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3x3

The famous puzzle from the 80's craze. Learn to solve it without smashing it with a hammer.

Approachable
WCA event
3x3x3 Cube
Positions
43 quintillion
God's number
20 moves
Beginner method
Layer by layer

Overview

The 3x3 has 6 fixed centers, 12 edges (2 colors) and 8 corners (3 colors). All pieces on a 3x3 are unique, so for example there will only every be one corner with Red/White/Green. Centers never move relative to each other (you can take your puzzle apart to see why)! Since the centers don't move, whatever color the center is means that side will eventually be that color.

Almost everyone starts with the layer by layer beginner method. Solve the bottom layer, then the middle, then the top. Once that's in your muscle memory you can move to CFOP (Cross, F2L, OLL, PLL) which is the method most speedcubers use. It's the same idea but combines some steps and adds new algorithms making the transition fun since each new move you learn can just be added to your toolbox without having to unlearn everything you already know.

This guide holds the cube with white on the bottom and yellow on top, which is arbitrary but usually the standard. White usually has the center sticker on it so it makes finding that face easier. Our diagrams show green in front but that also doesn't really matter.

Notation

Algorithms are simply a list of turns. Each letter is a face, and you turn it clockwise as if you were looking straight at that face (so the front moves like a clock but the back moves the opposite, which you can imagine if you were looking at it it would just become the front)

Keep the cube in the same position for the whole move set unless it tells you to rotate (x, y or z).

RRight face clockwise (as if you were looking at it)
R'Right face counter-clockwise. A ' always means the reverse turn
R2Right face twice. Direction doesn't matter
LLeft face clockwise: the front column goes down
UTop face clockwise: the front row goes left
DBottom face clockwise: the front row goes right
FFront face clockwise
BBack face clockwise: the top row goes left
MMiddle slice, turned like L
EEquator slice, turned like D
SStanding slice, turned like F
rRight two layers together (also written Rw)
xTurn the whole cube like R
yTurn the whole cube like U
zTurn the whole cube like F

Layer by layer

Beginner

Solve one layer at a time using minimal algorithms which have been curated to be the ones that feel natural/comfortable/pleasing to execute. Some folks get it quick but don't be discouraged if it takes you longer. I promoise it will click eventually.

  1. 1. White cross

    Hold the cube with white on top. Bring the four white edges up around the white center making sure the other color of the edge matches the center it's touching.

    This is the most intuitive step and can take a while before it makes sense. Spend some time just playing with the cube and get used to what it can and can't do. There's no algorithm for this step. Move one edge at a time, and keep the edges you've already placed out of the way. If an edge is in the right spot but flipped, take it out and put it back the other way.

    White cross, matching the side centers

  2. 2. White corners

    Flip the cube so white is on the bottom. Find a white corner in the top layer and turn U until it sits directly above where it belongs (between its two side colors).

    Hold that spot at the front right and repeat R U R' U' until the corner drops in solved. It takes 1, 3 or 5 repeats. Do the same for the other three corners.

    Tip: If a white corner is stuck in the bottom layer in the wrong place, do R U R' U' once to pop it into the top layer.

    Corner above its slot with white facing right: one R U R' U' drops it in
    Whole white layer solved

    Insert corner

    R U R' U'

    Repeat until the corner is solved

    If you're clever you can use the inverse algorithm to insert the opposite way and save a repeat.

    Insert corner (inverse)

    U R U' R'

    When the white sticker faces you, this does it in one go instead of five

  3. 3. Middle layer edges

    Find an edge in the top layer without yellow on it. Turn U so its front color matches the front center, forming an upside-down T.

    If the edge's top color matches the right center, insert it to the right. If it matches the left, insert it to the left.

    Tip: If an edge is in the middle layer but in the wrong spot or flipped, insert any top edge there to kick it out.

    Upside-down T. Orange on top matches the right center, so insert right
    First two layers solved

    Insert right

    U R U' R' U' F' U F

    Insert left

    U' L' U L U F U' F'

  4. 4. Yellow cross

    Look at the yellow stickers on top, ignoring corners. You'll see a dot, an L shape, a line or a cross.

    For a line, hold it horizontally and do the line algorithm. For an L, hold it in the back left and do the L algorithm. Either way you get the cross in one go.

    A dot takes either algorithm from any side, and then you'll have an L or a line.

    Yellow cross on top
    Dot: either algorithm, from any side
    L shape: hold it in the back left
    Line: hold it horizontally

    Line

    F R U R' U' F'

    Hold the line horizontally

    L shape

    F U R U' R' F'

    Hold the L in the back left

  5. 5. Place the yellow corners

    Turn U and look at where the corners are. A corner is in the right spot when it sits between the three centers that match its colors, even if it's twisted.

    Turn U until at least two corners are in the right spot. If the two that aren't are on the same side, hold that side on the right and do the algorithm to swap them.

    If the two wrong corners are diagonal from each other, do the algorithm once from any side and look again.

