Pair the first 10 edges

Goal

Pair the first 10 edges: each edge is a middle piece plus two matching wings. The six centers must stay intact.

How to recognize it

The middle piece sits in the center of the edge, with a wing at each end. A wing joins the middle piece only one way round: both colors must be on the same sides.

How to do it

It works like Pair the 12 edges on the 4x4, but you slide a single slice:

1. Bring the middle piece and one matching wing to the front right (or front left) edge.
2. Bring the missing wing to the opposite edge, in the row that will slide over.
3. Slide d (lower wing) or u' (upper wing) to join it, store the edge with R U R', slide back.

Sliding back puts the centers back. The last R' pulls the top back edge down into the stored edge's place. So before you slide, turn U until the top back edge is an unpaired one.

Edges 9 and 10

Keep doing the same three steps until only two edges are unpaired. Near the end, check the top back edge before every slide. Pulling down a paired edge splits it again.

The Edges 9 and 10 case starts with four unpaired edges. Two pairings in a row leave just two: front right and front left.

Another way: flip the edge

The vebimo 5x5 guide pairs by flipping the whole front right or front left edge in place. It only touches those two edges. So the top back edge does not matter, and it works down to the last two edges.

Put the middle piece at front right and the wing you need on the front left edge. First wing, its front color is the middle piece's right color:

• Wing in the top row: u' R F' U R' F u.
• Wing in the bottom row: d R F' U R' F d'.

The wing lands in the other row and the middle piece flips with it, so look at the colors again. Second wing, its front color is the middle piece's front color:

• Gap on top, wing in the bottom row: u L' F U' L F' u'.
• Gap at the bottom, wing in the top row: d' L' F U' L F' d.

If the second wing is in the wrong row, do L' F U' L F' first. It flips the front left edge in place without touching the front right edge.

With two edges left, these four algorithms are the Swap a wing 1 and Swap a wing 2 cases of the next lesson.

Common mistakes

• Joining a wing the wrong way round. Check both colors, not just the front one.
• Forgetting to slide back and breaking a center.
• Storing an edge while the top back edge is already paired. That edge splits, so you make no progress.

Next lesson

With two edges left, there is no spare edge to pull down. Go to Last two edges.