matching pairs and inserting

Stage 2a. Matching white corners with its matching edge

Objective: Match white corners with its matching edge piece on the upper layer.

Restrictions: No down layer moves, solved slots can’t be moved to upper layer.

Method: I have developed a system for this step. It will take a while to understand the method but once you do, this step it will become very easy. All you need to do is get a white corner and its matching edge piece to the upper layer. How? Well if there is not a white corner all ready on the upper layer. Simply move one to the top layer with a left or right move followed by a U move (to transfer the corner to the upper layer) then reverse the left or right move so you don't destroy the edge you placed in step 1. Now that you have a white corner on the upper layer. Look at that corner piece ignoring the white and note the other two colours on the corner. What ever those two colours are that is the colours of the edge piece that you need to be on the upper layer to match it. Look for that edge piece if it is not on the upper layer. Move it to the upper layer the same way you moved a corner to the upper layer (remember to return your slice so stage 1 is intact). So now you should have a white corner piece and its matching edge piece on the upper layer. There are three different cases. All three are solved in the same manner. So don't worry all you need to learn is the method.

Stage 2b. Placing matched pairs into there correct slot.

Objective: 2a) Place four matched pairs into their slots to complete left (green) and right block (blue).

Restrictions: no down layer moves, solved slots can’t be moved to upper layer.

Method: There is a number of ways to place matched pairs into their correct slots. Im just going to go through the most basic and easiest one to explain. So what is a slot? Slots are the location where we are going to put out matched pairs. The locations are the front / left (for the orange green pair) front / right (for the orange blue pair) the back/right (for the red blue pair) and the left / back (for the red green pair). SO after we have our corner matched to its proper edge it will already be on the upper layer. All we have to do is look at the colour that is facing up then rotate the upper layer till our matched pair is on along that side. ((( Red along the back, Orange along the front, green along the left and blue along the right))). Then we look at the colour that is on the side of our matched pair (the side not facing up). This is the slice we have to use to move the slot to the upper layer. Then insert the pair into the slot and reverse the last move to solve the slot. Sounds complicated huh. Well its actually super easy and will become second nature. You’ll be inserting with out thinking about it in no time... but until then I have all 8 possible slot insertions diagrammed below with the alg to insert it. Once you do a few you’ll understand the concept and shouldn’t really have to memorize the short alg.