Learn CFOP, the J Perm way
A study guide built from J Perm's Beginner + CFOP Method playlist. Every algorithm is the one he teaches, and every case comes with a 3D cube you can step through move by move.
CFOP in one picture
CFOP solves the cube in four steps:
- Cross: make a white cross on the bottom, lined up with the centers.
- F2L (First 2 Layers): pair each white corner with its edge and insert them together. Four pairs and the bottom two layers are done.
- OLL (Orient Last Layer): make the whole top yellow.
- PLL (Permute Last Layer): move the top pieces to their spots. Solved.
The player on the right shows a last layer being finished: an OLL (Sune), then a PLL (T perm). Press ▶, or drag the cube to look around.
How to use these pages
- Read the algorithms: the notation page explains every letter and has a cube you can turn yourself.
- 3D players: ▶ plays, ◀/▶| step one move, and you can click any move chip to jump there. Drag to rotate, double-click to reset the view. With a player focused, the keyboard works too: Space plays, ←/→ step.
- Gray stickers are pieces you can ignore for that step (for OLL only the yellow matters, so everything else is gray).
- Case pictures (OLL/PLL) are drawn looking down at the top face, with front at the bottom of the picture. Click one to watch it solved in 3D.
- Track progress: on the OLL and PLL pages, mark cases as learning or learned. The trainer can then quiz you on just those. Progress is saved in this browser.
- Color scheme: white bottom, yellow top, green front, so orange is on the right and red on the left (standard cube colors).
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Learning roadmap
This is the order J Perm recommends in How to Learn the CFOP Speedcubing Method. You don't have to follow it strictly. "Having fun and being motivated is a huge part of it."
Get the beginner method back into your hands
If the muscle memory is rusty, start with the beginner refresher. It's the same 7 steps from his 10-minute tutorial, plus his "solve faster with the beginner method" shortcuts.
Beginner (intuitive) F2L
Learn this first: it takes the most time to get used to. Instead of a corner then an edge, you pair them on top and insert both at once. F2L page →
Cross on the bottom
Making the cross on top means flipping the cube afterwards and not seeing your first pair. Start doing it on the bottom one piece at a time, then pick up the efficiency tricks. Cross page →
2-look OLL + 2-look PLL (16 algorithms)
10 OLL + 6 PLL algorithms, each with a memory trick. Once you have these, you're doing full (beginner) CFOP. 2-look OLL → · 2-look PLL →
Full PLL and advanced F2L, going back and forth
Full PLL is 21 algorithms, but you already know 6. Advanced F2L means always pairing the pieces efficiently, even when one is stuck in a slot. Both are hard, so take them slowly. Full PLL →
Efficient cross + finger tricks
Plan the whole cross during inspection. Learn U2 double flicks, D moves with either hand, and the "push U from home grip" trick. Cross · Finger tricks
F2L look-ahead
Only once every F2L case is muscle memory. While solving one pair, look for the next. Look-ahead →
Full OLL (57)
Surprisingly, one of the less important steps. Learn it last, one shape group at a time. Full OLL →
Later
Small extra alg sets (like Winter Variation / VLS), better OLL/PLL algs for your hands, and planning your first F2L pair during inspection (the cross-to-F2L transition). Don't worry about these yet.
Pages
Notation
What R, U', M2, r, x mean, with an animation for every move and a cube you can type algorithms into.
Beginner method
J Perm's 7-step layer-by-layer method plus shortcuts to make it faster.
Cross
Cross on the bottom, 7 efficiency tips, advanced tricks, and a cross trainer that shows the shortest solution.
F2L
Intuitive F2L in 4 basic inserts and 3 cases, special cases, and habits.
OLL
2-look OLL (10 algs) with memory tricks, and all 57 OLLs grouped by shape.
PLL
2-look PLL (6 algs), all 21 PLLs, recognition and AUF tips.
Tips & habits
Memorizing algorithms, finger tricks, look-ahead, and the 10 most common mistakes.
Recognition trainer
Random OLL/PLL cases. See the case, recall the alg, reveal.