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Faster solving with CFOP

CFOP stands for Cross, F2L, OLL, PLL. It's the method most speedcubers use, and it grows straight out of the beginner method: the same layers, done in fewer, smarter steps.

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

The last layer in two looks: Sune (OLL), then Ua (PLL)

The four steps

  1. Cross. The white cross, built on the bottom from the start, so you never turn the cube over.
  2. F2L (First Two Layers). Each white corner is paired with its middle-layer edge and both go in together. Four pairs finish the first two layers.
  3. OLL (Orient the Last Layer). Make the whole top yellow.
  4. PLL (Permute the Last Layer). Move the top pieces to their places.

Full CFOP has 57 OLL and 21 PLL algorithms. You don't need them. This chapter teaches 2-look OLL and PLL: each step in two smaller parts, with 10 algorithms in total, most of which you already know.

Why it's faster

The beginner method places one piece at a time, and the last layer takes four separate steps. CFOP does more with each algorithm:

  • F2L places a corner and an edge in one go, instead of one after the other.
  • The last layer takes two to four algorithms instead of six or more.

A beginner solve is usually over 100 moves. CFOP with 2-look last layer is around 70, and full CFOP around 60.

When to switch

Switch once you can solve with the beginner method without notes, in under about 2 minutes. You'll get slower for a week or two while F2L feels strange. That's normal.

You can switch in stages:

  1. Learn the bottom cross first. Keep the rest of the beginner method.
  2. Replace the corners and middle layer with F2L.
  3. Learn 2-look OLL, then 2-look PLL. Many of their algorithms are ones you've already used.

Three new kinds of move

CFOP algorithms use a few moves the beginner method didn't.

r: the right two layers together. Like R, but the middle slice turns with it.

r

r turns the right face and the middle slice together

M: the middle slice between left and right. It turns the same way as L: the front column goes down.

M

M turns the middle slice, the same way as L

y: turn the whole cube around the vertical axis, the same way as U. Nothing gets scrambled; you're just holding it differently. You'll use it to bring a different slot to the front-right.

y

y turns the whole cube, like U

In this chapter

  1. The cross on the bottom. Plan it before you turn.
  2. F2L. Pair each corner with its edge, intuitively.
  3. 2-look OLL. Yellow cross, then yellow face.
  4. 2-look PLL. Corners, then edges.
  5. Getting faster. Finger tricks, look-ahead and practice.