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The beginners method I present on this site is not build for efficiency or speed. The goal of this section is to explain some easy ways to speed up your solution. First I will explain a new system for the First Two Layers (F2L), then I'll give some fast algorithms for each of the four steps of the Last Layer (LL). I'll also give some general tips about speedcubing, such as some tips on memorzing algorithms. In order to really speed up your solution, take a look at the videos. At the end of every step of the solotion, you'll see a video that illustrates how I perfrom the algorithms used in that part of the solution. (Just don't try to do any of those fingertricks on a stiff cube!) On the bottom of the page, you'll find two additional movies that show full solves.

In some of the algorithms, parentheses are used to group certain moves that belong together: with a fingertrick, you can do them as 'one' move.

Solving F2L using a working corner

The first three steps of the beginners solution show how to solve the first two layers (F2L) of the cube, using an 8 move algorithm to place the edges of the second layer. This is not an efficient method for solving the F2L, and it can be done faster without learning any additional algorithms. First you should understand why the original way for solving the F2L is not very efficient. In the layer by layer method described in the beginners section, the first part of the solution is to solve one layer. The reason why this is inefficient, is you can't do anything usefull without breaking up the solved layer. So the rest of the solution, whenever you do something usefull, you'll have to make extra moves in order to restore that solved layer. Therefore, instead of solving the whole first layer, you can also choose to solve one layer minus one corner pieces, as shown in the first applet. This will give you some more space to manoeuvre. After forming a cross on the bottom, I would advise you to rotate the cube, so the cross will be in the palm of your left hand while you are solving the F2L. This also involves using different moves for solving the corners of the first layer:

Once you have solved the first layer minus one corner piece, you can solve three (yes, three, not four!) second-layer edge pieces, using the moves illustrated in the applets below. First move the L layer, so the 'gap' in the first (left) layer will be next to the position you are about to solve. Then use three or four moves to insert that edge:

Tip: Depending on the position of the edge piece you want to solve, sometimes you can replace R (or R') by another R move. For example, if the edge you are solving is in the DR position, replacing R (or R') with R2 will solve that piece. When you do this, check that the edge piece you are solving will get in the correct position with the correct orientation!!

After you have solved three edges of the second layer, use the free edge (the 'gap' in the second layer) to insert the last bottom layer corner, and solve the last middle-layer edge with the original algorithm, as explained in section three of the beginners solution. Look at the applet below for an example:

This method for solving the F2L is one of the best when you consider the amount of required algorithms. With a lot of training and experience (and a good cube!), this method will allow you to solve F2L in 20 seconds or even less. However, learning to do this will require a lot of practice, so don't get frustrated when you can't get times like that imediately! Here are two examples of F2L solves with reduced speed:

Additional algorithms for solving the last layer

Important! Note that the diagrams in this section show the U face of the cube. When you use these algorithms, hold the cube with the last layer being the U layer. The yellow lines next to the diagrams indicate the positions of the yellow stickers.

Orientating the Last Layer edges

The methods for solving the last layer in the beginners section are also not the most efficient. The last layer can be solved much faster, but this will require the memorization of more algorithms. Here you will find an easy last layer solution, that is still beginner friendly, but more efficient.

F RUR'U' F'	F URU'R' F'

For the edge orientation, just use the same algorithms as explained in step 4 in the beginners solution (I just mention them here for completeness). In case all edges need to be flipped, just choose one of those algorithms, to flip two of them, and then use the other algorithm to flip the other two edges.

Orientating the Last Layer corners

In this stage, you can run into 7 different cases. All of them can be solved using only two very fast (once mastered) algorithms. Actually, it's just one algorithm and it's inverse:

[A] = R'U2RUR'UR
[A]^-1 = R'U'RU'R'U2R

[A] twists three corners clockwise, as shown below (at the first case). The inverse twists three corners anti clockwise, as shown in the second case. In one of the other five cases, make sure the pattern on your cube corresponds with the pattern on the diagram by by turning the U layer, and do [A]. After that, one of the first two cases will apear. Tip on memorization: Sometimes I see new cubers learn algorithms by looking at the algorithms, and then doing them with their eyes closed. But in a lot of cases it helps to look where the pieces are going. Look for patterns, such as 2x2 squares, corner egde pairs or other patterns. In these two algorithms, the BR corner-edge pair is moved to the U layer, then it's inserted in the F2L agian, but without using the inverse of the first couple of moves. A lot of LL algorithms can be memorized easier when you regard them as a way to break up the F2L, and then putting them back together in a different way.

1. [A]	2. [A]-1
3. [A][A]	4. [A] U [A]
5. [A] U [A]-1	6. [A] U2 [A]-1
7. [A] U' [A]-1

This video shows how to perform [A] and [A]^-1:

Corner Permutation

During this step, you can ignore the positions of the edges. Just move the U face around until one corner is solved, and the other three are not. If that's not possible, then just cycle three corners any way you like. After that, you will run into one of two cases below. Important: the x represents a rotation of the whole cube. It means you have to rotate the cube, so the U face becomes the B face.

x (R'UR') D2 (RU'R') D2 R2 x'	x R2 D2 (RUR') D2 (RU'R) x'

(In this one, I do the second algorithm first for some reason)

Edge Permutaton

Below you will find two algorithms that cycle three edges around. If all four edges are in the wrong position, just cycle three edges any way you like. After that, you will have one of the two cases below:

(R2' U)(R U R' U')(R' U')(R' U R')	(R U')(R U)(R U)(R U')(R' U' R2)

Two Examples

Ok, I have to admit, I am not an expert with this method. I am not used to the working corner method. But these two videos are just examples of how a solve with this method would look like:

A few last words

First of all, if you have any comments or feedback about this page, or if you have any questions, you can always e-mail me at jnoort[at]gmail.com. Second, of course this is not the only cubing website. There are tons of good websites with tips and tricks. You will find them with a search engine. Here some links that might help you to get faster:

Beginner Solution to the Rubik's Cube - by Jasmine Lee - This is also a very good website for beginners.

Jessica Fridrich's speedcubing page - This is where I started cubing. If you are interested in learning her F2L system, you probably don't want to use the algorithms presented there (because they are 'upside down' for some reason). It's a very nice page to start cubing, though :).

Dans Cube Station - Dan is the fastest speedcuber in the UK. You can find some pretty interesting stuff about solving the cross and F2L on his website.

In the links section, you will find more links to cube related websites.

So.. What do you think?

If you used this tutorial, please leave a message, to tell me what you think about it. Comments from beginners usually lead to adjustments. Please help me to improve the quality of these tutorials!