CFOP method
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CFOP (Cross, F2L, OLL, PLL, pronounced C-F-O-P or C-fop), also known as the Fridrich Method after its popularizer, Jessica Fridrich, is a 3x3 speedsolving method. In part due to Fridrich's publication of the method in 1995, it has been the most dominant 3x3 speedcubing method since around 2000, with CFOP and its variants used by the vast majority of the top speedcubers.
The Steps
CFOP can be viewed as an advanced version of a Layer-By-Layer method. In particular, it combines some steps of the said method into one by using many more algorithms.
1. Cross
First, make a cross on any side of the cube. This entails solving all of the edges with a given color to their proper positions.
2. F2L (First Two Layers)
In this step you fill in the slots where the corners of the cross are missing. For each insertion, a corner and an edge are placed simultaneously. There are 41 basic cases for this step, but it can be learned intuitively.
3. OLL (Orient the Last Layer)
Next, you make the entire top side of the cube a solid color. This requires 57 algorithms, but can be broken down into two steps (2 Look OLL), which only requires 9 algorithms.
4. PLL (Permute the Last Layer)
Finally, you finish the cube by permuting the top layer of the cube. There are 21 algorithms to learn, but this step can be done into two steps, (2 Look PLL), which includes just 6 algorithms.
Pros
This method is relatively easy to understand when compared to other methods. Therefore, it is the most tested and most popular method used. It has a reasonable number of algorithms to learn, and sub 15 second averages are definitely possible. This method has been used to set many world records. It takes less thinking than block-building methods because it's more algorithm based.
Cons
Learning all of the algorithms takes some time, and it requires a lot of practice to solve the F2L consistently in 10 seconds or less. Also, it has a slightly higher move count when compared to block building methods.
Origin and Naming Dispute
Jessica Fridrich is often erroneously attributed with having 'invented' the Fridrich (or CFOP) method. However, in reality a number of developments made in the early 80's by other cubers contributed to the method as it is today. The constituent techniques and their original proposers are as follows:
- The Cross: David Singmaster
- F2L (4x corner + edge pairs): Ren Schoof and possibly others.
- OLL/PLL: Hans Dockhorn, Anneke Treep, with many algorithms developed by Jessica Fridrich
During the resurgence in popularity of speedcubing in 2003 there was a general lack of information for learning how to speedsolve the cube. Jessica's speedcubing web page offered a vast wealth of information for people entering the sport, including a full description of the CFOP method along with lists of algorithms which could be used. As a result, many who learned from the page began to call their method "Fridrich's method", which explains its predominant use today.
See Also
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F2L |
| Permutations of corners only |
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| Permutations of edges only |
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| Permutations of corners and edges |
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External Links
- Joël van Noort's tutorial
- Erik Akkersdijk's tutorial
- Shotaro Makisumi's tutorial
- Jessica's Homepage
- Badmephisto's Intuitive F2L Tutorial
- Speedsolving.com: Fridrich Method - info on its origin.
