Rubik F2L

Intro

This page is dedicated to solving the first two layers of the Rubik's cube, after making the cross on the D face.

Links:

• Rubik's cube main page on this wiki.
• Tutoriel : Résoudre les F2L intuitivement - Youtube.com, Victor Colin
• Bob Burton's F2L cases - cubewhiz.com

The principle is to always fall back in one of the 4 basic cases. A basic case is one that requires only 3 moves to solve:

• Case /R1/: R U' R' and case /L1/: L' U L (mirror)

Pair next to each other, horizontal and left (right) of target slot.

• Case /R2/: R U R' and case /L2/: L' U' L (mirror)

Corner above target slot, edge on UB. Corner white sticker facing right (left), front sticker same as edge up sticker.

Notes:

• Always put the corner above the slot, and solve from the right side first, then switch to left if necessary.
• In algorithm below, whitespaces indicate that we reached a basic case.
• We can always replace U2 R U' R' with U sledgeR'.
• Case solve are coded for fast reference. (R2, BR) means we want to get a basic case /R2/ by bringing the corner above BR corner. (R2, BR, rot) means we aim at obtaining a /R2/ case by using the BR corner, but this time with rotation of the corner; this means that the corner is moved above the BR corner not using a U move (followed by R ... R' that would preserve orientation of the corner), but with a R moves that changes orientation of the edge. So rot indicates that the solves change the F2L family.

We follow Bob's Burton classification.

Corner correct, edge not placed

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02
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Edge correct, corner slot free

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Corner in first layer twisted clockwise

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Corner in first layer twisted counter-clockwise

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Corner in U-layer with cross-color on U-face

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Corner in U-layer with cross-color on R-face

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Corner in U-layer with cross-color on F-face

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White sticker UP

• Edge on 2L:

(2L1) Case 1, edge wrong (matching corner color) Get the pair out, then reinsert R U2' R' y U2 (L' U L) (alt. R U2' R' U' F R' F' R') Faster, FR: U' R' F R F' R U' R' Faster, FL: left SH, or y', the subcase FR above. Faster, BL: Victor uses L U' L' y' L' U2 L (B with RH index). Faster, BR: usual is R' U R' F R F' R, Victor uses R' U R d' R U' R' ({{{1}}}.

(2L2) Case 2, edge correct (not matching corner) sexy sexy sexy.

• Edge on LL, not touching: we get a basic base by (i) bring edge to its color, (ii) raise empty slot, (iii) bring corner above the edge, then (iv) turn back slot. All cases below are identical.

• (LLBU1) Edge on BU, case 1: U R U2' R' R' F R F'
• (LLBU2) Edge on BU, case 2: y U2' L' U' L L F' L' F
• (LLLU1) Edge on LU, case 1: U2 R U R' R' F R F'
• (LLLU2) Edge on LU, case 2: y U' L' U2 L L F' L' F

• Edge on LL, touching:

• (LLRU1) Edge on RU, side color not matching (R2, BR, rot): create a /R2/ case by using BR corner with R move, and U2, R U2' R' U' (R U R').
• (LLRU2) Edge on RU, side color matching (LLBU2, BR): fall-back to case (LLBU1) using BR corner with U' then R, U' R U' R' U' y L' U' L (L F' L' F).
• (LLFU1) Edge on FU, side color not matching (L2, FL, rot): create a /L2/ case by using BL corner with y L' move, and U2, y L' U2 L U (L' U' L) y'.
• (LLFU2) Edge on FU, side color matching (LLLU1, FL): idem, fall-back using BL corner (with y U then L' ), y U L' U L U y' R U R' (R' F R F').

White sticker FRONT

• Edge on 2LL:

Case 1, edge correct Can this case be be inserted from any angle without cube rotation? (R1, BR) goal is to get a /R1/ using BR corner, U' R U' R' U2 R U' R'. Faster, no y / y' , FR:

Case 2, edge wrong (L2, BR) goal is to get a /L2/ using BR corner, U' R U R' U y L' U' L. Faster, no y / y' , FL: y U2' L F' L' F U2' L' U' L y'

• Edge on LL, non-adjacent

• Case 1, same U color, edge BU (R1, BR): Goal is to get a /R1/ using BR corner, U' R U R' U2 R U' R'

Idem for edge LU (R1, BR): U' R U2 R' U2 R U' R'

• Case 2, different U color, edge BU (L2, BR): Because U color are different, goal is to get a /L2/ case here using BR corner: y U L' U' L U' L' U' L (or U' R U' R' U y L' U' L).

For edge LU, this time we directly have a /L2/ (L2): y L' U' L

• Edge on LL, adjacent on RU

• Case 1, same U color (R1): we have directly a basic case /R1/, U R U' R'.
• Case 2, different U color (L2, BR): so we want to get a /L2/, using BR corner: U' R U2 R' U y L' U' L.

