Cubeathon · Printable reference
F2L — all 41 cases
First Two Layers · 41 of 41 cases · notation: cubeathon.com/notation
3×3 · CFOP · F2L · Intermediate · Algorithms
Scan for diagrams, drills & the timer
F2L: the four inserts everything builds on.
F2L builds the first two layers in one step: pair a bottom-layer corner with its matching middle-layer edge, then insert the pair into its slot. It replaces the separate "white corners" and "middle layer" steps of the beginner method.
There are 41 standard F2L cases, but they are variations on a few ideas. Learn these four basic inserts until they're automatic, and most other cases become "turn the top until it looks like one of these".
Most cubers learn F2L intuitively rather than memorising all 41 — understanding why each insert works matters more than speed at first.
All 41 cases are on this page, each checked on Cubeathon's cube simulator: the algorithm solves the front-right pair and leaves the cross and the other three slots untouched. Every diagram and description is computed from the algorithm itself.
Notation: how to read R, U, F, M, x…
The complete set: all 41 F2L cases.
- 3×3
- CFOP
- F2L
- Intermediate
- Recognition
Press Play on any case to watch it solved on a 3D cube.
Play it on the cube
No case selected
Yellow on top, green in front: the case is set up first, then the algorithm plays one move at a time. Drag the cube to look around it.
See it. Recognise it. Pick the solution.
41 cases, shuffled. Study each diagram, then choose which of three algorithms solves it — and watch it solved on the cube. Misses come back until you have them.
Try it yourself
Solve it yourself
Pick any of the 41 cases: the cube is set up for you, you turn it, and it checks the actual cube state. A wrong turn gets a specific correction; Undo, Reset and Show me are always there.
Recognising the cases
Find a corner and its matching edge (the two pieces that share the same two side colours). Where are they — both in the top layer, or is one already in its slot?
Turn the top layer until the pair looks like one of the cases below, then insert.
Each diagram shows the top face above the front and right faces, held yellow on top with the slot at the front right. Only the pair's stickers are coloured on top and in the slot; grey ones don't matter. The description says which way the corner's white sticker points and where the edge is.
Four short cases to learn first; many others turn into one of these.
White front · edge right, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing front; edge on top at the right, front colour on top.
U R U' R'White right · edge front, side colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge on top at the front, side colour on top.
U' F' U FWhite front · edge left, side colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing front; edge on top at the left, side colour on top.
F' U' FCorner in slot, white right · edge on top, front colour up
Corner in its slot, white facing right; edge on top, front colour on top.
R U R' U' R U R'
Both pieces are in the top layer: pair them up, then insert.
White up · edge front, side colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing up; edge on top at the front, side colour on top.
F' U2 F U F' U' FWhite up · edge front, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing up; edge on top at the front, front colour on top.
R U R' U2 R U R' U' R U R'White up · edge right, side colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing up; edge on top at the right, side colour on top.
F U R U' R' F' R U' R'White up · edge right, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing up; edge on top at the right, front colour on top.
R U2 R' U' R U R'White up (corner back left) · edge front, side colour up
Corner on top at the back left, white facing up; edge on top at the front, side colour on top.
F' U' F U' F' U FWhite up (corner front left) · edge right, front colour up
Corner on top at the front left, white facing up; edge on top at the right, front colour on top.
R U2 R' U R U' R'White up (corner back right) · edge front, side colour up
Corner on top at the back right, white facing up; edge on top at the front, side colour on top.
F' U2 F U' F' U FWhite up · edge left, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing up; edge on top at the left, front colour on top.
R U' R' U2 R U R'White front · edge front, side colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing front; edge on top at the front, side colour on top.
U F' U F U' F' U' FWhite front · edge front, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing front; edge on top at the front, front colour on top.
F' U F U2 R U R'White front · edge right, side colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing front; edge on top at the right, side colour on top.
U' R U2 R' U F' U' FWhite right (corner back right) · edge left, side colour up
Corner on top at the back right, white facing right; edge on top at the left, side colour on top.
R U' R' U F' U' FWhite right (corner back right) · edge left, front colour up
Corner on top at the back right, white facing right; edge on top at the left, front colour on top.
R U R' U2 R U' R'White front · edge left, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing front; edge on top at the left, front colour on top.
U' R U2 R' U2 R U' R'White right · edge front, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge on top at the front, front colour on top.
U F' U2 F U' R U R'White right · edge right, side colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge on top at the right, side colour on top.
R U' R' U2 F' U' FWhite right · edge right, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge on top at the right, front colour on top.
U' R U' R' U R U R'White right · edge back, side colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge on top at the back, side colour on top.
U F' U2 F U2 F' U FWhite right · edge back, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge on top at the back, front colour on top.
R U R'White right · edge left, side colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge on top at the left, side colour on top.
U F' U' F U2 F' U FWhite right · edge left, front colour up
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge on top at the left, front colour on top.
U F' U F U' R U R'
The edge is already in the slot; take it out with the corner, or insert around it.
White up · edge in slot
Corner on top above its slot, white facing up; edge in its slot, correct way round.
R U R' U' R U R' U' R U R'White up · edge in slot, flipped
Corner on top above its slot, white facing up; edge in its slot, flipped.
R U' R' U F' U FWhite front · edge in slot
Corner on top above its slot, white facing front; edge in its slot, correct way round.
U' F' U' F U2 F' U' FWhite back (corner back left) · edge in slot, flipped
Corner on top at the back left, white facing back; edge in its slot, flipped.
R U R' F R' F' RWhite right · edge in slot
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge in its slot, correct way round.
U R U R' U2 R U R'White right · edge in slot, flipped
Corner on top above its slot, white facing right; edge in its slot, flipped.
U F' U' F U' R U R'
The corner is already in the slot, possibly twisted.
Corner in slot · edge on top, side colour up
Corner in its slot, white down; edge on top, side colour on top.
R U' R' F R' F' RCorner in slot · edge on top, front colour up
Corner in its slot, white down; edge on top, front colour on top.
U' R' F R F' R U R'Corner in slot, white front · edge on top, side colour up
Corner in its slot, white facing front; edge on top, side colour on top.
F' U' F U F' U' FCorner in slot, white front · edge on top, front colour up
Corner in its slot, white facing front; edge on top, front colour on top.
R U' R' U R U' R'Corner in slot, white right · edge on top, side colour up
Corner in its slot, white facing right; edge on top, side colour on top.
R U R' U' F R' F' R
Both pieces are in the slot, but the pair isn't solved.
Corner in slot · edge in slot, flipped
Corner in its slot, white down; edge in its slot, flipped.
R2 U2 F R2 F' U2 R' U R'Corner in slot, white front · edge in slot
Corner in its slot, white facing front; edge in its slot, correct way round.
R U' R' U' R U R' U2 R U' R'Corner in slot, white front · edge in slot, flipped
Corner in its slot, white facing front; edge in its slot, flipped.
U R U' R' U F' U' F U' F' U' FCorner in slot, white right · edge in slot
Corner in its slot, white facing right; edge in its slot, correct way round.
R U' R' U R U2 R' U R U' R'Corner in slot, white right · edge in slot, flipped
Corner in its slot, white facing right; edge in its slot, flipped.
R U R' U' R U' R' U2 F' U' F
How to practice F2L
Solve the cross, then do F2L slowly enough that you never pause — steady beats fast-then-stuck.
Time full solves and watch your averages; F2L is where most of a solve's time goes, so this is where improvement shows first.