PUZZLE GUIDE · 3×3
Solve a 3×3 cube: learn layer by layer.
Work from the white layer to the yellow top in eight small goals. Pick a stage, scrub the timeline or play each move, then follow along on your own cube.
Move animation
Fixed view: yellow up, green front and red right. Keep the same orientation when following along. The animation demonstrates notation; it does not read or solve an arbitrary scramble.
Choose a lesson step
White daisy
With the yellow centre on top, bring the four white edge pieces around it to make a daisy.
This sequence has 6 moves
Click a move token to start at that move and continue through the rest of the sequence. Pause or drag the timeline to review. Clockwise and counter-clockwise are defined while looking directly at the face being turned.
Read the notation: each letter names a face
Hold white down, yellow up and green front. Clockwise and counter-clockwise are defined while looking straight at the face being turned. Rotating the whole cube to change your view is not a move.
| Notation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
U / D | Up layer / Down layer | U turns the top face clockwise 90° |
R / L | Right face / Left face | R′ turns the right face counter-clockwise 90° |
F / B | Front face / Back face | F2 turns the front face 180° |
' / 2 | A prime means counter-clockwise; 2 means a 180° turn | U' / R2 |
Eight layer-by-layer steps: inspect the case before turning
Solve one layer, then the middle layer, then the top. “Demo this step” loads the sequence into the player. Tutorials may group steps and choose different algorithms; each sequence has orientation and case preconditions, so do not repeat it blindly.
White daisy
With the yellow centre on top, bring the four white edge pieces around it to make a daisy.
- An edge has two colours. A centre has one colour and marks its face.
- Find each white edge and turn nearby faces and the top to bring its white sticker around the yellow centre. Remember the edge’s other colour for the white cross.
The side colours do not need to match their centres yet; alignment comes next. There is no unique algorithm for this step.
Align the white cross
Keep white down and yellow up. Each white edge’s side colour must also match its centre.
- Turn the top until one daisy petal’s side colour matches its centre.
- Turn that aligned face 180° to move the white edge down to the white face.
- Repeat for all four petals and check that all four side edges match their centres.
Single-edge example (align the front centre first)
Place the four white corners
Keep the white cross intact and put each white corner between its three matching centres.
- Find a white corner; its other two colours identify the matching centres.
- Move the corner above its target slot, then choose a left- or right-hand trigger based on the white sticker. Check the white face and side colours after each insertion.
R U R' U' is a common right-hand trigger demo, not a universal move for every corner orientation. Use U to position the piece first if needed.
Insert the four middle edges
After the first layer, find a top-layer edge without yellow and insert it into the front-left or front-right middle slot.
- Match the edge’s front colour to the front centre, then check whether its other colour belongs left or right.
- Choose the insertion direction accordingly. If a target edge is trapped in the middle layer, use the matching sequence to eject it to the top, then insert it correctly.
Make the yellow cross
Keep yellow up and inspect only the yellow stickers on the four top edges; ignore the corners for now.
- Identify the dot, L or line. Hold the L at the back and left, or hold the line horizontally.
- After one sequence, inspect the top again, adjust U for the new case, and repeat until the yellow cross appears.
Orient the yellow corners
Keep the yellow cross and turn all four top-corner yellow stickers upward.
- Use the yellow sticker positions to identify the top-layer case, then orient the cube as the guide requires.
- Choose the matching Sune or Anti-Sune, then use U to inspect again. A case may need repetition; keep the white face orientation fixed.
Position the yellow corners
With yellow stickers facing up, check whether each corner sits between the three centres matching its side colours.
- Turn U to find a corner in the right slot. Correct position and correct sticker orientation are different checks.
- Place that corner at front-left-up and run the corner cycle. Recheck all four sides afterwards.
Position the yellow edges
Cycle the last-layer edges until all four side colours match their centres; use U for final alignment.
- Find a top edge already aligned with its centre and place it at the back (blue-centre side). If none is aligned, do one cycle first and inspect again.
- Run the edge cycle, check all six faces, then align the top with U, U′ or U2.
This page animates notation and example moves; it does not scan your cube. Check the piece positions and case preconditions before using a sequence on your own cube.
FAQ
Does this automatically solve a scramble I enter?
No. This is a manual layer-by-layer lesson with move animations. It does not scan with a camera, accept a cube-state entry, or solve arbitrary scrambles. Inspect your physical cube and follow each case precondition.
Why do the colours look different from my cube?
The demo uses yellow up, white down, green front and red right. Colour schemes vary by brand; use the centre pieces as your reference and view turns from the face being turned.
What if the sequence seems to scramble my cube?
Pause and check the white/yellow orientation, target slot, front face and prime marks. Beginner sequences apply only to particular piece positions and top patterns; do not repeat them blindly.