F2L: building a pair

The top moves as one

The corner and edge are both on top, but far apart: the corner is at the front left, the edge on the right side. Turn the top all you like; they won't get any closer. U carries the whole layer around at once, so the distance between the pieces never changes.

So one piece has to duck out of the top layer for a moment while the other one moves. The same three-move tricks do the job. Turning the right face pulls down the edge on the right side of the top, along with the back-right corner. Then U moves the other piece, and turning the face back brings the hidden piece back up, now in a new position relative to its partner.

These maneuvers always have the same goal: to reach one of the two pictures from the last chapter, a ready pair or the easy case. From there, you know what to do.

Split them to join them

Follow along move by move. R pulls the edge down from the right side. U carries the corner to the back. R' brings the edge back up on the right. Both pieces are still on top, but now they're arranged differently.

Then U2, and there's the mirror-image easy case: the corner above the slot with white facing you, the edge on the left side of the top. F' U' F, and the pair is home. Seven moves: three to split the pieces, one to line them up, three to insert.

Side by side, but not a pair

The corner is above the slot, white facing right, and the edge sits right next to it, on the right side of the top. But on top the corner shows orange and the edge shows green: they're neighbors, not a pair. You have to split them up.

U' moves them both to the back. R pulls the corner down, U′ carries the edge to the left, and R' brings the corner back up. Now the corner is at the back right and the edge is on the left. They've split.

U, and there's the easy case: the corner above the slot with white facing right, the edge on the far side. Finish with R U R'.

Try it yourself: hide the corner

The corner is at the back right, white facing right, and the edge is on the left side of the top. Hide the corner with R U' R'; while it's down below, the edge moves to the front. Then turn the top to get the mirror-image easy case, with the corner above the slot, white facing you, and the edge on the left. Now insert the pair.

White facing up

Here's the trickiest case: the corner's white sticker points at the ceiling. In a joined pair, white always faces sideways, so a corner like this won't join with any edge. You have to turn it first.

R pulls the edge down from the right side and, in the same move, tips the corner over so white faces the back. U2 carries the corner to the front left, where white now faces you. R' brings the edge back. White is facing sideways, and after U' you have the easy case again: R U R'.

The whole combo is R U2 R' U' R U R'. It's worth memorizing, because you'll run into this corner a lot.

Try it yourself: white up

White faces up again, but this time the corner isn't above the slot. Turn the top until the corner sits above the front-right slot; the edge will end up right next to it, on the right side. Then play the combo above.

The mirror image: the same thing with F

Every right-face trick has a mirror twin on the front face. Here white faces up again, but the edge lies on the front side instead of the right. The combo is the same, just reflected: F' U2 F U F' U' F.

F' pulls the edge down from the front side and turns the corner so white faces left. U2 carries the corner to the back right, and F brings the edge back. U, and there's the mirror-image easy case: F' U' F.

A tip for the white-up case when the edge sits next to the corner, on the right or front side of the top: check the edge's top color. If it matches the front center, start with R; if it matches the right center, start with F′.

How to read a pair

Always think it through in the same order:

• Where's the corner, and which way does its white sticker face? Sideways is good. Up means you turn it first.
• Where's the edge? If you have a ready pair or the easy case, insert.
• If not, split them up. Hide one piece with a trick, turn the top, bring it back. Aim for one of the two familiar pictures.
• Turning the top is free. An extra U breaks nothing, so go ahead and experiment.

Common mistakes:

• Turning without a plan. If a trick didn't join anything, stop and find the corner and edge again.
• Joining a corner that has white on top. You won't get a pair out of it. Turn the corner first.

And what if the corner or edge is stuck down below, in its own slot or in someone else's? That's the next chapter.