FreeCell strategy
Every card is visible from the first move, so your habits decide the game. These are the checks worth running before each move.
1. Find the Aces and Twos first
Buried low cards stall a game. Before you move, count how many cards sit on top of each Ace and plan to dig out the cheapest ones first.
2. Treat free cells as short-term parking
Each filled cell halves your ability to move runs. Park a card only when you can see where it goes next.
3. An empty column beats a free cell
An empty column holds a whole run and doubles the size of the runs you can move. Clearing a short column is usually worth several moves.
4. Know your move limit
(Empty cells + 1) × 2 per empty column. If a run will not move, free a cell or a column first.
5. Plan the chain before the first card
Trace where each card goes and what it frees. Parking a card with no home in sight is how games are lost.
6. Do not rush cards to the foundations
A mid-rank card on a column can still hold the next lower card of the other colour. Keep the foundations roughly even.
7. Build long alternating runs
Long runs move as one unit and keep your options open.
8. Use Undo to learn
When you get stuck, step back to the last real decision and try the other branch. Replaying a game number is the fastest way to improve.