The checkerboard pattern
Patterns can make a bland Rubik's Cube a lot more exciting and if you memorize them, you can really impress your friends! In this article, there will be many patterns along with algorithms to show how to make patterns from a solved cube. (See Notation for what the sequences mean.)
Rubik's Cube Pattern Algorithms[]
Checkerboard (Pons Asinorum)[]
L2 R2 F2 B2 U2 D2 (or) M2 E2 S2
Twisted Checkerboard (Saltires)[]
F B2 R' D2 B R U D' R L' D' F' R2 D F2 B'
Checkerboard of order 6[]
R' D' F' D L F U2 B' L U D' R' D' L F L2 U F'
Checkerboard With T and U[]
D2 R2 L2 F2 B2 (or) D2 M2 S2
Stripes[]
F U F R L2 B D’ R D2 L D’ B R2 L F U F
Middle Stripes[]
(M F2 M2 B2 M) y (M F2 M2 B2 M)
Pillars[]
L2 R2 B2 F2
Rudicks Cube[]
(M F2 M2 B2 M) y (M F2 M2 B2 M) D2
Cube in a Cube[]
F L F U' R U F2 L2 U' L' B D' B' L2 U
Cube in a Cube in a Cube[]
F L F U' R U F2 L2 U' L' B D' B' L2 U U B D' F2 D B' U' R2 D F2 D' R2 D F2 D' R2
Cube in a Cube in a Cube With Exchanged Rings[]
B’ U’ B’ L’ D B U D2 B U L D’ L’ U’ L2 D
Cross[]
U F B' L2 U2 L2 F' B U2 L2 U
Plummer's Cross[]
R2 L' D F2 R' D' R' L U' D R D B2 R' U D2
Four Crosses[]
B2 F2 D' L2 R2 U2 B2 F2 U' R D2 L2 R2 U2 R'
Anaconda[]
L U B' U' R L' B R' F B' D R D' F'
Python[]
F2 R' B' U R' L F' L F' B D' R B L2
Black Mamba []
R D L F' R L' D R' U D' B U' R' D'
Green Mamba []
R D R F R' F' B D R' U' B' U D2
Female Rattlesnake []
U2 D' L2 D B U B' R' L2 U2 F U' F R
Male Rattlesnake[]
R' F' U F' U2 R L2 B U' B' D' L2 U2 D
Female Boa []
R U' R2 U2 F D2 R2 U' D' R D' F'
Male Boa[]
F D R' U D R2 D2 F' U2 R2 U R'
Six spots[]
E M E M E M E M (or) E M E' M'
Four spots[]
U2 M2 U2 M2 B2 M2 B2 (or) (M or M') (E2 or S2) (M or M') (E2 or S2)
Orthogonal bars[]
F R' U L F' L' F U' R U L' U' L F'
Six T's[]
F2 R2 U2 F' B D2 L2 F B
Six-two-one []
U B2 D2 L B' L' U' L' B D2 B2
Exchanged peaks[]
F U2 L F L' B L U B' R' L' U R' D' F' B R2
Two twisted peaks []
(F B' or S') U F U F U L B L2 B' U F' L U L' B
Four twisted peaks []
U' D B R' F R B' L' F' B L F R' B' R F' U' D
Exchanged chicken feet []
F L’ D’ B’ L F U F’ D’ F L2 B’ R’ U L2 D’ F
H pattern[]
U2 R2 L2 F2 B2 U2 R2 L2 F2 B2
Superflip[]
U R2 F B R B2 R U2 L B2 R U' D' R2 F R' L B2 U2 F2 (or) (M' U M' U M' U M' U x y') x 3
India's and Sierra Leone's Flags[]
L R' U D B D2 B2 D'
Note: Start with Blue in front and White on top; it will not work otherwise. Sierra Leone's flag will be upside down; it should be Blue, White and Green on the White side, so turn it around (y2) for the flag right side up. You won't see the chakra for the Indian flag.)
Three Edge Switch[]
F' L' B' R' U' R B L F U for clockwise
(F' L' B' R' U' R B L F U)2 for counterclockwise
or U' F' L' B' R' U R B L F
Two Dots on Four Sides Without Single Dot[]
(D2 R2 L2 F2 B2) x 2
Or
(D2 M2 S2 D B D B D B D2 L R' F R2 L2 R2 L2 R2 F2 F4) x 2
Two Dots on Four Sides With Single Dot[]
R2 U D F2 B2 U D L2
Two Dots on Two Sides[]
M2 U2 M2 U2
Ying Yang[]
R L B F R L U’ D’ F’ B’ U D
Twisted Ying Yang[]
L R F B U’ D’ L’ R’
2 Hs[]
U2 R2 L2 D2 R2 L2 (or) U2 M2 U2 M2
2 Checkerboards[]
R2 U2 L2 D2 R2 U2 L2 D2 R2 U2 L2 D2
Flower Pattern[]
L' R U D F B' R L' M2 E2 S2
Results of the above[]
Rubik's Revenge Patterns[]
Two centres swapped (this is possible only on even-order cubes); not very interesting in itself, but a possible basis for other patterns. Has anyone got an algorithm?
(l2 f2 b2) x2
Checkerboards and stripes.
F2b2 U2d2 L2r2
Cube in a cube in a cube in a cube.
Four checkerboards.
F2b2 U2d2 L2r2 U2d2
Vertical stripes.
F2b2 U2d2 L2r2 U2d2 L2r2
Professor's Cube Patterns[]
The following are all possible; if anyone knows an efficient algorithm for any of these, please add it.
Super Pons Asinorum
L2M2R2 U2E2D2 F2S2B2
or l2r2 u2d2 f2b2
Cube in a cube in a cube in a cube in a cube
Dots. The U face is the logo of the Royal Air Force and of The Who.
Six rings to rule them all!
Four-dot pattern
r' l u d' r l' u' d
Another four-dot pattern
l2 r2 u2 d2 f2 u2 l2 r2 d2 f2
Crosses
B22 F22 D2' B22 F22 D22 L22 R22 U2' L22 R2' B22 F22 U22 B22 F22 U22 R2'
Saltires
Four diamond checkerboards.
Six diamond checkerboards.
Four diamonds.
Six diamonds.
Pyramorphix Patterns[]
Impossible Patterns[]
Unfortunately, some desirable patterns turn out to be impossible. The two below were both featured as jokes on badges (captioned "Try this one!") in the 1980s.
Impossible due to corner twist
Gallery[]
(apologies to Elton John)