    The two right corners swap places

    Swap corners

    L U' R' U L' U' R U2

    Swaps the front right and back right corners

  6. 6. Orient the yellow corners

    If exactly one corner has yellow on top, you have a fish. Hold that corner at the front left and do the Sune.

    Anything else: turn U until the front left corner's yellow faces left, and do the Sune. Repeat until you get a fish, then one last Sune finishes the step (sometimes it takes two from a fish).

    The Sune keeps the corners in their spots, so it doesn't undo step 5. You'll just need to turn U to line them back up.

    Yellow face on top
    Fish: yellow corner at the front left
    Anything else: front left yellow faces left

    Sune

    R U R' U R U2 R'

  7. 7. Solve the cube!

    Turn U so the corners line up with their centers. If one edge is solved, hold it at the back. Do Ua if the other three need to move counterclockwise (looking down at the top), or Ub if they need to move clockwise.

    If no edge is solved, do either one from any side and you'll have a solved edge to hold at the back.

    Solved!
    Ua: the edges move counterclockwise
    Ub: the edges move clockwise

    Ua

    L2 U' L' U' L U L U L U' L

    Ub

    R2 U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R'

    🏆 Awesome, you solved the cube. Now scramble it up and do it again (and again and again)!

CFOP with 2-look last layer

Intermediate

The step up from beginner. Solve the first two layers together and the last layer in four steps. The cool thing here is it's just adding new moves to the beginner method so as you learn new algs you can perform them when they come up or just use the old way you already know. You will see your times drop as you add new algorithms and once you know them all you can get to sub-20 times with this.

  1. Cross on the bottom

    Solve the white cross like before, but do it on the bottom so you never have to flip the cube. Plan the whole cross during inspection. It never takes more than 8 moves and usually takes only 7. It's ok if it takes more, optimal crosses are a skill you'll learn in time

    Cross, shown from below

  2. F2L: first two layers

    Instead of solving corners and then edges, pair each white corner with the middle edge that goes next to it in the top layer, then insert the pair in one go. That's four pairs instead of eight separate pieces.

    Start with the simple cases like the corner and edge side by side, ready to drop in with R U R' or its mirror. Learn the rest intuitively by watching how the pieces move.

    Tip: Look for the next pair while you insert the current one. Pauses between pairs are where most time goes.

    All four pairs inserted

    Basic insert

    R U R'

    Basic insert (left)

    L' U' L

    Split and pair

    R U' R' U R U R'

  3. 2-look OLL

    Make the whole top yellow in two steps. 1. make a yellow cross (3 cases), then 2. solve the corners (7 cases). The full set is below.

    Top face all yellow

  4. 2-look PLL

    Move the last layer pieces into place: first the corners (2 algorithms), then the edges (4 algorithms). After this you can solve the cube with just 16 algorithms.

Full CFOP

Advanced

Do the last layer in two looks instead of four with full OLL (57 algorithms) and PLL (21). Probably learn PLL first since it's fewer algorithms and you'll use them every solve. Same idea though, you're adding new moves to your solves but can proceed with your old method for cases you don't know yet

  1. Full PLL

    Learn the remaining PLLs a few at a time, starting with the ones you see most (T, Y, Ja, Jb). Recognize cases by the headlights (two matching corner stickers on one side) and blocks of matching colors.

  2. Full OLL

    Group the 57 cases by shape (dots, lines, Ls, squares) and learn them a group at a time. Many share the same moves with small changes.

  3. Other methods

    Roux builds two blocks on the left and right, then finishes with mostly M and U moves. It uses fewer moves and is popular for one-handed solving.

    ZZ starts by orienting every edge, so the rest of the solve needs only R, U and L moves. Both are worth trying once you're comfortable with CFOP.

Algorithms

2-look OLL: edges

3

Make a yellow cross. A dot uses the line algorithm, then the L.

Line

F R U R' U' F'

Hold the line horizontally

L shape

F U R U' R' F'

Hold the L in the back left

Dot

F R U R' U' F' f R U R' U' f'

The line algorithm, then its wide (f) version

2-look OLL: corners

7

With the yellow cross done, these turn every corner yellow side up.

Sune

R U R' U R U2 R'

Antisune

R U2 R' U' R U' R'

H

R U R' U R U' R' U R U2 R'

Pi

R U2 R2 U' R2 U' R2 U2 R

Headlights

R2 D' R U2 R' D R U2 R

Chameleon

r U R' U' r' F R F'

Bowtie

F' r U R' U' r' F R

2-look PLL: corners

2

Headlights on one side mean an adjacent swap (T perm, headlights on the left). No headlights means a diagonal swap (Y perm).

T

R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'

Y

F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'

2-look PLL: edges

4

With the corners solved, one of these finishes the cube.

Ua

M2 U M U2 M' U M2

Ub

M2 U' M U2 M' U' M2

H

M2 U M2 U2 M2 U M2

Z

M' U M2 U M2 U M' U2 M2

Full PLL

21

All 21 permutation cases. Arrows show where each piece moves.

