You have worked through all eleven earlier lessons. Start a fresh scramble.
Keep yellow on top and white on the bottom as you work through the solving stages. Keep the same face at the front throughout each algorithm.
1. Begin with a fresh scramble
Turn several different faces to scramble your cube. You’ll practise with your own scramble, which won’t match the prepared animation. Use the steps below to decide what to do based on the pieces you see.
Aim for accuracy. There’s no timer, and you don’t need to memorise every algorithm today.
2. Follow the checkpoints in order
| Step | Ready to move on when… | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Daisy | Four white edges surround the yellow centre | Gather edges |
| White cross | White edge stickers face down and the side colours line up | Match the cross |
| White corners | The white face is a single colour and the bottom row on each side matches its centre | Finish the first layer |
| Middle edges | The bottom two rows on each side match its centre | Insert middle edges |
| Yellow cross | Four yellow edges face up | Recognise the dot, L or line |
| Yellow corners up | All yellow stickers face up and the lower layers are restored | Twist the corners |
| Corner positions | Top corners match every side centre | Position the corners |
| Final edges | Each of the six faces is a single colour | Cycle the edges |
If a stage is already finished, check it and move to the next one. Never apply an algorithm just because it appears next in a list.
3. Go back to the first checkpoint you haven’t reached
If the middle layer is solved but the yellow face isn’t, leave the lower layers in place and start by checking the yellow cross. If a white corner isn’t solved, fix the first layer before returning to the middle layer. Find the earliest unfinished stage, because later algorithms assume you’ve completed it.
When twisting the yellow corners, wait until they all face up before checking the lower layers. This applies only to this step.
4. Repeat with less help
After one successful solve, scramble the cube again. Try to recognise each stage without looking at the checkpoint table. You can check the moves once you’ve identified your case.
The animation below reviews the final edges. It does not show the full solution to your scramble. For this exercise, solve your own cube from start to finish. Move on to optional techniques only when you can consistently solve the cube with this method.
Need a reminder of the move notation?
R right · L left · U top · D bottom · F front · B back. A plain letter means a 90° clockwise turn as you look directly at that face. An apostrophe (′) reverses the turn. A 2 means a 180° turn. Keep the same face towards you throughout the algorithm.
Watch, then try
Work through an example
Start by stepping through the example one move at a time. This example demonstrates a specific action. Use the lesson’s setup instructions to recognise when that action applies to your own scramble.
Watch one worked example
Review the last step with a prepared example of a three-edge cycle. To practise the full solve, use your own scramble and the checkpoint table above.
Example grip: yellow up · blue front · red right at the start. Follow any written whole-cube rotations.
0 / 11
Loading 3D cube…
Prepared position · 0 / 11 moves
Use Next move to follow the sequence.
Drag to inspect other faces. When the cube has focus, use the arrow keys to rotate the view.
Copy this exact example on your own cube
Start with a solved 3×3, with yellow on top and blue facing you. Follow the setup moves below from left to right to recreate the example’s starting position. Keep this example separate from the scramble you’re solving throughout the course.
R2 U R U R' U' R' U' R' U R'Then follow the lesson sequence. If your cube has a different colour scheme, use your own colours to identify the corresponding pieces.
Compare the starting position and the result
Drag each cube to inspect its other faces.
Explain it to yourself
Check your understanding
Now use your own cube
Your turn
Scramble your cube and follow the steps below. Note the first stage where you need help, open that lesson, then pick up where you left off with the cube in the same state. Repeat the solve once without the player.
Open a 3×3 Digital Cube for practiceThe Digital Cube opens in a new tab so you can keep this lesson open while you practise. Check for yourself whether you’ve met the lesson goal, as the Digital Cube doesn’t assess your result.
If you get stuck
I know the algorithms but do not know which one to use.
Find the first checkpoint you haven’t reached in the table. Open that lesson, identify your case and follow the instructions for holding the cube before making any turns.
Before moving on
Check your result
Your cube at this stage
All six faces solved
Every face is one colour. Check the back and bottom as well as the faces you can see here.
Confirm these on your cube. Watching the animation alone does not complete the lesson.
Tick each item when you can do it yourself.