FreeCell

FreeCell Solitaire: Complete Rules and Strategy

FreeCell Solitaire is more like an intellectual puzzle than a card game of chance. Unlike many other solitaire games, there are almost no unwinnable layouts.

🎯 Goal of the Game:

Move all 52 cards from the initial columns to the foundation piles, building them up by suit in ascending order: from Ace (A) to King (K).

♠️♥️ Game Layout and Initial Setup

The FreeCell playing field is divided into three key areas:

• Main Columns (8): The entire deck of 52 cards is dealt here. At the start of the game, each column holds 7 or 8 cards (4 columns of 7 and 4 columns of 8 cards).
• Free Cells (4): Located in the upper left corner. Initially empty. You can temporarily place a single card here to access needed cards in the columns.
• Foundation Piles (4): Located in the upper right corner. Initially empty. Here you sequentially build cards by suit, starting with the Ace.

📜 Basic Rules for Moving Cards

1. Moving within the Main Columns

• Cards in the columns are stacked in descending order (e.g., Queen, Jack, 10).
• Suits must alternate in color: a red card (hearts, diamonds) is placed on a black card (spades, clubs), and vice versa.

Note

Example: Only a Black Jack (♠J or ♣J) can be placed on a Red Queen (♥Q).

2. Using the Free Cells

• Only one card can be placed temporarily in each Free Cell.
• This card is taken from the end of any column.
• A card from a Free Cell can be moved back to a column or to a foundation pile.

3. Moving to the Foundation Piles

• A card can be moved to a foundation pile only if it is the next card in ascending order for its suit.
• Building always starts with the Ace (A).

Note

Example: Once the Ace of Hearts (♥A) is in the foundation pile, only the Two of Hearts (♥2) can be placed on it, then the Three (♥3), and so on up to the King (♥K).

4. Empty Columns

Any single card or a correct sequence of cards can be moved into a completely empty column.

💰 The Key Rule:

One of the most important tactics in FreeCell is the ability to move entire sequences of cards. To do this, you need to calculate the number of free resources.

Formula for moving a sequence of X cards:

You must have at least (X - 1) free resources.

What counts as a free resource:

• An empty Free Cell.
• An empty Column.

Note

Example: To move a sequence of 4 cards, you need at least 3 free resources. This could be: 3 Free Cells + 0 Columns, or 2 Free Cells + 1 Column, or 1 Free Cell + 2 Columns, or 0 Free Cells + 3 Columns.

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Patience and thoughtful strategy will lead you to victory. Try it now!

Good luck with the game!