|back| Overview | Cross | F2L | OLL | PLL


3x3x3
F2L

F2L represents first two layers. This process inserts four sets of F2L pairs into four different slots to complete the first two layer of the cube. This is the most crucial step when solving a cube. It requires longest time. Most speedcubers find this step a hurdle. A fast solving time is ensured if you can perform the F2L quickly and smoothly. 10 secs for F2L is a fairly good time for speedcubers.

There are no algorithms needed for F2L. Though some finger tricks would enhance the speed of F2L, it is still fundamentally intuitive. Here are a few tips: Maximize looking ahead. Your eyes should start hunting and tracking the F2L pairs while your fingers are performing the pairing up and insertion. Take note of which slots are already filled and which slots are still empty so that you can utilize them to reduce number of steps needed to solve the pairs. Avoid cube rotations because it will waste a great deal of time rotating the cube to look for the F2L pairs. Use left hand fingers actively as well. Be creative when pairing up the corner with the edge and when inserting them. You do not have to follow the algorithms listed here strictly. Be flexible. Some stuck pieces cases are woth memorizing, but most of them should be understood intuitively.



Basic Pair Insertion
These 2 cases are the most basic F2L cases. The rest of the page basically builds on these 2 basic cases.
01 02  

 
U R U' R' d' L' U L  
R' F R F' L F' L' F  

Separated pair both on top layer
Case 03 and Case 07 are two very basic F2L cases as well. The concept of the rest of the algorithms is to pair or set up the separated corner and its edge into either case 01, 02, 03, or 07, and then insert them its respective empty slot.
03 04 05
R U R' d R' U2 R U2' R' U R d R' U' R U2' R' U R
     
06 07 08
U' R U R' U R U R' F' U' F U' R U2 R' U2 R U' R'
     
09 10 11
U' R U R' U2 R U' R' U' R U' R' d R' U' R U2 R U R'U R U' R'
     
12 13 14
U' F' U2 F U'F' U F U2 F' U' F U' F' U F U R U2 R' U R U' R'

Joined pair both on top layer
Since the pair is joined, the target now is to separate the pair quickly and then place them into the the correct position ready to be inserted into the empty slot.
15 16 17
R U' R' U R U' R' U2 R U' R' U' R U' R' U R U R' R U' R' U d R' U' R
     
18 19 20
d R' U R U' R' U' R U' R U2 R' d R' U' R F' U F U2 R U R'
R U R' U2 R U' R' U R U' R'
     
21 22 23
R U2 R' U' R U R' F' U2 F U F' U' F (u) U' L' U L U L' U L U' L' U L
F U R U' R' F' R U' R'
y U2' L2 U2 L U L' U L2
     
24    
 

 

U R U' R' U' R U' R' U R U' R'
U2' R2 U2' R' U' R U' R2'
R U R' U2 R U R' U' R U R'

    

Corner in top layer, edge in the slot
As one edge is stuck in the slot with the corner on top, the objective now is to bring the stucked edge out to the top layer and place the pair in correct positions ready to be inserted into the empty slot.
25 26 27
d R' U' R d' R U R'

 U F' U F U2 F' U F
U' R U2' R' U R U R'		 U' R U R' d R' U' R
     
28 29 30
U' R U' R' U2 R U' R' U R U' R' U R U' R' U R U' R' R U' R' (u) L' U2 L
U' R' F R F' R U' R'

Corner in the slot, edge in top layer
Now that the corner is stucked in the slot, we first have to bring it out to the U layer and then connect it with its edge and reinsert the pair back into the empty slot.
31 32 33
y L' U L U' L' U L U' R U R' U' R U R' R U' R' U R U' R'
     
34 35 36

U' R U' R' F' U' F
y (U L' U' L) (U L' U' L)
U R' F R F' U R U' R'

 d' L' U L d R U' R'
R' U' R' U' R' U R U R
U' R' F R F' R U R' 		U R U' R' d' L' U L
y' R U R U R U' R' U' R'

Both corner and slot in the slot
This is a troublesome case as both the pieces are stucked in the slot incorrectly. We first have to bring both of the pieces out to the U layer and correct its position. Then reinsert the pair back into the slot.
37 38 39

R U2 R U R' U R U2 R2
R U' R' U R U2 R' U R U' R'

R U R' U' R U' R' U d R' U' R
R2 B U B' U' R' U R'
R U F R U R' U' F' R'

R2 U2 R' U' R U' R' U2 R'
R U R' U' R U2 R' U' R U R'

     
40 41  
 

R U' R' U' R U' R' d R' U' R
R U' R U B U' B' R2
R F U R U' R' F' U' R'

 F2 U2 R' F2 R U2 F U' F
R U2 R' U R U2 R' d R' U' R 		 

Alternative Insertion
This method allows us to insert the pair quickly into an empty slot without performing cube rotation.
42 43  
 
l R U' R' U l'

f R2 f'
R2' F R F' R

  

Cool cases
These are a collection of interesting F2L cases that seems to be very complicated but actually can be solved with some very simple solution.
44 45 46
R' u' R' u R y' R2 u R2 u' R2 y L2' U' L2 U L2'
     
47 48 49
R2 U' R2' U R2' y' L2' U L2 U' L2 R2 U R2' U' R2

Empty Slots
3/4 of the F2L solving time there will be empty slots available to aid our F2L pairing up and insertion. These are interesting ways we can utilize the empty slots to shorten F2L execution time.
50 51 52
D' L' U L D u L' U L u' D' L' U L U' L' U L u
     
53 54  
 
u R U' R' U R U' R' u' y u' R' F R F'R U' R' u  
     

2008 | [email protected]