Locate a white corner by all three colors, then work in one front-right slot.
By the end: insert or recover every white corner without memorizing three separate insertion formulas.
Keep white down. Find a white corner in the top layer. Its two other colors identify its bottom home. Turn U until the corner sits directly above the intersection of those matching side centers. Regrip around the vertical axis so that home is the bottom-front-right slot.
The working corner is now at top-front-right. Do not rotate the whole cube during the four-move group. Use R U R' U'. This means right clockwise, top clockwise, right back, top back.
A corner has three stickers attached to one piece. Its home is the meeting of the three centers with those colors. With white down, the white-green-red corner belongs between the white, green, and red centers. Finding white is only the start of recognition. Locate the other two stickers before choosing a slot. If one sticker faces away, inspect that face rather than guessing its color from a nearby piece. The diagrams here use the teaching cube's green front and red right; your center arrangement must decide the corresponding home.
Use two separate setup actions for two separate purposes. A U turn carries top pieces around the stationary side centers. A y regrip turns the entire cube, so a different center becomes front without changing which pieces match their centers. First identify the desired bottom home. Bring the target corner above that home using U, then regrip so the home is bottom-front-right. Neither action needs to make white point upward. The required setup describes a piece's location relative to its home, not the direction of its white sticker.
The white center stays down and the yellow center stays up. Face names U, F, R, L, B, D mean positions. Sticker letters mean colors: Y yellow, W white, G green, R red, O orange, B blue. Each face is viewed directly from outside. Purple outlines follow the same whole piece across states, not the same grid square.
Call the upper work position UFR, meaning upper-front-right, and its bottom home DFR, meaning down-front-right. These abbreviations describe intersections of faces, not additional moves. In the prepared example with white facing right, the target's white sticker faces R, green faces F, and red faces U. All three stickers belong to one corner above the green-red intersection. White on the right does not mean that the corner belongs on the right face permanently. Its white sticker must eventually point down while green and red face their own centers.
Contrast that setup with a white-green-orange corner above the same green-red intersection. It also has white, and it also occupies UFR, but red is not among its colors. Repeating the insertion group there cannot make it the correct green-red corner. Correct the setup before learning anything about repetition counts. Find the green-orange home, turn U to place the corner above it, and regrip that home to front-right. On the teaching cube this changes which center is called right. It does not change orange into red or move centers relative to one another.
The earlier cross is a prerequisite rather than something to reconstruct after every corner. Inspect its four side matches before starting this lesson. The bottom-middle side stickers should match green, red, blue, and orange centers. A white plus by itself is insufficient. If those matches are wrong, return to cross placement first. Corner insertion can preserve a correct cross, but preservation cannot correct an already incorrect cross. This distinction matters when a completed white face hides a misplaced white edge among apparently successful corner insertions.
| Candidate colors | Required home | Above green-red intersection? |
|---|---|---|
| White, green, red | White + green + red centers | Correct home; prepare UFR |
| White, green, orange | White + green + orange centers | Wrong home; align to green-orange |
| White, blue, red | White + blue + red centers | Wrong home; align to blue-red |
For the next corner, choose an unfinished white piece rather than the most convenient white square. There are four white corners, each with a different pair of side colors. A corner already correct below should stay there. If a top corner is available, prepare it before ejecting any bottom corner. If every white corner is below but the layer is unfinished, a bottom corner needs recovery. That decision uses the whole first-layer checkpoint, not the number of white stickers visible in the top view or on the front face.
Finish all four moves, then check whether the corner is correctly inserted at bottom-front-right. If it is not, repeat the same group. From the correctly prepared top corner, the three possible white directions take one, three, or five groups in this method.
Do not turn U between those repetitions to chase the piece. It can leave the top work position temporarily. Keep the same grip and complete the group. Other correctly placed bottom corners and the cross return at group boundaries. Once the target is solved, prepare the next white corner separately.
