✚ Step 5
The yellow cross
🎯 Goal of this step
Turn all four top edges yellow side up to make a cross (ignore the corners and the side colours for now).
💡 The idea — why it works
The top edges can only show 4 patterns: dot → L → line → cross. One algorithm takes you from each pattern to the next, as long as you hold the cube the right way.
Why is there never 1 or 3 yellow edges? A rule of the cube: the number of flipped edges is always even (0, 2 or 4). If you ever see 1 or 3, the cube was taken apart and reassembled wrongly.
In F(RUR'U')F': F folds the front up, RUR'U' (the sexy move) shuffles the top pieces, F' folds back — two top edges get flipped and the first two layers come back unchanged.
Algorithm
F(RUR'U')F'
How to hold it
Dot
Any angle
L shape
At back-left (9 o'clock)
Line
Horizontal (left-right)
⚠️ Common mistakes
- L held in the wrong corner → it must be at back-left; otherwise you get a dot or another L (nothing breaks, it just takes longer)
- Line held vertically → turn U to make it horizontal first
- Paying attention to yellow corners → this step only cares about edges
🧠 Check your understanding
Two yellow edges next to each other make an L. Where should the L be?
The L goes at back-left (like a clock showing 9 o'clock). The algorithm then turns it into a horizontal line.Mark it to save your progress