F2L
F2L, or First Two Layers, is the second step in the CFOP method. After step 1, the cross, four slots spanning the bottom and middle layers are unsolved. To solve them, the beginner method placed the four bottom layer corners first, then placed the four middle layer edges. In F2L, the target corner and edge are paired and inserted into the appropriate slot. After all four slots are solved, the bottom two layers of the cube are complete, and you’re ready to move on to CFOP step 3, OLL.
The 41 F2L algorithms are grouped into four categories:
- Unsolved Pair—In the first 24 algorithms, both pieces are in the top layer, with the target corner piece in the R U F location. All algorithms in this category pair the target corner and edge pieces and insert them into the R F slot. F2L 1 through 16 present alternating mirror conditions in which the target corner piece D texture points either to the right or the front. In F2L 17 through 24, the target corner D texture points up.
- Corner in Slot—The six algorithms in F2L 25 through 30 cover the situations in which the target corner piece is already in the R D F location. These algorithms extract the corner from the slot, pair it with the target edge, and insert the pair into the R F slot.
- Edge in Slot—The six algorithms in F2L 31 through 36 cover the situations in which the target edge piece is already in the R F location. These algorithms extract the edge from the slot, pair it with the target corner, and insert the pair into the R F slot.
- Both in Slot—The final five algorithms cover the cases where both the corner and edge pieces are in the slot but in the incorrect orientation. The algorithms in this category remove both pieces from the slot, pair them correctly, and solve the slot.
The algorithms follow, organized by high-level category.
Unsolved Pair
F2L 1
Setup: R U R′ U′
Solution 1: U R U′ R′
Solution 2: R′ F R F′
F2L 2
Setup: R′ F R F′
Solution 1: F R′ F′ R
Solution 2: y′ U′ R′ U R
F2L 3
Setup: F′ U F
Solution 1: F′ U′ F
Solution 2: y′ R′ U′ R
F2L 4
Setup: R U′ R′
Solution 1: R U R′
Solution 2: y′ Fw R Fw′
F2L 5
Setup: R U R′ U2 R U′ R′ U
Solution 1: U′ R U R′ U2 R U′ R′
Solution 2: F2 L′ U′ L U F2
Solution 3: U′ R U R′ U R′ F R F′
F2L 6
Setup: F′ U′ F U2 F′ U F U′
Solution 1: U′ Rw U′ R′ U R U Rw′
Solution 2: Dw R′ U′ R U2 R′ U R
F2L 7
Setup: R U R′ U2 R U2 R′ U
Solution 1: U′ R U2 R′ U′ R U2 R′
Solution 2: M′ U′ M U2 Rw U′ Rw′
F2L 8
Setup: F′ U2 F U′ F′ U2 F U′
Solution 1: Dw R′ U2 R U R′ U2 R
Solution 2: Rw′ U2 R2 U R2 U Rw
F2L 9
Setup: F′ U F U′ R U R′ U
Solution 1: U′ R U′ R′ U F′ U′ F
Solution 2: U′ R U′ R′ Dw R′ U′ R
F2L 10
Setup: R U′ R′ U′ R U′ R′ U
Solution 1: U′ R U R′ U R U R′
Solution 2: U2 R U′ R′ U′ R U R′
Solution 3: Dw R′ U R Dw′ R U R′
F2L 11
Setup: F′ U F U′ R U2 R′ U
Solution 1: Y′ R U2 R2 U′ R2 U′ R′
Solution 2: U′ R U2 R′ U F′ U′ F
F2L 12
Setup: R U R′ U2 R U R′ U′ R U R′
Solution 1: R U′ R′ U R U′ R′ U2 R U′ R′
Solution 2: R′ U2 R2 U R2 U R
F2L 13
Setup: F′ U F U F′ U′ F U′
Solution 1: y′ U R′ U R U′ R′ U′ R
Solution 2: M′ U′ R U R′ U2 R U′ Rw′
