This post collects every CMLL algorithm, all 42 cases, sorted into 8 sets. Each algorithm comes with a pair of pictures: the cube before you do it and the cube after, so you can spot the case by eye instead of reading words.

Find your case fast

Look at your cube from above and tap the picture that matches it to see how to solve it. Grey cells are stickers you can ignore.

  • Case 1

    RUR′URU2R′

    R U R' U R U2 R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 2

    RU2R′U′RU′R′

    R U2 R' U' R U' R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 3

    RU′RF2R′URF2R2

    R U' R F2 R' U R F2 R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 4

    FRU′R′U′RUR′F′RUR′U′R′FRF′

    F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 5

    RU′RF2R′URF2R2

    O1: R U' R F2 R' U R F2 R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 6

    FRU′R′U′RUR′F′RUR′U′R′FRF′

    O2: F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 7

    RU2R′U′RUR′U′RU′R′

    H1: R U2 R' U' R U R' U' R U' R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 8

    RU2R2FRF′U2R′FRF′

    H2: R U2 R2 F R F' U2 R' F R F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 9

    FRUR′U′RUR′U′RUR′U′F′

    H3: F R U R' U' R U R' U' R U R' U' F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 10

    R′FR2FR′URF′R2F′R

    H4: R' F R2 F R' U R F' R2 F' R

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 11

    FRUR′U′RUR′U′F′

    Pi1: F R U R' U' R U R' U' F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 12

    RU2R′U′RUR′U2R′FRF′

    Pi2: R U2 R' U' R U R' U2 R' F R F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 13

    R′FRUFU′RUR′U′F′

    Pi3: R' F R U F U' R U R' U' F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 14

    FR′F′RU2RU′R′URU2R′

    Pi4: F R' F' R U2 R U' R' U R U2 R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 15

    R′F′U′FU′RUR′UR

    Pi5: R' F' U' F U' R U R' U R

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 16

    RU′L′UR′ULUL′UL

    Pi6: R U' L' U R' U L U L' U L

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 17

    FRUR′U′F′

    U1: F R U R' U' F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 18

    R2DR′U2RD′R′U2R′

    U2: R2 D R' U2 R D' R' U2 R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 19

    R2D′RU2R′DRU2R

    U3: R2 D' R U2 R' D R U2 R

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 20

    R2F2R′U2RF2R′U2R′

    U4: R2 F2 R' U2 R F2 R' U2 R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 21

    FUF′R2U′RF′R′UR2

    U5: F U F' R2 U' R F' R' U R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 22

    R′F2R2U′FU′F′U2R2F2R

    U6: R' F2 R2 U' F U' F' U2 R2 F2 R

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 23

    RUR′U′R′FRF′

    T1: R U R' U' R' F R F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 24

    L′U′LULF′L′F

    T2: L' U' L U L F' L' F

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 25

    R′URU2L′R′URU′L

    T3: R' U R U2 L' R' U R U' L

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 26

    FRUR′U′RU′R′U′RUR′F′

    T4: F R U R' U' R U' R' U' R U R' F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 27

    R2F2RF′U′FUR′F2R2

    T5: R2 F2 R F' U' F U R' F2 R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 28

    FR2F2U2R′U′RU′F2R2F′

    T6: F R2 F2 U2 R' U' R U' F2 R2 F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 29

    FR′F′RURU′R′

    L1: F R' F' R U R U' R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 30

    FRU′R′U′RUR′F′

    L2: F R U' R' U' R U R' F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 31

    RU2RDR′U2RD′R2

    L3: R U2 R D R' U2 R D' R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 32

    R′F2R′U′RF2R′UR2

    L4: R' F2 R' U' R F2 R' U R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 33

    F′U2F2R′F′RF′U2F

    L5: F' U2 F2 R' F' R F' U2 F

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 34

    RU2R′FU2R′U′FURU2F′

    L6: R U2 R' F U2 R' U' F U R U2 F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 35

    RUR′URU2R′

    S1: R U R' U R U2 R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 36

    RU′L′UR′U′L

    S2: R U' L' U R' U' L

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 37

    FR′F′RU2RU2R′

    S3: F R' F' R U2 R U2 R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 38

    L′U2LU2LF′L′F

    S4: L' U2 L U2 L F' L' F

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 39

    RUR′UR′FRF′RU2R′

    S5: R U R' U R' F R F' R U2 R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 40

