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Skewb Timer ??Official WCA Scrambles & Speedsolving Guide

The Skewb is a cube-shaped twisty puzzle with a unique mechanism: it rotates around its four body diagonals rather than its faces, meaning each move simultaneously affects all six faces. Invented by Tony Durham and popularized as a WCA official event in 2014, the Skewb has become one of the most exciting events due to its potential for sub-1 second solves at the elite competitive level. JrTimer provides official WCA Skewb scrambles for your training sessions.

Skewb Structure & Mechanics

The Skewb has 8 corners (4 fixed, 4 movable) and 6 face centers. The four fixed corners anchor the puzzle's orientation, while the four movable corners and six centers change position with each move. A solved Skewb has each face showing a single solid color. Its state space is approximately 3.1 million positions ??much smaller than the Rubik's Cube, making it possible to achieve very fast averages once methods are mastered.

Popular Skewb Solving Methods

  • Beginner Method: Solve one layer (a face and its surrounding four centers), then apply algorithms to orient and permute the remaining corners. Beginner-friendly but becomes a stepping stone to faster methods.
  • Sarah's Advanced Method (SAM): The dominant competitive method. Solve three corners of one face intuitively, then use a single algorithm to finish all remaining pieces simultaneously. With practice, SAM can be executed in 4?? moves per solve.
  • Skewb L Method: Solve one face with L-shaped corner pairs, then use recognition-based last-layer algorithms. Offers more predictable algorithm selection than SAM for some solvers.
  • Human Thistlethwaite Algorithm: An advanced algorithmic approach solving the Skewb in a sequence of subgroup reductions. Used theoretically but less common in competitive practice.

World Records

The Skewb single world record is 0.93 seconds by Andrew Huang (USA), and the average world record is 1.94 seconds by Tymon Kolasinski (Poland). The Skewb regularly produces sub-2 second results at elite competitions. Common milestones: sub-20 seconds (beginner), sub-10 seconds, sub-5 seconds, sub-3 seconds, and sub-2 seconds for competitive-level solving.

Tips to Improve Your Skewb Times

  • Use your full 15-second WCA inspection to plan all three first-layer corners before picking up the puzzle
  • Practice SAM until you can identify the case from any orientation and execute the algorithm within 1 second
  • Minimize cube rotations ??most SAM executions can be done with under 3 face rotations per solve
  • Focus on smooth one-look execution: the Skewb's compact state space means even slow algorithms can achieve competitive times when executed consistently
  • Track your Ao5 and Ao12 in JrTimer to distinguish lucky singles from genuine consistent improvement

Recommended Skewb Hardware

Top Skewb competitors favor magnetic puzzles such as the YJ MGC Skewb M, MoYu RS Skewb M, or Cubicle Labs X-Man Wingy Skewb M. A properly tensioned magnetic Skewb provides satisfying feedback and prevents accidental misalignments during fast solves.