FreeCell strategy

Keep the cells free

Each occupied cell reduces the size of the groups you can move. With 4 free cells and no empty column, a group can have 5 cards; with 2 free cells, 3; with none, just 1. Before putting a card in a cell, ask yourself when it will come out again.

Empty a column

An empty column is worth more than a cell: it doubles your moving capacity. With 4 free cells and one empty column, you move 10 cards at once to an occupied column. Short columns, or those hiding only cards that are easy to place, are the first ones to empty.

Watch out for the reverse case: when the group moves into the empty column, that column no longer counts as a temporary holding space. It is often better to place a high card there (a king or queen) that can take a long sequence.

Clear the aces and 2s

A low card buried under a column blocks its entire suit. At the start, note where the aces and 2s are, and begin with the columns that cover them. A low card moved up early to its foundation often frees several moves.

Planning: everything is visible

Since no cards are hidden, a FreeCell deal can be solved like a puzzle. Before each series of moves, work out where the card you are moving will go and what the move frees up. A move that fills a cell without freeing anything is rarely a good one.

• Build long sequences on well-placed kings and queens.
• Avoid burying a low card under a sequence.
• In the app, nothing moves up to the foundations automatically: you keep a card in the tableau for as long as it can serve as a support.

Playing with 2 or 1 cells

The app lets you play with fewer cells. With 1 free cell and no empty columns, a group cannot exceed 2 cards; an empty column raises that limit to 4. Every card set aside matters: empty a column early and use the cell only for a move that can be resolved immediately. The Examples page shows the same deal solved with each number of cells.