    FR′U2RF′R′FU2F′R

    S6: F R' U2 R F' R' F U2 F' R

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 41

    RU2R′U′RU′R′

    AS1: R U2 R' U' R U' R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 42

    L′URU′LUR′

    AS2: L' U R U' L U R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 43

    RU2R′U2R′FRF′

    AS3: R U2 R' U2 R' F R F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 44

    F′LFL′U2L′U2L

    AS4: F' L F L' U2 L' U2 L

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 45

    FU2F′U′FU′RUR′U′F′

    AS5: F U2 F' U' F U' R U R' U' F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 46

    RU2R2F2RF′R′F2R2U2R′

    AS6: R U2 R2 F2 R F' R' F2 R2 U2 R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →

If you are new to Roux, don't try to memorise all 42 at once. The first part of the post shows how to do CMLL in two looks with just 4 algorithms. Once you are comfortable, add the sets further down one at a time.

What is CMLL?

CMLL is step 3 of the Roux method. Once you have a 1x2x3 block on each side, you solve the four corners of the top layer. This step ignores the edges in the top layer and the middle slice, because the last step (LSE) sorts them out.

According to the SpeedSolving Wiki, CMLL has 42 cases and was proposed by Gilles Roux in 2003. The set by Kian Mansour, a well-known Roux solver, averages only about 11 moves per case (SpeedSolving Wiki).

Because the edges don't have to stay put, CMLL algorithms are usually shorter than the COLL algorithms used in CFOP. Ruwix notes that every COLL algorithm works for CMLL, but not the other way round (Ruwix).

Not sure what Roux is yet? Read What is the Roux method? first.

How to read the pictures

  • Yellow on top, green in front. Red is on the left, orange on the right. This is also how you hold the cube in EasyRubic's Roux guide.
  • Each picture shows two cubes: on the left is the case to solve, on the right is the cube once the algorithm is done.
  • The top-layer edges and the middle slice are greyed out, because CMLL doesn't care about them. An algorithm may mix them up, and that is fine.
  • The two side blocks always stay intact after every algorithm.

Every algorithm in this post has been run on the EasyRubic cube simulator. If R, U and F are new to you, see Rubik's cube notation for beginners.

Spot the set: look at the yellow stickers on the four corners

The first thing to do is always count how many corners have their yellow sticker facing up. Ruwix and Scheopner both sort the 42 cases this way (Ruwix, Scheopner).

SetYellow stickers on topWhat to look forCases
O4The top is already all yellow, the corners only need swapping2
H0Two pairs of "headlights" on opposite sides4
Pi0One pair of "headlights" on one side, the other two yellow stickers point in opposite directions6
U2Two yellow corners next to each other, the other two yellow stickers face the same side6
T2Two yellow corners next to each other, the other two yellow stickers point in opposite directions6
L2Two yellow corners diagonal from each other6
S1Looks like the Sune case6
AS1Looks like the Antisune case6

"Headlights" are two stickers of the same colour side by side on one side face. The set names follow Kian Mansour's CMLL list (Ruwix).

Within each set, the cases share the same yellow pattern but have different colours on the sides. To tell them apart, look at the side stickers of the four corners and compare them with the pictures: are there headlights, which side are they on, and are two stickers next to each other the same colour or different?

Beginners: two-look CMLL

Ruwix suggests a shortcut: use Sune and Antisune to turn the yellow stickers up, then use a corner-swap algorithm to put them in place (Ruwix). Scheopner counts 9 algorithms for the full two-look version (Scheopner). The shortened version below needs only 4.

First look: get the yellow stickers on top

If exactly one corner has yellow on top and the cube looks like the picture below, do Sune:

R U R' U R U2 R'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

If it looks like this picture, do Antisune, also done in one go:

R U2 R' U' R U' R'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Any other case (no yellow corners or two yellow corners on top): do Sune, look again, turn U until it matches one of the two pictures above, then keep going. The simulator shows that from any case, at most three Sunes (with U turns in between) are enough to make the whole top yellow.

Second look: swap the corners

The top is now yellow. Look at the sides: if one side has headlights, two corners next to each other need swapping. Turn U so the headlights are at the back, as in the picture, then do:

R U' R F2 R' U R F2 R2

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

No side has headlights: two diagonal corners need swapping.

F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Headlights on all four sides means the corners are already in place, and you only need to turn U. These four algorithms are enough to solve CMLL. The rest of the post is the 42 one-look algorithms, which help you solve faster.

O set: the top is already all yellow

Two cases, and they are exactly the two corner-swap algorithms above.