Aa

x R' U R' D2 R U' R' D2 R2 x'

Ab

x R2 D2 R U R' D2 R U' R x'

E

x' R U' R' D R U R' D' R U R' D R U' R' D' x

F

R' U' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' U R

Ga

R2 U R' U R' U' R U' R2 U' D R' U R D'

Gb

R' U' R U D' R2 U R' U R U' R U' R2 D

Gc

R2 U' R U' R U R' U R2 U D' R U' R' D

Gd

R U R' U' D R2 U' R U' R' U R' U R2 D'

H

M2 U M2 U2 M2 U M2

Ja

x R2 F R F' R U2 r' U r U2 x'

Jb

R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R'

Na

R U R' U R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U2 R U' R'

Nb

R' U R U' R' F' U' F R U R' F R' F' R U' R

Ra

R U' R' U' R U R D R' U' R D' R' U2 R'

Rb

R2 F R U R U' R' F' R U2 R' U2 R

T

R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'

Ua

M2 U M U2 M' U M2

Ub

M2 U' M U2 M' U' M2

V

R' U R' U' y R' F' R2 U' R' U R' F R F

Y

F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'

Z

M' U M2 U M2 U M' U2 M2

Full OLL

57

All 57 orientation cases. Gray stickers are any color but yellow.

OLL 1

R U2 R2 F R F' U2 R' F R F'

OLL 2

F R U R' U' F' f R U R' U' f'

OLL 3

f R U R' U' f' U' F R U R' U' F'

OLL 4

f R U R' U' f' U F R U R' U' F'

OLL 5

r' U2 R U R' U r

OLL 6

r U2 R' U' R U' r'

OLL 7

r U R' U R U2 r'

OLL 8

l' U' L U' L' U2 l

OLL 9

R U R' U' R' F R2 U R' U' F'

OLL 10

R U R' U R' F R F' R U2 R'

OLL 11

r U R' U R' F R F' R U2 r'

OLL 12

M' R' U' R U' R' U2 R U' R r'

OLL 13

F U R U' R2 F' R U R U' R'

OLL 14

R' F R U R' F' R F U' F'

OLL 15

r' U' r R' U' R U r' U r

OLL 16

r U r' R U R' U' r U' r'

OLL 17

F R' F' R2 r' U R U' R' U' M'

OLL 18

r U R' U R U2 r2 U' R U' R' U2 r

OLL 19

r' R U R U R' U' M' R' F R F'

OLL 20

r U R' U' M2 U R U' R' U' M'

OLL 21

R U2 R' U' R U R' U' R U' R'

OLL 22

R U2 R2 U' R2 U' R2 U2 R

OLL 23

R2 D' R U2 R' D R U2 R

OLL 24

r U R' U' r' F R F'

OLL 25

F' r U R' U' r' F R

OLL 26

R U2 R' U' R U' R'

OLL 27

R U R' U R U2 R'

OLL 28

r U R' U' r' R U R U' R'

OLL 29

R U R' U' R U' R' F' U' F R U R'

OLL 30

F R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F2

OLL 31

R' U' F U R U' R' F' R

OLL 32

L U F' U' L' U L F L'

OLL 33

R U R' U' R' F R F'

OLL 34

R U R2 U' R' F R U R U' F'

OLL 35

R U2 R2 F R F' R U2 R'

OLL 36

L' U' L U' L' U L U L F' L' F

OLL 37

F R' F' R U R U' R'

OLL 38

R U R' U R U' R' U' R' F R F'

OLL 39

L F' L' U' L U F U' L'

OLL 40

R' F R U R' U' F' U R

OLL 41

R U R' U R U2 R' F R U R' U' F'

OLL 42

R' U' R U' R' U2 R F R U R' U' F'

OLL 43

F' U' L' U L F

OLL 44

F U R U' R' F'

OLL 45

F R U R' U' F'

OLL 46

R' U' R' F R F' U R

OLL 47

R' U' R' F R F' R' F R F' U R

OLL 48

F R U R' U' R U R' U' F'

OLL 49

r U' r2 U r2 U r2 U' r

OLL 50

r' U r2 U' r2 U' r2 U r'

OLL 51

F U R U' R' U R U' R' F'

OLL 52

R U R' U R U' B U' B' R'

OLL 53

l' U2 L U L' U' L U L' U l

OLL 54

r U2 R' U' R U R' U' R U' r'

OLL 55

R' F R U R U' R2 F' R2 U' R' U R U R'

OLL 56

r' U' r U' R' U R U' R' U R r' U r

OLL 57

R U R' U' M' U R U' r'

Tips

  • ★Use the 15 second inspection to plan your whole cross, not just the first edge. Turn on inspection in the timer to practice it.
  • ★Turn slower than you think you need to. Smooth turning with no pauses beats fast bursts.
  • ★Don't just go for personal bests, try to practice over averages of a bunch of solves in a row. Classic mode on the timer is built for it.
  • ★Learn finger tricks early. Flick U turns with your index fingers and do R moves with your wrist.
  • ★When you learn a new algorithm, drill it slowly a bunch of times before trying it fast. I like to do it while watching TV or something, just getting the muscle memory without sitting down for deliberate practice

Resources

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Open the timer