The language
of the cube
Before any algorithm makes sense, two things have to click: how the cube is actually built, and the notation every guide on Earth uses to write moves down. Tap the moves below and watch what each one does.
Centers, edges, corners
Centers 6 pieces
One per face, fixed to the core. They never move relative to each other — so the white center is always opposite yellow. Centers define what colour each face must become.
Edges 12 pieces
Two stickers each, sitting between two centers. There are exactly 12, and each has one true home and orientation.
Corners 8 pieces
Three stickers each, at the cube's vertices. Eight corners, each with one correct position and three possible orientations.
The golden rule: centers never move relative to each other. White is always opposite yellow, blue opposite green, red opposite orange. That fixed frame is what makes the puzzle solvable.
The notation playground
Each button is one move. Tap a few in a row to build a sequence — the cube performs it live, and your moves appear as an algorithm you could read anywhere.
— Face turns
One letter = turn that face 90° clockwise. Add ' for counter-clockwise, 2 for a half turn.
Slice moves
The middle layers. M follows L, E follows D, S follows F. Speedsolvers love M for last-layer edges.
Wide turns
Lowercase = turn two layers at once (the face plus the slice beside it).
Cube rotations
Rotate the whole cube. x follows R, y follows U, z follows F. Nothing is solved — only your view changes.
How to read an algorithm
An algorithm is just a list of moves performed left to right. Take the single most famous trigger in cubing — the "sexy move":
R U R' U' R — right face clockwise · U — top clockwise · R' — right face back · U' — top back.
Do it six times in a row and the cube returns exactly to where it started — proof that these moves are perfectly reversible. Press play and watch.
R U R' U' ×6 → solved