Eight complete edges are stored in U and D, four unpaired groups remain in the middle, and centres are restored.
Place the two groups you are working on at FL and FR.
1. Find a useful partial match
Inspect the four remaining groups. Look for a wing that already matches the midge next to it. Find the missing wing with the same two colours in another group. Use outer turns to set up those groups at FL and FR.
If there is no partial match, use the slice–flip–slice-back operation on two unpaired groups to rearrange wings and create one. Inspect the new state before choosing another operation.
2. Set up the wing exchange
Choose the upper working slice. Arrange the groups so Uw carries the selected FL wing into FR. The FR flip then changes which wing will travel back when the slice is restored.
Use the FR flip to reorient a group if the front colours show the wrong match or checkerboard pattern. Compare both sides of the starting net below. Check more than one visible sticker before choosing the setup.
If you need to work on the lower slice, rotate the whole cube to bring that slice to the upper working position, then identify FL and FR again. Keep Uw at its specified width.
3. Slice, flip, slice back
Uw R U R' F R' F' R Uw'
Work through the sequence in three steps.
- Uw: transfer the selected upper-band wing toward FR.
- R U R′ F R′ F′ R: flip the whole FR group.
- Uw′: restore the centre rows and exchange the selected wings.
The sequence changes which wing returns with the slice. With the correct setup, it improves the edge grouping and restores the centres. Finish the full sequence before checking the result.
4. Check the result before repeating
Check which groups now contain all three matching pieces. Protect those groups and work on the remaining unpaired ones. A new partial match may need a new setup or a flip before the next operation.
Continue until eleven edges are complete. If the last group also matches on both faces, pairing is finished. Otherwise compare it with the parity case in the next lesson.
5. Separate a last-edge mismatch from general pairing
The final repair applies when eleven groups are complete and the last group’s two wings are reversed relative to its midge. If several groups still contain different colour pairs, stay with ordinary pairing. A parity sequence does not replace the missing setup work.
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.
Rw turns the rightmost two layers together. 2R turns only the second layer from the right. 3Rw turns three layers. x rotates the whole cube like R, so the old front becomes the new top.
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
This example shows a prepared upper-band wing exchange. Inspect all three stickers on both sides of FL and FR, then watch the slice–flip–slice-back sequence. On your own cube, arrange the pieces the same way before using this version.
Example grip: yellow up · blue front · red right at the start. Follow any written whole-cube rotations.
0 / 9
Loading 3D cube…
Prepared position · 0 / 9 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 5×5, yellow up and blue front. Apply the setup below from left to right. This creates the example’s starting position. Keep this separate from the ongoing scramble you are solving through the course.
Uw R' F R F' R U' R' Uw'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
Drag each cube to inspect its other faces.
Explain it to yourself
Check your understanding
Now use your own cube
Your turn
Find a partial wing–midge match and its missing wing. Compare both colours with the prepared case, exchange the required wings, and inspect all remaining groups after every operation.
Open a 5×5 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
The same sequence keeps undoing my progress.
After each complete operation, check which pieces now form the partial match and which wing is missing. Repeating the sequence without changing how you hold the cube can undo a useful exchange.
More than one group is still mismatched.
Continue pairing those groups. The next parity lesson assumes eleven complete edges and one specific reversed-wing group.
Before moving on
Check your result
Your cube at this stage
Eleven edges complete
Eleven groups match. In this example, the final group at the top front has two wings reversed relative to its midge. If you encounter this case, repair it next.
Confirm these on your cube. Watching the animation alone does not complete the lesson.
Check off each item once you can do it yourself.