The group R U R' U' changes a corner's location and sticker directions through a controlled route. R first lifts the working side of the white layer. U moves a top piece sideways while that side is open. R' closes the right layer, and U' finishes the top adjustment. These roles do not substitute for the actual turn directions. Judge clockwise from the outside of each named face. Keep the same front and right centers throughout the group, including when the white layer looks temporarily broken.
Track the white-green-red piece in the white-faces-right example. It starts at UFR with white right, green front, red up. After R it is at upper-back-right, with white right, green up, red back. After U it returns to UFR, now with white front, green up, red right. After R' it reaches DFR with white down, green front, red right. The last U' does not touch that bottom corner. It still matters to the rest of the cube, so the target appearing solved after three moves is not permission to omit it.
The white center stays down and the yellow center stays up. Face names U, F, R, L, B, D mean positions. Sticker letters mean colors: Y yellow, W white, G green, R red, O orange, B blue. Each face is viewed directly from outside. Purple outlines follow the same whole piece across states, not the same grid square.
The two bottom-left corners remain outside R and U. R temporarily moves the bottom-back-right corner to DFR, where U cannot touch it; R' returns it before U'. Thus all three other bottom corners are correct at the boundary. The cross also needs a boundary check. R displaces its right bottom edge into the middle, outside U. R' returns that edge, and U' cannot touch it below. Thus the cross returns after each complete four-move group, although some of its stickers moved during the individual turns.
The target does not always finish below after one group. Starting white-up, the prepared white-green-red corner reaches DFR after the first group with white facing right. After the second group it is back at UFR with white facing right. The third group then follows the one-group insertion just described. Keep that same grip and continue the group even when the target leaves UFR. Do not add a U turn to bring it back between repetitions. That would change the state for which the repetition rule was chosen and interrupt the intended route.
Starting white-front takes a longer route in the prepared case. At complete group boundaries the corner alternates between UFR and DFR as its stickers change directions. Five complete groups insert it correctly. Do not count five for every white corner. The counts one, three, and five apply to a correctly prepared top corner with white initially right, up, or front respectively. After each complete group inspect the actual target against all three centers. If it is already correct, stop rather than carrying out unnecessary extra groups.
The white center stays down and the yellow center stays up. Face names U, F, R, L, B, D mean positions. Sticker letters mean colors: Y yellow, W white, G green, R red, O orange, B blue. Each face is viewed directly from outside. Purple outlines follow the same whole piece across states, not the same grid square.
On the demonstration, select White faces right and pause before following moves. Use Next step to compare the intermediate positions with the trace above; Back lets you revisit a position without reconstructing it mentally. Then choose White faces up and inspect after four, eight, and twelve moves. Preset selection replaces the starting state, so it does not continue the preceding example. These prepared legal states sometimes finish the whole cube. A general scramble will usually retain unsolved top and middle pieces after the white corner has been inserted correctly.
If a white corner is in the bottom layer but wrong or twisted, regrip so that incorrect slot is bottom-front-right. Do the four-move group once to eject it. Locate the white corner on top, line it up over its actual home, and insert it using the normal rule.
Finish only when the entire bottom face is white and the bottom row of every side face matches its center. Memorize the short group by practicing it, but keep the preparation rule attached to it. Repeating it at an arbitrary slot is not a whole-cube solution.
A bottom corner can be wrong in two different ways. It may have the correct three colors for that home but face the wrong directions, or it may belong at a different home altogether. Call the first condition twisted and the second misplaced. Neither condition requires changing stickers or twisting the physical piece by hand. Move the whole corner into the top layer, where the ordinary setup applies. Inspect all three stickers before deciding which condition you have; white facing down alone does not distinguish them.
Bring an incorrect bottom slot to DFR with a vertical regrip. This changes the working slot's name, not whether its corner is correct relative to centers. Apply one complete R U R' U' group to eject the bottom corner. During this operation the chosen slot is allowed to change because it was already incorrect. The other three bottom corners and the cross remain protected at the boundary. An arbitrary top corner may enter the working slot. The ejected target retains its colors, wherever its white sticker now points.
