Cube Notation

To follow the guides, you need to understand Cube Notation. Each letter refers to a face of the cube and how to turn it.

Basic Turns

Imagine you are holding the cube facing you.

Move	Description	Visual
R	Right Face Clockwise (Up)	R
L	Left Face Clockwise (Down)	L
U	Top Face Clockwise (Left)	U
D	Bottom Face Clockwise (Right)	D
F	Front Face Clockwise	F
B	Back Face Clockwise	B

Prime (Counter-Clockwise)

If you see an apostrophe ' (e.g., R'), it means Prime or Counter-Clockwise.

R'

L'

U'

D'

F'

B'

Double Turns

If you see a number 2 (e.g., U2), it means turn that face twice (180 degrees).

R2

U2

Advanced Notation

As you get faster, you will encounter these moves.

Slice Moves (Middle Layers)

These move the layers between the outer faces.

• M (Middle): Follows L direction (Down). Used heavily in Roux.
• E (Equator): Follows D direction (Right).
• S (Standing): Follows F direction (Clockwise).

M

M'

Wide Moves (Two Layers)

If you see a lowercase letter (e.g., r) or a w (e.g., Rw), it means turn two layers at once.

• r (or Rw): Turn Right inner + outer layers together.
• u (or Uw): Turn Top inner + outer layers together.

Cube Rotations

These don’t turn any layers; they turn the entire cube in your hands.

• x: Rotate cube on X-axis (like R). White top -> Yellow top.
• y: Rotate cube on Y-axis (like U). Green front -> Red front.
• z: Rotate cube on Z-axis (like F). Green front -> Red top.

Example Algorithm

Try this sequence on a solved cube. This is a very common “trigger” move called the Sexy Move.

R

U

R'

U'

Challenge: Repeat this sequence 6 times, and your cube will return to its solved state!