Bencisco Method

Bencisco is the FTO solving method I invented in 2018, named by Charles Barden. Inspired by blockbuilding techniques, the method is both very efficient and intuitive while requiring few algorithms, and has become the standard for FTO both in speedsolving and casual solving. Currently it is the only method capable of world-class solve times, and all of the records in the past six years were achieved using Bencisco.

I first began developing this method in early 2018, with my first solves done in April of that year. At the time, I was the only one who was recently practicing speedsolving of the puzzle, and by the end of May I had achieved the first results under one minute (52.33 single and 56.76 average). My method has been continuously in development since then, both through practicing and other's inputs, and now the record times have all dropped astoundingly to below 20 seconds globally.

The current Bencisco method has an average movecount of between 70-75 moves depending on knowledge, with deviations as high as 20 moves. I believe this can still be improved with further optimization of more cases, which are sure to still come in the future.

Here are some helpful resources for learning the method, created by myself and other individuals:

My interactive written solution guide - provided on this website!

Beginner's video tutorial by Chris Choi - another great starting point.

FTO Friday series by Edd Dibley - covering the more advanced techniques and tips to get faster.

FTO Fan Club Discord Server - an excellent place to get specific help from other top solvers.