Rubik Online | Step 1- The First Layer Cross

Before You Begin

Solving the Cube

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Step 1- The First Layer Cross

First of all, if you haven't read the pages under "Before You Begin" on the left, you should do that now. If not, you will probably get confused and end up needing to read it anyway, so don't challenge yourself to try without reading. It may take a while to read, but it's well worth it.

In this step, we will solve a cross on the first (top) layer. I prefer to start with the white layer because white is easier to quickly find on a completely scrambled cube. However, you can use any color. To solve the first layer, we will use two steps: solve the cross (solve the first layer edges), and solve the first layer corners.

The first layer should be done almost subliminally (without any intense thought). You need to understand it and solve it without learning algorithms. Until you can do this, I wouldn't even try attempting to solve the rest of the cube. Just spend some time with the cube, and familiarizing yourself with how to move the pieces around the cube. If you are having trouble with this, here are some tips to get you started.

As described in the "Cube Structure", we need to solve the edges like below.

Note: Gray color indicates irrelevant squares... so just ignore those spaces for now. Also, your cube may have different colors in different positions, but just make sure that your actions on the cube follow what I tell you to do. In the future, the same note applies to the flash cubes.

If you need help with this step, see Dan Harris' Solving the Cross page. This is just one of those steps where it's impossible to fully explain how to do it. It's like trying to tell someone how to ride a bike. Just play with the cube, and you'll get it eventually.