Step 1: First Block

Solve a block consisting of a large center and two triples. Once solved, keep this block on the left side with the U and wide r layers free to turn. A guide for solving the step is provided below. Before beginning, be sure to check out the notation on the Introduction page.

The simplest way to build the first block is to start by solving a large center. This center consists of three inner centers (triangles) and three edges. This center should be kept on the BL layer. For visibility the applets will show the center building process with the center on the front.

To start solving the center, build a half center. There are four different half centers that you can start with. Build the one that is easiest or that you see first. Take care to solve the edges in the correct order for the color scheme. If you are unsure after scrambling, check the corners to know. If you are using the same color scheme as on this site, follow the applets and solve the same pieces. To build a half center, start by choosing an edge. Any edge is ok. Then find a triangle and pair it with the edge. The triangle can usually be attached to the edge using just a couple of moves. In the example below, the left side is turned to bring down a triangle on the upper layer to match with an edge, then a second edge is attached to form a half center.

Next, build the other half center that consists of an edge and two triangles. Locate the final edge that belongs with the center then attach a triangle to either side, then attach the new half center to form the complete large center.

Once the center is complete, the two triples will be solved. A triple is a corner and two triangles.

From this point forward, the large center will be kept on the BL layer in the applets. 

Keeping the solved center on the back left layer, solve the first triple. Find one of the corners and attach the two triangles that match the colors of the large center. In this example, the back triple will first be solved. In the following applet, the corner is on the upper layer in the front and the white triangle is on the back layer. The two pieces can be paired with a turn of the right side layer. The green triangle can then be moved to the upper layer using a turn of the front layer, then attached to the corner and triangle pair by turning the U layer and temporarily moving the pair below the upper layer. Once formed, the triple is oriented such that the corner has the first step center color facing upwards, so the triple is moved to the upper back right position then solved by turning the back right (BR) layer. If the triple had been oriented with the other color facing upwards, the sequence to place would have been F BR'.

Solving the second triple uses the same process. First, pair the corner with a triangle. In the following applet, the corner starts out on the upper layer in the front. There is a triangle on the back layer. A single turn of the right side layer pairs the two pieces. The second triangle is on the bottom layer. A turn of the upper layer moves the corner and triangle into position for a slice turn that attaches the second triangle to form a triple. The triple is oriented such that the original large center color is facing upwards, so turning the front layer correctly places the triple. If the triple had been oriented the other way, the sequence r' F would have solved it.

Once comfortable with solving the first block using the three steps of center and two triples, the steps can be combined. A triple can be combined with the center in a single to form an arrow block. Two important strategies will be shown through examples.

Using this strategy, a smaller arrow block is built then the remainder of the center is completed. The benefit of starting with a smaller arrow block is that it takes care of the two additional outside triangle pieces that need to be attached to the corner. If the large center is built first, as in the basic three step strategy, movement is restricted and there is an increase to the number of moves needed to build and add the corner and two triangles.

After the completion of the small arrow block, add the three remaining pieces of the large center to complete the large arrow block.

Another useful strategy is to start by building a half center. Then build and add the remaining pieces to from the arrow block. This strategy is more restrictive than the small arrow block strategy, due to solving the initial half center at the start versus leaving it for the end in the small arrow block strategy. However, this strategy is still useful because the left or right half center of the arrow block may already be solved, or be easy to solve in many scrambles.