The white center stays down and the yellow center stays up. Face names U, F, R, L, B, D mean positions. Sticker letters mean colors: Y yellow, W white, G green, R red, O orange, B blue. Each face is viewed directly from outside. Purple outlines follow the same whole piece across states, not the same grid square.
In the Twisted in the bottom preset, the white-green-red corner starts in DFR with white facing right, green facing down, and red facing front. It has the right home but the wrong directions. One complete group moves that same piece to UFR with white facing right, green facing front, and red facing up. It is now the ordinary one-group insertion case. Another complete group solves it. The first group creates an accessible top case; the second inserts the prepared top corner into the very same home.
A misplaced corner needs a fresh alignment after ejection. Suppose the corner leaving the green-red bottom slot contains white, green, and orange. Its next home is the green-orange intersection, not the slot it just left. Inspect where the ejection actually put the piece, then use U and a regrip to prepare that home. Blindly repeating the group at the old slot may put white down while leaving a side mismatch. Change the setup between separate corner tasks, not midway through one complete four-move insertion sequence.
If a previously correct bottom corner becomes wrong after a supposed complete group, stop inserting new corners. Check whether the group really contained R, U, R', and U' in that order and whether the grip changed. U and y are especially easy to confuse because both change what the top area looks like. In practice, Undo last turn reverses one recorded move, not an entire four-move group. Undo a known wrong move; if you lost the group boundary, restart the prepared attempt and identify the target again.
| Observed at a group boundary | Interpretation | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Target below, every sticker matches | This corner is finished | Prepare another corner |
| Target above its own home | Still an insertion case | Keep grip; repeat complete group |
| Target below, wrong side-color pair | Wrong home was chosen | Eject and identify its real home |
| A different solved bottom corner changed | Group or grip error | Inspect move history; undo known error |
A successful recovery ends with a normal recognition problem, not an exception to the method. Find the recovered piece's colors, find its home from centers, and decide whether its top setup is ready. Do not carry a remembered repetition count over from the bottom state to the new top state. The initial direction of white may have changed during ejection. The stopping condition is still an entirely white bottom face with matching side rows. Check the other white corners below too, including those behind the solid view.
R U R' U'
Use the practice cube to test the preparation rule separately from watching the demonstration. Select White faces right, identify the target's three colors, and name the two side centers around its home before touching a move button. Enter R U R' U' using the individual face-turn controls. Wait for each turn to finish before the next, then inspect the bottom and side faces in the net. Check my progress reports the first-layer checkpoint without moving any pieces. It does not certify unaided recall of the setup or moves.
Next select White faces up in practice. Before moving, predict where the target will be after one complete group and whether it will already be solved. Perform four turns and compare the white direction with that prediction. Continue without an extra U setup between groups. After three groups, inspect all bottom stickers and the side bottom rows before using Check my progress. A completed group is the unit for judging preservation here; individual turn buttons remain useful for execution and error diagnosis. Explain why one group was insufficient.
The white center stays down and the yellow center stays up. Face names U, F, R, L, B, D mean positions. Sticker letters mean colors: Y yellow, W white, G green, R red, O orange, B blue. Each face is viewed directly from outside. Purple outlines follow the same whole piece across states, not the same grid square.
For a setup test, restart that practice preset and turn U once before doing any corner group. The target is now above a different home. Do not compensate by changing the sequence. Undo last turn restores the prepared alignment, letting you compare the wrong setup with the correct one. Alternatively, locate the target and deliberately realign it from its new position. This exercise changes only the practice state. The demonstration remains on its own selected example, so its current diagram cannot tell you where your independently moved practice corner is now.