O1: R U' R F2 R' U R F2 R2

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

O2: F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

H set: no yellow corners on top, two pairs of headlights

H1: R U2 R' U' R U R' U' R U' R'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

H2: R U2 R2 F R F' U2 R' F R F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

H3: F R U R' U' R U R' U' R U R' U' F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

H4: R' F R2 F R' U R F' R2 F' R

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Pi set: no yellow corners on top, one pair of headlights

Pi1: F R U R' U' R U R' U' F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Pi2: R U2 R' U' R U R' U2 R' F R F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Pi3: R' F R U F U' R U R' U' F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Pi4: F R' F' R U2 R U' R' U R U2 R'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Pi5: R' F' U' F U' R U R' U R

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Pi6: R U' L' U R' U L U L' U L

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

U set: two yellow corners next to each other, other two yellow stickers on the same side

U1: F R U R' U' F'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

U2: R2 D R' U2 R D' R' U2 R'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

U3: R2 D' R U2 R' D R U2 R

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

U4: R2 F2 R' U2 R F2 R' U2 R'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

U5: F U F' R2 U' R F' R' U R2

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

U6: R' F2 R2 U' F U' F' U2 R2 F2 R

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

T set: two yellow corners next to each other, other two yellow stickers point opposite ways

T1: R U R' U' R' F R F'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

T2: L' U' L U L F' L' F

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

T3: R' U R U2 L' R' U R U' L

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

T4: F R U R' U' R U' R' U' R U R' F'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

T5: R2 F2 R F' U' F U R' F2 R2

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

T6: F R2 F2 U2 R' U' R U' F2 R2 F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

L set: two yellow corners diagonal from each other

L1: F R' F' R U R U' R'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

L2: F R U' R' U' R U R' F'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

L3: R U2 R D R' U2 R D' R2

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

L4: R' F2 R' U' R F2 R' U R2

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

L5: F' U2 F2 R' F' R F' U2 F

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

L6: R U2 R' F U2 R' U' F U R U2 F'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

S set: one yellow corner, Sune style

S1: R U R' U R U2 R'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

S2: R U' L' U R' U' L

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

S3: F R' F' R U2 R U2 R'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

S4: L' U2 L U2 L F' L' F

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

S5: R U R' U R' F R F' R U2 R'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

S6: F R' U2 R F' R' F U2 F' R

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

AS set: one yellow corner, Antisune style

AS1: R U2 R' U' R U' R'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

AS2: L' U R U' L U R'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

AS3: R U2 R' U2 R' F R F'

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

AS4: F' L F L' U2 L' U2 L

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  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

AS5: F U2 F' U' F U' R U R' U' F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

AS6: R U2 R2 F2 R F' R' F2 R2 U2 R'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

In what order should you pick up the 42 algorithms?

  1. Start with two-look. The four algorithms above are enough to solve every time. Don't drop them too early.
  2. Do the S and AS sets first. You already know S1 and AS1 (Sune and Antisune), so you only need 10 more algorithms to finish both sets in one look.
  3. Next comes O, then U, T and L. Many of these are short, only 6 to 9 moves.
  4. Leave H and Pi for last. These two sets are harder to spot because no corner has yellow on top.
  5. A few algorithms a week. Scramble the cube, build the two blocks, then practise only CMLL. Only move on to a new algorithm once you can do the current ones without thinking.

A recognition tip from Scheopner: looking at just three side stickers of the corners from one angle is enough to tell the case. Beginners may need to turn U once to see them (Scheopner).

The algorithms in this post were picked because they are short and mostly use R, U and F. If one feels awkward in your hands, you can swap it for a different algorithm for the same case. It just has to keep the two blocks intact.

After CMLL comes the last step of Roux. See LSE: the last six edges.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How many CMLL algorithms are there?

42 algorithms, split into 8 sets: O has 2, H has 4, and Pi, U, T, L, S and AS have 6 each. With two-look, you only need 4 algorithms.

How is CMLL different from COLL?

COLL solves the four corners while keeping the top-layer edges in place, because it is used in CFOP. CMLL doesn't need to keep the edges, so its algorithms are usually shorter. Every COLL algorithm works for CMLL.

Should I go for all 42 CMLL algorithms straight away?

No. Get solid with two-look first, then add a few algorithms each week. Start with the S and AS sets, since you already know Sune and Antisune.

Do CMLL algorithms break the two blocks?

No. Every algorithm in this post keeps the two 1x2x3 side blocks intact. They only mix up the top-layer edges and the middle slice, which get solved in the LSE step.

Do CMLL algorithms work on a 2x2 cube?

Yes. A 2x2 cube only has corners, so once the bottom face is done, one CMLL algorithm takes the whole cube to solved. The SpeedSolving Wiki also notes that CMLL is the same as CLL, the 2x2 last-layer method.

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