F2L Algorithms: All 41 Cases
F2L means first two layers. Instead of putting in the white corners and the middle edges one by one (as in the beginner’s method), you join each white corner to its middle edge and slot the pair in together. There are 41 different starting cases for a pair.
Don’t memorise these first. F2L is best learned by understanding: get the corner and edge next to each other in the top layer, then insert the pair with a simple R U R' or F' U' F. Use this list to look up cases you find awkward.
In the pictures, the cube is held with white on the bottom and yellow on top. Only the corner and edge you are working on are coloured. Each algorithm puts that pair into the front-right slot.
All 41 cases
The basic ideas
- Basic inserts: when the pair is already joined in the top layer, U R U' R' or U' F' U F drops it in.
- Hide the slot: turn the empty slot up out of the way (R or F’), move the top to build the pair, then bring the slot back down.
- Split a bad pair: if the corner and edge are joined the wrong way, break them up first and rebuild.
- Look ahead: while you insert one pair, find the next. This is where most speed comes from.
The case numbers here are our own order. Other sites number F2L cases differently.
Questions people ask
How many F2L cases are there?
41, counting the different places and twists of the corner and edge for one slot.
Is F2L worth learning?
Yes, if you want to go faster. It replaces steps 2 and 3 of the beginner’s method and uses far fewer moves.