Use Twisted in the bottom as a recovery test. Identify the incorrect corner below, perform one complete ejection group, and stop to locate its three colors on top. State whether it already lies above its home. Only then perform the insertion. Inspect the net's D face as a direct outside view from below; do not interpret it as a transparent view through the top. Read missing side stickers in the unfolded net rather than inferring their colors. Nothing about an unseen sticker should be supplied by assumption.
The closed recall cue tests only one part of this skill. Before opening it, try to state the setup, then the four moves, then the boundary at which you inspect the result. If you need the cue, use it to correct the missing part rather than attributing every problem to forgetting moves. A correct sequence with an incorrect home is a recognition error. A missing final U' is an execution error. White down with mismatched side colors is a checkpoint error. Use that distinction to choose the particular setup or move to test next.
The white center stays down and the yellow center stays up. Face names U, F, R, L, B, D mean positions. Sticker letters mean colors: Y yellow, W white, G green, R red, O orange, B blue. Each face is viewed directly from outside. Purple outlines follow the same whole piece across states, not the same grid square.
Finish this stage when every white corner matches its three centers and the cross remains correct. On the four side faces the whole bottom row must match the center above it, including both corner stickers and the middle edge sticker. Top colors need not form a pattern, and middle-layer edges need not be correct yet. Do not continue corner groups after this stronger checkpoint is reached. The next task uses the solved layer as a starting condition. Prepared attempts show local effects, not physical dexterity or permanent recall after fixed repetitions.
Prepared states isolate one task. Some examples happen to finish the whole cube; on a general scramble, stop at the stated checkpoint and continue with the next unfinished step.
Finish the four moves, then check the target corner.
Next: R. right face: clockwise quarter turn, viewed directly from outside that face. Completed 0 of 4 moves.
RUR'U'
Sticker letters are colors: W white, Y yellow, G green, B blue, R red, O orange. Face names are positions: U top, D bottom, F front, B back, R right, L left. Read B and R in context.
The net shows the last completed turn; the solid view shows the turn in progress. Presets replace the starting state and reset playback. Reset keeps the selected example. Do not copy an autoplay demonstration onto your cube unless your starting state and grip match. Use manual steps for following along.
Start from a prepared state. These controls change this practice cube only. They do not control the demonstration above or your physical cube. Goal: Finish the whole white layer.
0 moves in this attempt. Limit 500; undo or restart if reached.
R U R' U'
A cue is help, not a failure. After using it, restart the prepared state and attempt the same task without reopening it.
Sticker letters are colors: W white, Y yellow, G green, B blue, R red, O orange. Face names are positions: U top, D bottom, F front, B back, R right, L left. Read B and R in context.
Face turns and whole-cube regrips animate in the solid view; the net updates when the turn finishes. Reduced motion shows the result immediately. Wait for a turn to finish before starting another. Undo can cancel the current turn. A new preset or Restart cancels motion, replaces the entire attempt and clears its history. Undo reverses only the last practice turn. Check does not move pieces or reveal an automatic solution. State is local to this page and is not saved after reload.
The target corner is correctly above its home but white faces upward. Is that a reason to move it to another slot?
Its three colors already identify the right home.
No. Keep the setup and repeat the same complete four-move group. In this prepared case it takes three groups. Changing the slot would abandon the correct setup.
A white corner is twisted in a bottom slot. What is the recovery procedure?
First get it into the layer where the insertion procedure starts.
Bring the incorrect slot to bottom-front-right with a regrip. Use one four-move group to eject the corner. Then inspect its colors, align it above its real home, and apply the insertion rule. Do not twist the physical corner by hand.
The explanations, simulator, and diagrams are original. These references support standard notation and beginner procedures. The course keeps white down, including the final twisting stage. Do not mix its final sequence with a tutorial that flips the cube over.
These examples use states produced by legal turns. The simulator has no sticker-painting input and does not diagnose physically twisted, reassembled, or damaged cubes. Successful model checks do not establish physical-device usability or long-term recall.