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 may 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 with its yellow sticker facing sideways to top-front-right. This is the only position where you’ll twist corners. Note the colour of the front face and keep that face at the front throughout the procedure.

2. Use the corner-twisting routine

R' D' R D

This is a new routine. It uses the bottom layer, unlike the earlier white-corner trigger. Repeat the whole four-move block two or four times until the working corner has yellow 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 scrambled for now

This is normal when you’ve twisted only some of the corners. Don’t try to fix the white layer, change which face is at the front, or switch algorithms halfway through. Finish orienting the remaining yellow corners from the same grip to restore the lower layers.

4. Bring the next corner into place with U only

Turn U, U′, or U2 to bring another unoriented yellow corner to top-front-right. Don’t rotate the whole cube. Repeat R' D' R D until the yellow sticker on that corner faces up, then use only U to bring the next corner into place.

Skip corners already yellow-up. Continue until all four yellow corners face up, then turn U if needed to restore top-layer alignment. 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 scrambled 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 direction. A 2 means a 180° turn. Keep the same face toward you throughout the algorithm.

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

The first eight moves orient one corner. U brings the next corner to the working position, where four more twisting blocks orient it. The final U′ realigns the top. Watch how the lower layers return to their solved state only at the end of the exercise.

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. 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.

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’s colour scheme differs, match the piece relationships using your own colours.

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 the corners before checking the lower layers.

Open a 3×3 Digital Cube for practice

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. The Digital Cube doesn’t grade your work.

If you get stuck

The white layer looks scrambled halfway through.

Keep the same face at the front and orient the remaining yellow corners, using U turns between corners. Expect the lower layers to look scrambled while you work.

The lower layers still look scrambled after all four yellow corner stickers face up.

Look for a missed final D or an accidental whole-cube rotation. Undo the exact mistaken moves if you remember them; otherwise use the first-layer lessons to recover before retrying this stage.

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.

Check off each item once you can do it yourself.