F2L 14
Setup: R U′ R′ U′ R U R′ U
Solution 1: U′ R U′ R′ U R U R′
Solution 2: U2 R2 U R′ U R U2 R2
F2L 15
Setup: R U R′ U′ R U R′ U2 R U′ R′
Solution 1: R U R′ U2 R U′ R′ U R U′ R′
Solution 2: R′ D′ R U′ R′ D R U R U′ R′
F2L 16
Setup: F′ U F U2 R U R′
Solution 1: R U′ R′ U2 F′ U′ F
Solution 2: U M′ U R U′ Rw′ U′ R U R′
F2L 17
Setup: R U′ R′ U R U2 R′
Solution 1: R U2 R′ U′ R U R′
Solution 2: R U R′ U′ R U2 R′ U2 R U R′
F2L 18
Setup: R U R′ U′ R U R′ F R′ F′ R
Solution 1: y′ R′ U2 R U R′ U′ R
Solution 2: R′ F R F′ R U′ R′ U R U′ R′
F2L 19
Setup: R U R′ U′ R U2 R′ U′
Solution 1: U R U2 R′ U R U′ R′
Solution 2: Dw Fw R2 Fw′ U Fw R′ Fw′
F2L 20
Setup: R U R′ F R′ F′ R2 U R′ U
Solution 1: Y′ U′ R′ U2 R U′ R′ U R
Solution 2: U′ R U′ R2 F R F′ R U′ R′
F2L 21
Setup: R B U2 B′ R′
Solution 1: U2 R U R′ U R U′ R′
Solution 2: y F R U2 R′ F′
F2L 22
Setup: F′ L′ U2 L F
Solution 1: Rw U′ Rw′ U2 Rw U Rw′
Solution 2: y′ U2 R′ U′ R U′ R′ U R
F2L 23
Setup: R U′ R′ U R U′ R′ U2 R U′ R′
Solution 1: U R U′ R′ U′ R U′ R′ U R U′ R′
Solution 2: R′ U′ F′ U F R F′ U F
Solution 2:
F2L 24
Setup: R U R′ F R U R′ U′ F′
Solution 1: y′ R′ U′ R U2 R′ U′ R U R′ U′ R
Solution 2: F U R U′ R′ F′ R U′ R′
Corner in Slot
F2L 25
Setup: F′ R U R′ U′ R′ F R
Solution 1: U′ R′ F R F′ R U R′
Solution 2: R′ F′ R U R U′ R′ F
F2L 26
Setup: F′ U′ F U R U R′ U′
Solution 1: U R U′ R′ F R′ F′ R
Solution 2: y′ R U R U R U′ R′ U′ R′
F2L 27
Setup: R U R′ U′ R U R′
Solution 1: R U′ R′ U R U′ R′
Solution 2: F′ U′ F U2 R U′ R′
F2L 28
Setup: R′ F R F′ U R U′ R′
Solution 1: R U R′ U′ F R′ F′ R
Solution 2: y′ R′ U R U′ R′ U R
F2L 29
Setup: F R′ F′ R F R′ F′ R
Solution 1: R′ F R F′ R′ F R F′
Solution 2: y′ R′ U′ R U R′ U′ R
F2L 30
Setup: R U′ R′ U R U′ R′
Solution 1: F R′ F′ R F R′ F′ R
Solution 2: R U R′ U′ R U R′
Edge in Slot
F2L 31
Setup: R U R′ F R′ F′ R U
Solution 1: R U′ R′ F′ U2 F
Solution 2: R U′ R′ U y′ R′ U R
F2L 32
Setup: R U′ R′ U R U′ R′ U R U′ R′
Selution 1: U R U′ R′ U R U′ R′ U R U′ R′
Solution 2: R U2 R′ F′ U2 F U′ R U R′
F2L 33
Setup: R U R′ U2 R U R′ U
Solution 1: U′ R U′ R′ U2 R U′ R′
Solution 2: R U R′ U′ R U′ R′ U R U′ R′
F2L 34
Setup: R U′ R′ U2 R U′ R′ U′
Solution 1: U R U R′ U2 R U R′
Solution 2: U′ R U2 R′ U R U R′
F2L 35
Setup: F′ U F U′ R U′ R′ U
Solution 1: U′ R U R′ U F′ U′ F
Solution 2: U′ R U R′ Dw R′ U′ R
F2L 36
Setup: R U′ R′ U2 F R′ F′ R U2
Solution 1: U F′ U′ F U′ R U R′
Solution 2: U2 R′ F R F′ U2 R U R′
Both in Slot
F2L 37
Setup: R U′ R U2 F R2 F′ U2 R2
Solution 1: R2 U2 F R2 F′ U2 R′ U R′
Solution 2: R U R′ U2 R U2 R′ U y′ R′ U′ R
F2L 38
Setup: R U′ R′ U R U2 R′ U R U′ R′
Solution 1: R U′ R′ U′ R U R′ U2 R U′ R′
Solution 2: R2 U2 R′ U′ R U′ R′ U2 R′
F2L 39
Setup: R U′ R′ U′ R U R′ U2 R U′ R′
Solution 1: R U′ R′ U R U2 R′ U R U′ R′
Solution 2: R U2 R U R′ U R U2 R2
F2L 40
Setup: R U R′ F U R U′ R′ F′ R U R′
Solution 1: F′ L′ U2 L F R U R′
Solution 2: Rw U′ Rw′ U2 Rw U Rw′ R U R′
F2L 41
Setup: R F U R U′ R′ F′ U′ R′
Solution 1: R U′ R′ F′ L′ U2 L F
Solution 2: R U′ R′ Rw U′ Rw′ U2 Rw U Rw′
Solution 3: R U R′ U′ y M U′ R′ F R U M′