COLL: Bowtie

Goal

The first two layers are done and the top has a yellow cross. The corners form the Bowtie shape. One algorithm makes the top yellow and puts the corners in place.

How to recognize it

Only compare top corner stickers with each other. Words used here:

• Only look at corner stickers: the two stickers at the ends of each side's top row. Ignore the edge sticker in the middle.
• Front sticker (or left, right, back): the non-yellow top corner sticker on that side. On a side with two of them, call them front and rear (or left and right).
• Matching pair: a side's two top corner stickers have the same color.
• Opposite colors: red and orange, green and blue. Two different colors that are not opposite are neighboring colors.

Put the yellow corners at the front right and back left, with the front left yellow facing front. Look at the back and left, then compare the front sticker with the two left stickers.

How to hold the cube

White on the bottom. Every case in this lesson uses the same grip, shown under the controls. The player adds a U at the start or end when needed.

The main idea

Bowtie 2 is the Bowtie shape from 2-look OLL: corners with the corners already in place, so that algorithm also solves it.

Check before moving on

The top is all yellow and each side has two matching top corners. The edges may still be off; an edge PLL fixes them.

Next lesson

COLL is done. Go on to ELL, starting with ELL: two neighboring edges flipped, three edges cycle.