INTERMEDIATE

CFOP Method

3x3x3 speedcubing
Designed by Tommy and Terry Hou
Acknowledgements & Sources cited:
Cubeskills.com
Jperm.net

Table of contents:

1. Introduction to speedcubing
2. Advanced PLL algorithms and look-ahead trick
3. F2L and 24+ useful algorithms
4. 2-look OLL and some 1-look cases
5. Intermediate practice scrambles
6. PB sheet, scrambles and notes pages
7. Winter Variation notes and cross algs

1
 Introduction

The Rubik's Cube is a combination puzzle initially invented in 1974 by Hungarian

professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. For the puzzle to be solved, each face must be
returned to have only one colour. His invention won the 1980 German Game of the
Year special award for Best Puzzle. As of 2009, 350 million cubes had been sold
worldwide. Currently, only 5.8% of the population can solve a cube.

There are 6 faces of 9 pieces on a cube; there are 12 edges, 8 corners and 6
centrepieces on the regular 3x3x3. The arrangement of colours has been
standardized with white opposite yellow, blue opposite green, orange opposite red,
arranged clockwise. The colour scheme is blue, orange, green and red. Most cubes
now are stickerless, making the cube less dirty and dented.
An algorithm is a list of well-defined instructions for performing a task from a given
initial state, through well-defined successive states, to the desired end state. Each
method of solving the Cube employs its own set of algorithms and varied cases.

Many speedcubers continue to practise it and similar puzzles, and compete for the
fastest times in various categories. Since 2003, the WCA, the international governing
body of the Rubik's Cube, has organized competitions worldwide.
One of the most renowned speedcubers in WCA is Feliks Zemdegs. The Australian
speedcuber is the only one to win the World Championship twice. He set 121 world
records, 210 continental records, and 6 national records.

Discovered by Jessica Fridrich, the CFOP method stands for "cross, F2L, OLL, PLL".
It is similar to the Beginner’s Method. Fridrich's solution requires learning roughly 270
algorithms but allows the Cube to be solved in only 60 moves on average.

The Gan and MoYu cube companies are the biggest speedcubing manufacturers.
The Gan 12 Maglev shows the newest and most flexible magnetic technology in a
Rubik’s Cube. Additionally, the MoYu RS3M WR 2020 is one of the smoothest and
fastest cubes ever made, revolutionizing the quality of the puzzles.

The purpose of this tutorial is to thoroughly guide you through the intermediate
techniques of the CFOP method. With practice, you can achieve sub-30 seconds with
all the knowledge!

2
 Full PLL algorithms

H M2 U’ M2 U2 M2 U’ M2 (2 pairs of opposite edges swap)

Z (M2 U) (M2 U) M’ U2 M2 U2 M U2 (M’ U’) (M2 U’) (M2

U’) (M’ U2 M2) U (2 pairs of adjacent diagonal edges swap)

Ua M2 U M U2 M’ U M2 M2 U M’ U2 M U M2 (one bar,
counterclockwise)

Ub M2 U’ M U2 M’ U’ M2 M2 U’ M’ U2 M U’ M2 (one bar,
clockwise)

Aa: 2 adjacent bars, one headlight; clockwise

Ab: 2 adjacent bars, one headlight; counterclockwise
E: all edges in the correct position, no matching bars, no headlights

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Ra: headlight and its adjacent bar, edge left and top swap
Rb: headlight and its adjacent bar, edge right and top swap
Ja: one line; swap on the left side
Jb: one line; swap on the right side
T: opposite bars, with one headlight joining them adjacently
F: one complete line, edge and corner swap in the same direction

Y F (R U’ R’ U’) (R U R’ F’) (R U R’ U’) (R’ F R F’) (two

adjacent diagonal bars, with its relative corner unsolved)

V (R’ U R’ U’) y (R’ F’ R2 U’) (R’ U R’ F) (R F) (R’ U R U’) (R’

f’ U’) (R U2 R’) (U’ R U’ R’) (f R) (similar to A permutations)