• Edge on LL, adjacent on FU

• Case 1, same U color (R2, FL, rot): we use FL corner to get a /R2/ : y L' U L U2' y' R U R'
• Case 2, different U color (R2, FL): we use FL corner to get a /L2/: y U L' U L U' L' U' L

White sticker RIGHT

• Edge on 2LL 2LL:

Case 1, edge correct This case can actually be inserted from any angle without cube rotation. (L1, FL) mirror of above, get a /L1/ using FL corner, and U then L' move: y U L' U L U2' L' U L y'. Faster, no y / y' , FR: U R U R' U2 R U R' Faster, no y / y' , BL: U L U L' U2' L U L' Faster, no y / y' , FL: U L' U L U2' L' U L (alt using sledge: U L' U L L F' L' F, F with thumb) Faster, no y / y' , BR: U R' U R U2' R' U R

Case 2, edge wrong (R2, FL) mirror of above, get a /R2/ case using FL corner, and U then L' move: y U L' U' L y' U' R U R' Faster, no y / y' : U2 R' F R F' U2 R U R'

• Edge on LL, non-adjacent

• Case 1, same U color, edge BU (L1, FL): Here the best is to solve FR then send it to BR y' U R' U' R U' U' R' U R y (alt: y' U R' U' R U' y F R' F' R or y U L' U' L U' L F' L' F y').

idem for edge LU (L1, FL): y' U R' U2 R U' U' R' U R y (alt: y U L' U2 L U' L F' L' F y').

• Case 2, different U color, edge LU (R2, BR): we need to shift our edge by a single U move: U' R U R' U R U R'

For edge BU (R2): this time we directly get a /R2/: R U R'

• Edge on LL, adjacent on RU

• Case 1, same U color (L2, BR, rot): we get a /L2/ case using BR corner and R U' move, R U' R' U2 y L' U' L y'
• Case 2, different U color (R2, BR): we get a /R2/ case using BR corner and U' R move, U' R U' R' U R U R'

• Edge on LL, adjacent on FU

• Case 1, same U color (L1): we directly have a basic case /L1/, L' U L
• Case 2, different U color (R2, FL): so we want to get a /R2/ case. We can with FL corner, y' U R' U2 R y U' R U R' (or y U L' U2 L U' y' R U R')

Corner on 1L

White sticker DOWN

	Le Belge (front right) Beginner solution U R U' R' y U' L' U L y' Using inverse SH U R U' R' F R' F' R		Le Belge (front left) Beginner solution U' L' U L y' U R U' R' y Using inverse SH U' L' U L F' L F L'
	Le Belge (front right - alt)		Le Belge (front left - alt) Faster (no y / y') R U' R' U' R U' R' U R U R' (grip: LH F/B, index doing all U' and first U, RH U/D, index 2nd U) (R U' R' to create a known F2L case) Faster (no y / y') U' R' F R F' R U R' (with a sledgehammer, 2nd U with LH index)

White sticker on FRONT / RIGHT face

• First move edge on its color, then
  • If white sticker is on the SAME face → use a double sexy or sexyL.
  • If white sticker is on DIFFERENT face → use a TRUNCATED double sexy' or sexyL' , where first UP rotation is skipped.
• Cases are identified by the visible colors on corner and lateral color on the edge. This is useful when solving the F2L in the wrong slot.

	col-white R-col sexy sexy (alt. U2 L' U L y' R U R')		col-white F-col y sexyL sexyL y' (alt. U2 R U' R' y L' U' L y')
	white-col1-col2 R U' R sexy' (best grip, RH: front/back, index to prepare for U) (alt. R U' R' R' F R F' or y L' U2 L y' R U2 R')		col2-col1-white y L' U L sexyL' y' (alt. R U R' U' F R' F' R)

More tricks

Tutoriel F2L avancés - Partie 1 (déconjugaison intelligente)

• Déconjugaison intelligente

Tutoriel F2L avancés - Partie 2 (Insertions sous différents angles)

• Avoid y2 moves, but solve the F2L cases as is (with empty slots in the back).

This is true for all "base" cases, both contiguous and not.

• y and y' is ok. When choosing between both, favor the one that leads to R and U moves.

For instance, better do y' R' U R than y L' U L to insert a base case.

Tutoriel F2L avancés - Partie 3 (Utilisation des slots libres)

• Use free slots

Tutoriel F2L avancés - Partie 4 (Eviter les rotations y et y')

• Goal of this part: Avoid y and y' move whenever possible.
• Introduce another commutator, the sledgehammer: R' F R F'

F' move must be done with the right thumb!

• Case: R U' R y L' U2' L y', white sticker UP, FR corner.

Subcase FR. Use sledgehammer U' R' F R F' R U' R'

Subcase FL. Use left sledgehammer, or y' then subcase FR above.

Subcase BL. Use L U' L' y' L' U2 L. Or sledgehammer also possible, but with re-grip (B with right hand index).

Subcase BR. Usual solution is R' U R' F R F' R, but R' U R y U' R U' R' (U' while y) is also ok.

• Case: U y L' U' L U' y' R U R'

Avoid cube rotation with sledgehammer: U2 R' F R F' U2 R U R'

• Case: U y L' U L U2' L' U L y'

Can be inserted from any angle. Either pick contiguous base case or separated.

If corner in FR or BL: U R U R' U2 R U R' or U L U L' U2' L U L'.

If corner in FL or BR: U L' U L U2' L' U L (alt using sledge: U L' U L L F' L' F, F with thumb) or U R' U R U2' R' U R

• Case: corner on D face

See my shortcuts above with sexy moves above.

• Case: le Belge

When corner in FRD, and correct edge on UR, two solutions:

• R U' R' U' R U' R' U R U R' (grip: LH F/B, index doing all U' and first U, RH U/D, index 2nd U) (R U' R' to create a known F2L case)
• U' R' F R F' R U R' (with a sledgehammer)

Android - Fridrich Solver (Algorithms summary)

• This app shows solutions for all F2L cases.
• FAST: Use d and d' move instead of y' U or y U'. This happens extremely frequently, and is very useful to solve pair in any slot without turning the cube.