41 cases

F2L — first two layers

All 41 ways a corner and its edge can be arranged, and the most efficient way to pair and insert each.

F2L replaces the beginner method's "corners then edges" with "pair them up, then insert the pair". It is the single biggest speed gain available, and most of it can be worked out rather than memorised — the algorithms here are what your hands settle into once you understand the idea. Learn to see the pair, not the sequence.

From intermediate

Hide the ones I know

Corner in the top, edge in the top 24

Corner facing right, edge at the back

F2L 1

Not started Intermediate 2/75 3 moves

RUR^'

The corner sits directly above its slot with the cross colour pointing out to the right, and the edge is at the back of the top face with its front colour on top.

Corner facing front, edge on the left

F2L 2

Not started Intermediate 2/75 3 moves

F^'U^'F

The corner is above its slot with the cross colour facing you, and the edge is on the left of the top face with its side colour on top.

Joined pair, corner facing front

F2L 3

Not started Intermediate 2/75 4 moves

URU^'R^'

Corner and edge are already side by side at the front-right of the top layer, their side colours making a matching block down the right-hand face, and the corner’s cross colour points at you.

Joined pair, corner facing right

F2L 4

Not started Intermediate 2/75 4 moves

U^'F^'UF

Corner and edge are side by side along the front of the top layer, both showing the front colour on the front face, and the corner’s cross colour points out to the right.

Corner facing right, edge on the right, side colour up

F2L 5

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

RU^'R^'U²F^'U^'F

Corner above the slot with the cross colour to the right, edge immediately beside it on the right but with its side colour on top, so the two colours next to each other do not match.

Corner facing front, edge at the front, front colour up

F2L 6

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

F^'UFU²RUR^'

Corner above the slot with the cross colour facing you, edge directly in front of it with its front colour on top rather than facing you.

Corner facing front, edge on the left, front colour up

F2L 7

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

U^'RU²R^'U^'RU²R^'

Corner above the slot with the cross colour facing you, edge across the top layer on the left with its front colour on top.

Corner facing right, edge at the front, front colour up

F2L 8

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

UF^'U²FU^'RUR^'

Corner above the slot with the cross colour to the right, edge directly in front of it with its front colour on top.

Corner facing right, edge on the left, front colour up

F2L 9

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

U^'RUR^'URUR^'

Corner above the slot with the cross colour to the right, edge on the far side of the top layer on the left, front colour on top.

Corner facing front, edge at the back, front colour up

F2L 10

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

U^'RUR^'U^'RU²R^'

Corner above the slot with the cross colour facing you, edge at the back of the top layer with its front colour on top.

Corner facing right, edge on the right, front colour up

F2L 11

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

U^'RU^'R^'URUR^'

Corner above the slot with the cross colour to the right, edge beside it on the right with its front colour on top — the two side stickers you can see do not match.

Corner facing front, edge at the back, side colour up

F2L 12

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

URUR^'U²F^'U^'F

Corner above the slot with the cross colour facing you, edge at the back of the top layer with its side colour on top.

Corner facing right, edge on the left, side colour up

F2L 13

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

UF^'U^'FUF^'U²F

Corner above the slot with the cross colour to the right, edge on the left of the top layer with its side colour on top.

Corner facing front, edge on the right, side colour up

F2L 14

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

U^'RU²R^'UF^'U^'F

Corner above the slot with the cross colour facing you, edge beside it on the right with its side colour on top.

Corner facing right, edge at the back, side colour up

F2L 15

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

UF^'U²FUF^'U²F

Corner above the slot with the cross colour to the right, edge at the back of the top layer with its side colour on top.

Corner facing front, edge at the front, side colour up

F2L 16

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

UF^'UFU^'F^'U^'F

Corner above the slot with the cross colour facing you, and the edge directly in front of it showing its front colour on the front face — so the front face has two different colours stacked on it. Case 4 has the pieces in the same two places but the corner twisted the other way, which gives a matching block instead.

Corner facing up, edge on the left, front colour up

F2L 17

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

RU^'R^'U²RUR^'

The corner is above its slot with the cross colour on the top face, so you can see it looking straight down; the edge is on the left of the top layer with its front colour on top.

Corner facing up, edge on the right, front colour up

F2L 18

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

RU²R^'U^'RUR^'

Corner above its slot showing the cross colour on top, edge beside it on the right with its front colour on top.

Corner facing up, edge at the front, side colour up

F2L 19

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

F^'U²FUF^'U^'F

Corner above its slot showing the cross colour on top, edge directly in front of it with its side colour on top.

Corner facing up, edge at the back, side colour up

F2L 20

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

U²RUR^'F^'U^'F

Corner above its slot showing the cross colour on top, edge at the back of the top layer with its side colour on top.

Corner facing up, edge at the back, front colour up

F2L 21

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

URU²R^'URU^'R^'

Corner above its slot with the cross colour on top, edge at the back of the top layer with its front colour on top.

