What is the CFOP Speed Cubing Method? CFOP Method Overview

What is the CFOP Speed Cubing Method? CFOP Method Overview

Ari Ari
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Looking to get faster at solving the 3x3 Rubik's Cube? Here we outline and give tips to learn the CFOP Speed Cubing Method.

What is CFOP?

CFOP stands for Cross, First Two Layers (F2L), Orientation of the Last Layer (OLL) and Permutation of the Last Layer (PLL). It is by far the most popular advanced speed cubing method, with the vast majority of 3x3 and 4x4+ WCA records using the CFOP method.

This method was first developed in the early 1980s combining innovations by a number of speed cubers. Czech speedcuber and the namesake of the method Jessica Fridrich is generally credited for popularizing it by publishing it online in 1997. Wikipedia

Steps

Cross

Solve a cross onto one of the sides of the cube; most commonly the white side.

General Tips for Cross

  • Solve the cross directly onto the bottom layer, so you don't have to rotate the cube after its completion
  • All crosses can be solved in 8 moves or less

F2L

Solve the first two layers, by solving the four "slots" around the cube by pairing and inserting corner and edge pieces at the same time

General Tips for Cross

  • Know how to pair pieces together from multiple angles
  • Learn how to solve into any slot, not just the front right slot

OLL

Orient the last layer edges and corners

  • Learn how to solve OLL with good fingertricks and algorithms in order to solve the step the fastest possible

PLL

Solve the last layer edges and corners

  • Learn how to solve PLL with good fingertricks and algorithms in order to solve the step the fastest possible

Resources

https://speedcubestats.com/library

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