Any 3×3 cube. It can be scrambled.
Pick any face as the front. No moves to memorize yet.
1. Think in pieces, not stickers
A turn moves a whole piece. The two stickers on an edge always move together, as do the three stickers on a corner. You can’t move a single sticker to a new face on its own.
| Piece | How to recognize it | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | One sticker in the middle of a face | Defines that face’s colour |
| Edge | Two stickers between two corners | Between the two matching centres |
| Corner | Three stickers where three faces meet | Between the three matching centres |
Find one of each on your cube before continuing. There are six centres, twelve edges, and eight corners.
2. Use the centres to see where pieces belong
Turn a face slowly. Its centre stays in the middle while the surrounding pieces move. On a 3×3, the centres keep the same positions relative to one another.
The white-blue edge belongs between the white and blue centres. The white-blue-red corner belongs between the white, blue and red centres, even if its white sticker faces sideways. You need to check two things separately: its position and the direction its stickers face.
Our example cube has yellow on top, white underneath, blue in front and red on the right. If your cube’s colours are arranged differently, use its centres as your reference.
3. Get to know the stages of a solve
We will gather white edges into a daisy, line them up into a white cross, then insert the white corners. This completes the first layer. Next come the middle edges, yellow cross, yellow corner orientation, corner positions, and final edge positions.
Each stage protects the finished work from the earlier stages. Keep the same scramble as you move through the solving lessons. The next lesson starts where the previous one ends.
4. A face is not a layer
All four white corner stickers can face down even when the corners are in the wrong positions. Check the sides. In a solved bottom layer, the bottom row on each side matches its centre. We’ll check both the white face and the side colours before moving on.
Watch, then try
Work through an example
Start by going through the example one move at a time. It shows a specific action from a prepared position. Use the lesson’s setup instructions to recognize when that action applies to your own scramble.
Watch one worked example
Watch R followed by R′. The centre of the right face stays in place while whole edge and corner pieces move around it.
Example grip: yellow up · blue front · red right at the start. Follow any written whole-cube rotations.
0 / 2
Loading 3D cube…
Prepared position · 0 / 2 moves
Use Next move to follow the sequence.
Drag to inspect other faces. Use the arrow keys to rotate the view when the cube has focus.
Copy this exact example on your own cube
Start with a solved 3×3 with yellow on top and blue in front. Follow the setup moves below from left to right to create the example’s starting position. Keep this example separate from the scramble you’re solving throughout the course.
R U R' F2 D L2 B U2Then follow the lesson sequence. If your cube’s colour scheme differs, match the piece relationships using your own colours.
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
Find the white-blue edge and the white-blue-red corner on your cube. Trace every sticker on each piece, then point to the centres around its home.
Open a 3×3 Digital Cube for practiceOpens in a new tab so you can keep this lesson open while you practise. Check for yourself whether you’ve met the lesson goal. The Digital Cube doesn’t grade your work.
If you get stuck
My white face is solid, but the sides are mixed.
Some white pieces are in the wrong positions. Before moving on, check that the white face is solid and that every white piece’s other colours match the side centres.
Before moving on
Check your result
Preparation · no solving yet
Know the pieces
Find the centres, edges and corners. You can practise recognizing the pieces while your cube is still scrambled.
Confirm these on your cube. Watching the animation alone does not complete the lesson.
Check off each item once you can do it yourself.