Corner facing up, edge on the left, side colour up

F2L 22

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

U^'F^'U²FU^'F^'UF

Corner above its slot with the cross colour on top, edge on the left of the top layer with its side colour on top.

Corner facing up, edge at the front, front colour up

F2L 23

Not started Advanced 2/75 8 moves

U²R²U²R^'U^'RU^'R²

Corner above its slot with the cross colour on top, edge directly in front of it with its front colour on top — the pair looks tantalisingly close but the corner is the wrong way up.

Corner facing up, edge on the right, side colour up

F2L 24

Not started Advanced 2/75 9 moves

FURU^'R^'F^'RU^'R^'

Corner above its slot with the cross colour on top, edge beside it on the right with its side colour on top.

Corner in the top, edge in the slot 6

Corner facing up, edge flipped in the slot

F2L 25

Not started Intermediate 2/75 6 moves

RU^'R^'F^'U²F

The edge is already in the slot but the wrong way round — its front colour is showing on the right-hand face — and the corner is in the top layer with the cross colour on top.

Corner facing right, edge already in place

F2L 26

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

URUR^'U²RUR^'

The edge is sitting correctly in the slot with nothing above it, and the corner is in the top layer with the cross colour pointing to the right.

Corner facing front, edge already in place

F2L 27

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

U^'RU^'R^'U²RU^'R^'

The edge is correct in the slot and the corner is in the top layer with the cross colour facing you.

Corner facing right, edge flipped in the slot

F2L 28

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

UF^'U^'FU^'RUR^'

The edge is in the slot the wrong way round, and the corner is in the top layer with the cross colour pointing right.

Corner facing front, edge flipped in the slot

F2L 29

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

U^'RUR^'UF^'U^'F

The edge is in the slot the wrong way round, and the corner is in the top layer with the cross colour facing you.

Corner facing up, edge already in place

F2L 30

Not started Advanced 2/75 7 moves

R²UR²UR²U²R²

The edge is already correct in the slot, and the corner sits above it in the top layer with the cross colour facing straight up.

Corner in the slot, edge in the top 6

Corner twisted in the slot, cross to the front — edge on the right

F2L 31

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

RU^'R^'URU^'R^'

The corner is already down in its slot but twisted, with the cross colour showing on the front face; the edge is in the top layer on the right with its front colour on top.

Corner twisted in the slot, cross to the right — edge on the right

F2L 32

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

RUR^'U^'RUR^'

The corner is in its slot but twisted, cross colour showing on the right-hand face; the edge is in the top layer on the right with its front colour on top.

Corner in place, edge on the right, side colour up

F2L 33

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

RU²R^'U²F^'U^'F

The corner is already solved in its slot; the edge is in the top layer on the right with its side colour on top.

Corner twisted in the slot, cross to the front — edge on the right, side colour up

F2L 34

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

U^'RU^'R^'F^'U^'F

The corner is in its slot but twisted, cross colour on the front face; the edge is in the top layer on the right with its side colour on top.

Corner twisted in the slot, cross to the right — edge on the right, side colour up

F2L 35

Not started Intermediate 2/75 7 moves

URU²R^'F^'U²F

The corner is in its slot but twisted, cross colour on the right-hand face; the edge is in the top layer on the right with its side colour on top.

Corner in place, edge on the right, front colour up

F2L 36

Not started Intermediate 2/75 8 moves

U^'R^'FRF^'RUR^'

The corner is already solved in its slot; the edge is in the top layer on the right with its front colour on top.

Both pieces in the slot 5

Corner twisted, cross to the front — edge in place

F2L 37

Not started Advanced 1/150 9 moves

R²U²R^'U^'RU^'R^'U²R^'

Both pieces are in the slot already: the edge is correct, and the corner is twisted with the cross colour showing on the front face.

Corner twisted, cross to the right — edge in place

F2L 38

Not started Advanced 1/150 9 moves

RU²RUR^'URU²R²

Both pieces are in the slot: the edge is correct, and the corner is twisted with the cross colour showing on the right-hand face.

Corner twisted, cross to the front — edge flipped

F2L 39

Not started Advanced 1/150 9 moves

RFURU^'R^'F^'U^'R^'

Both pieces are in the slot and both are wrong: the corner twisted with the cross colour on the front face, the edge in backwards with its front colour on the right.

Corner twisted, cross to the right — edge flipped

F2L 40

Not started Advanced 1/150 9 moves

RUFRUR^'U^'F^'R^'

Both pieces are in the slot and both are wrong: the corner twisted with the cross colour on the right-hand face, the edge in backwards.

Corner in place, edge flipped in the slot

F2L 41

Not started Advanced 1/150 11 moves

RUR^'U²RU²R^'UF^'U^'F

The corner is solved in its slot but the edge below the top layer is in backwards, showing its front colour on the right-hand face. The slot looks nearly finished until you notice the two colours on the right do not match.