites brought in a new
generation of cubers, created a growing international on-line community,
& raised the profile of the art (which many considered it just a “toy”)
- which is speedcubing !

What is Speedcubing ?
Speedcubing (or speedsolving) is the activity of solving a Rubik's Cube or
related puzzle as quickly as possible.

Solving is defined as performing ALGORITHMS, or a series of moves that transforms a scrambled messed up cube into a state where each of the cube's 6 faces is one single, solid color (solved state)

In addition to the most famous Rubik’s Cube which is 3x3x3, cubes are now in variations of 2×2×2, 4×4×4, 5×5×5, 6×6×6, and 7×7×7 (for competitions) all the way to 11x11x11.

Competitions now even include categories such as Blindfold Solve, Multiple Cubes Blindfold Solve, One-Handed Solve, Feet Solve etc…and other variants of cubes such as Megaminx, Pyraminx etc…

Speedcubing is a popular activity among the international Rubik's Cube
community. Members come together to hold competitions, work to develop
new solving methods, and seek to perfect their technique.


In 2013 alone, World Cube Association is holding at least 116 competitions all over the world ! Link at : http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/competitions.php

The Singapore event took place in NUS over 3 days in February 2013. It was organized by NUS Maths Society and sanctioned by World Cube Association.

Now I am talking to principals to make it as CCA in Primary, Secondary school etc..... In the private schools, its easier. Students can just form their own CCA as long as there are students who are interested......

[ngweiyang]

Hi, good read and good sharing. Do you know of any good speedcubing books or website for advance cubers?

[Tuition Centre]

I would like to know more about Speedcubers.

[skii]

i am an old man (ok… 30+)


and i only know how to solve by the LBL method… takes 2 mins.

is there any clubs or gathering such that i can expose my kids to speed cubing?

[jetsetter]

skii:

i am an old man (ok... 30+)


and i only know how to solve by the LBL method... takes 2 mins.

is there any clubs or gathering such that i can expose my kids to speed cubing?

Did u apply Lube to your Cube? Can cut to < 1min using LBL method also.

Alternatively, buy Made-in-China cube, not the original one, which is a lot smoother.

I changed to the China cube so my boy managed to cut down to 2 mins for 3X3 and <1 min for 2X2. That's considered slow as his classmates/schoolmates can fix it within 30s, and one boy can finish within 1 min, blindfolded! They used LBL, not intermediate or advanced solving methods only.

Hope to start on 4X4 this holiday.

It helps if your dc play the piano. Their fingers are more nimble and can solve it using 1 hand.

Your kids can find likeminded friends in school. Or look out for interest groups on FB.

https://www.facebook.com/SGCubeComps/
http://nusmathsoc.org/cube2016/open.html#schedule

[skii]

Thanks Jetsetter.


Let me start by saying, your reply was really appreciated.
(honestly, when i posted the questions, on an old thread, i wasn’t expecting any replies, or maybe the 1st one will come 1 month later)

1) nope, my current cubes, i think i will just displayed them.
2) yep, coincidentally, i just placed an order via taobao to get the Gan
3) i bought the sticker-less too… for my 2 year old to play with (2x2x2, 3x3x3 and 4x4x4)
4) my 1st son is only 4 year old, he won’t have any classmates playing the cube… his daddy is his major influence, i guess
5) 4x4x4 … great ! but thats something i will keep on hold for the moment. I want to bring down my 3x3x3 timing first - say within 3 months?

he plays the piano with 1 finger though and thanks for the idea… we might start him on piano next year if he wants to do it.

Lastly, LBL, i definitely can’t do it blind folded because,
i need to solve, turn to cube to look, then solve… i can’t memorise the starting position and then know where the pieces will go after, say 16 turns.

you know, i used to follow those small strips of paper, with chinese words and pictures to solve the cube.
so i am totally not familiar with ( LFLBBL’ FLBBLL) or any algo. (ok, i started learning that 1 week ago)

[jetsetter]

skii:

Thanks Jetsetter.


1) nope, my current cubes, i think i will just displayed them.
2) yep, coincidentally, i just placed an order via taobao to get the Gan
3) i bought the sticker-less too... for my 2 year old to play with (2x2x2, 3x3x3 and 4x4x4)
4) my 1st son is only 4 year old, he won't have any classmates playing the cube.... his daddy is his major influence, i guess
5) 4x4x4 ...... great ! but thats something i will keep on hold for the moment. I want to bring down my 3x3x3 timing first - say within 3 months?

he plays the piano with 1 finger though and thanks for the idea... we might start him on piano next year if he wants to do it.

Lastly, LBL, i definitely can't do it blind folded because,
i need to solve, turn to cube to look, then solve..... i can't memorise the starting position and then know where the pieces will go after, say 16 turns.

you know, i used to follow those small strips of paper, with chinese words and pictures to solve the cube.
so i am totally not familiar with ( LFLBBL' FLBBLL) or any algo. (ok, i started learning that 1 week ago)

2) Gan is good. You can try Moyu Weilong. There's Shengshou too. No harm ordering all to try. I feel that the original is too brittle - too much tension, and too many lock-ups. Actually, mine broke into pieces!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71jYbx5ghMs][/youtube]

3) Stickerless is good. Won't wear and tear easily...and prevents cheating, not that I think you will!
Watch this funny video! Have a good laff!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-rsZbZ9xj4][/youtube]

4) Your dc are young and very patient! And you too...You can continue to train them as there were 3yos who once met adults' records too:)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqnJEwcNDuM][/youtube]

5) Blindfold - must have a photographic memory. You need to visualise the steps and remember them. No mean feat indeed...I've no intention of training my boy to do blindfold. Too time-consuming as mine is in pri sch. You can train as they have no homework and exams yet...lol!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy5vpOkwOro][/youtube]

Yeah, I had to follow the algorithm on the paper too. I could only solve 2 sides when I was in pri school by trial and error. After praticising a few times the whole night in my old age, I taught my boy LBL and he mastered it. The prob is my boy's fine motor skills are not excellent (i.e. brain works faster than limbs) so he's not cut for competitive speedcubing. Won't be taking part in those NUS competitions. haha, but you got chance!

[skii]

wowow !!!


the 3 yo girl is damn adorable.

I don't have photographic memory, i am not so sure my 4 and 2 yo....
sticker-less: yep... exactly for my 2yo to play with.....

my goals is to teach my kids to solve 1 face first.... till then, i will set my next goal.

my fingers are pretty nimble, (from piano playing), thus, i hope my kid takes over that. So far, they have showed 1 or 2 signs of positive traits from my wife and I.

Cube aside, have you heard about this product - braintwist?
http://www.hoberman.com/fold/Braintwist/braintwist.htm

it was launched in Singapore, i think, during year 2005, and i took part in that competition. (my only experience)
as it was a new product, no one had any advantage since no one had any solution to begin with.
- took me like 2 weeks, to come up with the best solution
- another 1 month to practice everyday (i can still remember, all my school work was not done during that one month)
- my training buddy was my wife (since we stayed in school), i would solve it and she would mess it up for me
- and finally during the preliminary rounds and semi-finals, i saw some other contestant with fingers with super dexterity - and that was my goal for that 7 days, to improve my handling of that braintwist before the finals.