You know the four-move trigger. Nothing needs to be solved yet.
Keep white facing down. Hold the cube so that the slot for each new corner is at bottom-front-right.
1. Place your first corner
Choose any white corner and rotate the cube until its white sticker faces down. Treat that piece as solved. The three remaining white corners must fit around it according to their side colours.
Two corners sharing a non-white colour belong next to each other on that coloured side. A corner sharing neither side colour with the reference belongs diagonally across from it.
2. Choose a white corner on top
Find a white corner in the top layer. Use the pieces already in place to work out where it belongs. Rotate the whole cube sideways, keeping white down, until the target slot is at bottom-front-right.
Use U to place the target corner at top-front-right, directly above its destination. The white sticker can face any of the three directions.
3. Insert it with the trigger
R U R' U'
Repeat the full four-move sequence until the selected corner is in the bottom-front-right slot, with white facing down and its side colours matching those of its neighbours. Depending on the corner’s orientation, this takes one, three or five repetitions.
Keep the same face at the front and do not add U turns between repetitions. Check only after completing U′.
4. Correct a misplaced bottom piece
If the white corner you need is already in the bottom layer but is twisted or in the wrong slot, hold that slot at bottom-front-right and perform the trigger once to eject the corner. Then find its correct slot, place the corner directly above it and insert it as usual.
Keep your reference corner in place unless you deliberately choose a new one. Fit the other white pieces around the corners you’ve already solved.
5. Check all four side pairs
Once all four white stickers face down, check the bottom pair on each side. If the stickers in any pair are different colours, some white corners are out of place. Put them in their correct slots before moving on. The next lesson assumes the entire first layer is solved.
Watch, then try
Work through an example
Start by going through the moves one at a time. The prepared example shows a specific action. Use the lesson’s setup instructions to recognise when to apply it to your own scramble.
Watch one worked example
The target white corner starts directly above its front-right slot. Watch how one trigger inserts it while keeping the other bottom corners solved.
Starting grip. Yellow up · blue at the front · red on the right. Follow any written instructions for rotating the whole cube.
0 / 4
Loading 3D cube…
Prepared starting position · 0 / 4 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 2×2. Hold it with yellow on top and blue at the front. Apply 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 through the course.
U R U' 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
Drag each cube to inspect its other faces.
Explain it to yourself
Check your understanding
Now use your own cube
Your turn
Place one reference corner, then insert the other three white corners. After each insertion, check the white sticker and both side colours.
Open a 2×2 Digital Cube for practiceOpens in a new tab so you can refer to this lesson while you practise. Check for yourself whether you’ve met the lesson goal. The Digital Cube does not grade your work.
If you get stuck
The white face is complete, but the bottom pairs on the sides do not match.
Find the white corner whose side colours don’t match its neighbours. Eject it, use both side colours to find the correct slot, then reinsert it.
Before moving on
Check your result
Your cube at this stage
A complete white layer
White faces down, and each side has a matching bottom pair. The yellow corners are still unfinished.
Confirm these on your cube. Watching the animation alone does not complete the lesson.
Tick each item once you can do it yourself.