3x3 Speedcubing: The Ultimate Limits Forecast
History · Methods · Hardware · Math · Biomech · Top Cubers · Training · Statistics — toward a single & average forecast.
ZB / ZBLS / ZBLL — The Elite Stack
ZB replaces CFOP's OLL + PLL with ZBLS (302-303 cases) + ZBLL (493 cases). ZBLS solves last pair while orienting LL edges; ZBLL solves entire LL in one alg given EO.
ZBLL 8 sub-families:
| COLL | cases | STM | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS (Anti-Sune corners) | 72 | 13.5 | 8 corners oriented anti-sune; 12 edge cases per family × 6 family rotations |
| S (Sune corners) | 72 | 13.0 | mirror of AS |
| L (L-shaped corners) | 72 | 13.8 | L-shape orientation |
| U (U-shaped corners) | 72 | 14.0 | U-shape orientation |
| T (T-shaped corners) | 72 | 13.5 | T-shape orientation |
| Pi (Pi-shaped corners) | 72 | 13.8 | pi-shape |
| H (H-shaped corners) | 40 | 11.5 | 4-fold symmetry → fewer cases |
| O (Oriented corners = PLL) | 21 | 11.0 | all corners pre-oriented (= PLL itself + AUF) |
Total ZBLS + ZBLL = ~795-798 algs. Full-ZB users: Xuanyi Geng (Ao5 WR 3.71), Qixian Cao (Worlds 2025 5.07), Tymon Kolasiński. Wang and Park are CFOP + partial ZBLL.
1LLL — full OLL+PLL in one alg, 3,915 cases. Eduardo Silva Damasceno first fully learned in 2022. Nobody uses it at WR speed — recognition 0.8-1.4s slower than OLL+PLL split. 1LLL is the "alg-learning limit" not the "speedcubing limit".