Turn the yellow corners upward — 3×3 Beginner

Before you start

Two solved lower layers and a yellow cross. The side colours of the yellow edges can still be out of order.

How to hold your cube

Yellow up, white down. Pick a front and keep it fixed until every corner is oriented.

1. Choose the working corner

Use U to bring a corner whose yellow sticker isn’t facing up to top-front-right. Twist corners only in this position. Note the colour of the front face and keep it at the front throughout the procedure.

2. Use the corner-twisting routine

R' D' R D

This new routine uses the bottom layer. The earlier white-corner trigger uses a different layer. Repeat the whole four-move block two or four times until the yellow sticker on the working corner faces up.

Finish the final D of the block, even if yellow points up after the R. Check only after a complete block.

3. Expect the lower layers to look mixed temporarily

This is normal while only some corners have been twisted. Don’t try to fix the white layer, change which face is at the front or switch algorithms halfway through. Finish the remaining yellow corners with the same grip to restore the lower layers.

4. Bring the next corner into position with U only

Turn U, U′, or U2 to bring another yellow corner that needs orienting to top-front-right. Keep the same face at the front without rotating the whole cube. Repeat R' D' R D until the corner’s yellow sticker faces up, then use only U to bring in the next corner.

Skip corners whose yellow stickers already face up. Continue until the yellow stickers on all four corners face up, then turn U if needed to realign the top layer. The first two layers must now be solved again.

5. Inspect orientation separately from position

The top should be solid yellow. Its side stickers can still be in the wrong order. That is expected: the next lesson places the corners without turning yellow away from the top.

The worked example twists two corners in opposite directions. Watch the lower layers get mixed and return to their solved state at the end.

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

The first eight moves orient one corner. U brings the next corner to the working position, and four more twisting blocks orient it. The final U′ realigns the top. Watch how the lower layers return to their solved state only when the whole exercise is complete.

Example grip: yellow up · blue front · red right at the start. Follow any written whole-cube rotations.

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Loading 3D cube…

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.

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

Before the example

After the full sequence

Drag each cube to inspect its other faces.

Explain it to yourself

Check your understanding

Now use your own cube

Your turn

Read the whole procedure first. Twist each corner that still needs orienting at top-front-right, turning only U between corners. Finish all corners before checking the lower layers.

Open a 3×3 Digital Cube for practice

The 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

The white layer looks scrambled halfway through.

Keep the same face at the front and continue orienting the remaining yellow corners, using U turns between corners. The lower layers will look mixed for a while.

The lower layers are still mixed after all the yellow corner stickers are facing up.

Check whether you missed a final D or accidentally rotated the whole cube. If you remember the exact moves you got wrong, undo them. Otherwise, use the first-layer lessons to recover before trying this stage again.

Before moving on

Check your result

3×3 lesson result. The yellow face is oriented. All yellow stickers face up and the first two layers are restored. The top corners and edges can still be in the wrong positions.

Your cube at this stage

Yellow face oriented

All yellow stickers face up and the first two layers are restored. The top corners and edges can still be in the wrong positions.

Confirm these on your cube. Watching the animation alone does not complete the lesson.

Every sticker on top is yellow.The first two layers have returned to their solved state.I kept the same face at the front and completed every four-move block.

Tick each item when you can do it yourself.