1. Understand the 2×2
A 2×2 has eight corner pieces and no visible center or edge pieces. Every corner has three stickers. You can choose a reference orientation, such as white below and yellow above, then keep that reference consistent.
- Find a corner with white, red and blue.
- Identify another corner by its three colors.
2. Complete one full layer
Start with a white corner and place the remaining white corners around it, making sure the side stickers also line up as complete color bands. A solid white face alone is not enough. Position each target corner above its intended slot, hold that slot at front-right and use the right trigger, repositioning as needed.
Beginner right-hand trigger; repeat carefully while watching the target corner.
- All four bottom stickers are white.
- Each bottom-side color pair matches.
3. Identify last-layer corner positions
A corner is in its correct position if its set of three colors belongs at that location, even if the corner is twisted. Rotate U and look for matching color sets. Learn to position the top corners before trying to twist them into place. The 2×2 lacks fixed centers, so judge correct color combinations relative to your solved bottom layer.
There are multiple complete 2×2 last-layer methods, including beginner layer-by-layer, Ortega and CLL. Do not mix their case algorithms halfway through a solve.
4. Practise orientation
Once all four last-layer corners are in the right slots, put a twisted corner in the upper-front-right position and repeat the following sequence until its yellow sticker faces up. Turn only U to bring the next twisted corner into that position. Keep the cube orientation fixed.
Corner twist, repeated until the current top-front-right corner points up.
This sequence is useful for learning orientation but does not solve incorrectly positioned corners. If your final corners are permuted incorrectly, first complete a consistent 2×2 permutation method.
- Every side is a single solid color.
- You can repeat the right trigger without losing your orientation.
Move from beginner to faster solving
Try ten calm solves before using a timer. Then study Ortega: build a face, orient the opposite face, and permute both layers. Practise recognition first, then speed. Use 2×2 mode in the simulator for reversible experiments.