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Na: 4 bars each with one opposite color; corner swap from bottom left
Nb: 4 bars each with one opposite color; corner swap from bottom right

Ga: bar on right; headlight on left; corner clockwise (1st alg)

Gb: bar on right; headlight on top; corner counterclockwise (1st alg)
Gc: bar on left; headlight on right; corner counterclockwise (2nd alg)
Gd: bar on right front; headlight on left; corner clockwise (2nd alg)
TERRY TOMMY

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

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 24 Fundament F2L Algorithms
A: direct slot insert on U face, corner white colour facing RIGHT side

(y) U’ (L’ U L) (R’ U2) (R2 U) (R2 U R)

(R U R’) d (R’ U2 R) U2 (R’ U R)

U’ (R U R’ U) (R U R’) d (R’ U R) U2 (R’ U R)

U’ (R U’ R’ U) (R U R’) (U F) (R U R’ U’) F’ (U R U’ R’)

B: direct slot insert on U face, corner white colour facing FRONT side

y’ U (R’ U R U’) (R’ U’ R) y’ (R’ U R) U2 y (R U R’)

U’ (R U’ R’ U) y’ (R’ U’ R) U’ (R U R’) U2 (R U’ R’)

y’ (R’ U’ R) U’ (R U2 R’) U2 (R U’ R’)

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 U (R U’ R’) U’ (R U2 R’) d (R’ U’ R)
C: direct slot insert on U face, corner white colour facing the TOP

U (R U2 R’) U (R U’ R’) F’ L’ U2 L F

y’ U’ (R’ U2 R) U’ (R’ U R) (R U’ R’) U2 (R U R’)

(R U2 R’) U’ ( R U R’) F ( U’ R’ U R) F’ ( R U’ R’)

(R U R’) U2 (R U R’ U’) (R U R’) y’ (R’ U2 R) U (R’ U’ R)

D: Other useful F2L algorithms beyond U face slotting

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 Some extra notation in case of cube rotations:
(seen with yellow on top, red at the front side)

Last slot and last layer transition subset algorithms:

1. F' U F R U' R' F' U2 F R U R' U2 F' U2 F R U' R' U' F' U F U' R U2 R' F'
U F R U2 R' F' U' F R U2 R'
2. R U' R' F' U' F U' F' U F U2 F' U' F U2 F' U' F U' R U2 R' F' U' F U2 F' U2
F U2 R U2 R'
3. R U R' U' F' U' F R U R' F' U' F U2 R U2 R' U R U' R' U F' U' F U' R U' R'
U R U' R'
TERRY TOMMY

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

8
Intermediate OLL 1-look cases

9
 TERRY TOMMY

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

10
 PB sheet and average (AO of 5) sheet

Event Terry (PB) Terry (Ao5) Tommy (PB) Tommy(Ao5)

2x2x2

3x3x3

4x4x4

5x5x5

Mirror

Pyraminx

Intermediate practice scrambles

1. F' D' R' D U' F' D' U2 B' R D2 B' F' R D F D' L2 B L2 R2 U2 B2 F' U2
2. B' L2 D U' B' F2 U' R' U' L R B2 F U' L U2 B' R2 D U2 L' B2 U B' F'
3. U2 L2 R2 D U' B L B D' U2 B' F D U2 B2 F2 U2 B' F' L R' D' F2 D2 R'
4. L2 U' B2 F2 D R U L R D2 R F U F2 R2 D B' D U' F' L' D2 R2 U2 L'
5. D' L2 D U L' B F D2 F D2 U F R' B' D' F2 D2 U' L2 F' R2 D2 F' L2 R

Last Words
Growth, knowledge, and effort come together and develops together. I hope, by
mastering this tutorial booklet, you - the cuber, can renew your personal best and
grasp the nucleus of the CFOP techniques. Please check back for the Advanced
speedcubing method book to attain sub-20! Bye~ :)

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 Cross algorithms

1. Adjacent swap with F2L pieces: S’ M’ U M U 2 S

2. Adjacent swap for cross setup: R D R’ D’ R
3. Opposite swap of cross edges: M2 U2 M2

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