How to solve the Rubik’s Cube

Cube Notation

Cube notation consists of a vocabulary of sides of the cube:

F = front (the side facing you as you hold it)
U = upper (the side at the top of the cube as you hold it)
L = left (the side on your left as you hold it)
R = right (the side on your right as you hold it)

Each time a letter is written, it’s an implicit instruction to turn its corresponding face clockwise around its axis. When a letter is listed with the prime (') symbol, rotate that face anticlockwise. If you see an integer trailing a letter, it means rotate that side that number of times.

Steps

1. Complete the daisy.
2. Complete the white cross.
3. Complete the bottom layer.
4. Complete the middle layer.
   • Find a piece in the top layer with no yellow stickers
   • Rotate the top layer so that piece’s side sticker matches the center sticker of a side.
   • If the top sticker on the piece matches the center sticker on the right side:
     • U R U R'
     • Re-solve the displaced white sticker
   • If the top sticker on the piece matches the center sticker on the left side:
     • U' L' U' L
5. Execute F U R U' R' F' until you complete the yellow cross.
6. Complete the upper side.
   • Rotate the upper side until a yellow sticker is in the upper right hand corner on the left face and execute R U R' U R U2 R'.
   • When you form the fish on the yellow face, rotate the yellow face so that the fish’s nose is in the left-hand corner nearest you, and execute R U R' U R U2 R'.
7. Position the upper corners
   • Perform this algorithm until all of the corners match
   • L' U R U' L U R' R U R' U R U2 R'
   • If one face has its matching corners, hold that face in the left hand and continue.
8. Solve the upper edges
   • If one side is fully solved, face it away from you.
   • To swap the three edges, perform:
     • F2 U R' L F2 L' R U F2
     • Repeat as necessary.
   • If no side is fully solved, perform the algorithm once to solve one face. Then face it away from you and continue.