A yellow top face and two solved lower layers.
Yellow up. When a matching pair is found, align it with its side center and hold that side at left.
1. Look for a matching pair
On each side, compare its two top corner stickers. Ignore the edge sticker between them. Two corners of the same color make a matching pair, sometimes called “headlights.”
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Matching pairs on all four sides | Turn U until they match their centers. Your corners are finished. |
| One matching pair | Turn U to align that pair with its center, then rotate sideways to put it at left. |
| No matching pair | Perform the T sequence once from any front. Find the pair it creates and set it up at left. |
Do not choose a pair merely because one corner matches a center. Compare the two corners with each other first.
2. Swap the two right-hand corners
R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'
This is called the T permutation. It exchanges the two top-right corners while keeping yellow upward. It also moves two top edges, which we will solve in the next lesson.
Learn it in three chunks, with no cube rotation between them:
R U R' U'R' F R2 U' R' U'R U R' F'
3. Recheck before repeating
If you began with no pair, the first application only creates one. Now align that pair with its center, put it at left, and perform T again. If you began with the pair at left, one application should finish the corner positions.
Turn U if needed to align all the top corner colors with the centers. Check the side stickers of all four corners, not just the pair you started with.
4. Leave the edges for the next lesson
You may see a top row like blue–red–blue: both corners are correct and the edge is still wrong. That is exactly the state we need for the final edge cycle. Do not twist yellow corners again.
Need a reminder of the move notation?
R right · L left · U top · D bottom · F front · B back. A plain letter is 90° clockwise looking directly at that face. An apostrophe (′) reverses it; 2 means 180°. Keep the front fixed during an algorithm.
Watch, then try
Work through an example
Use one move at a time first. This prepared case teaches a specific action; use the lesson’s setup instructions to recognize when it applies to your own scramble.
Watch one worked example
The matching top-corner pair is on the left. T swaps the two top-right corners. On a normal solve, some top edges may still be misplaced after the corners are correct.
Example grip: yellow up · blue front · red right at the start. Follow any written whole-cube rotations.
0 / 14
Loading 3D cube…
Prepared position · 0 / 14 moves
Use Next move to follow the sequence.
Drag to inspect other faces. Arrow keys rotate the view when the cube is focused.
Copy this exact example on your own cube
Start with a solved 3×3, 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.
F R U' R' U R U R2 F' R U R U' R'Then follow the lesson sequence. If your cube’s color scheme differs, match the piece relationships using your own colors.
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
Compare the two top corner stickers on each side, ignoring the edge between them. Use the matching pair to set up the T permutation, then check all four corners.
Open a 3×3 Digital Cube for practiceOpens in a new tab so you can keep this lesson beside your practice. Check the lesson goal yourself; the Digital Cube does not grade it.
If you get stuck
Yellow is solved but top side rows are mixed.
Check the corners separately. If both corners on every side match their center, continue to final edges even when the edge between them is wrong.
T did not finish the corners.
If there were no pairs at the start, set up the pair created by your first T at left before the second T. Match it to its center using U first.
Before moving on
Check your result
Your cube at this stage
Yellow corners in place
Both top corner stickers on each side match its center. The three remaining top edges still need to cycle.
Confirm these on your cube. Watching the animation alone does not complete the lesson.
Check every item when you can do it yourself.