Rubik's Cube Terminology explained - What is CFOP?!

Rubik's Cube Terminology explained - What is CFOP?!

If you're a new speedcuber, or perhaps you have a young speedcuber living in your house, you may have heard the term CFOP.

You may also have a very valid follow up question - what the hell is CFOP?!

Let me explain;

CFOP, also known as the Fridrich method, is a common method used to solve a Rubik's Cube. The acronym CFOP stands for Cross, F2L (First 2 Layers), OLL (Orientation of the Last Layer), and PLL (Permutation of the Last Layer).

  1. Cross: The first step is to solve the white cross on the top face of the cube.
  2. F2L: Next, solve the first two layers of the cube by pairing up the pieces on the top layer with their corresponding pieces on the bottom layer and solving them as a pair.
  3. OLL: Once the first two layers are complete, the last layer is oriented.
  4. PLL: The last step is to permute the corners and edges on the last layer to complete the cube.

It may take some practice and memorisation of algorithms to become proficient at solving a Rubik's cube using the CFOP method, especially in the last two stages.

Please reach out if there are any other alien words or concepts that you'd like me to explain!!

Back to blog