This is a completely random post and for a very select crowd.

I often play Freecell (far to much, but that’s another story). Years ago, when it first came out with Windows XP, I wondered if every game was winnable. Apparently, not. That said, I haven’t come across any of the “impossible games”. But I’ve come across a few hard ones.

But none nearly as hard as game #1703491. Usually I can solve most games in 2-5 minutes, sometimes it takes 15-30. I was into this one for over 2 hours before I did something I’ve rarely done. I looked for help. Mostly I wanted to know I wasn’t playing an impossible game. A brief search suggested I wasn’t. A longer search proved I wasn’t. But there was only one cryptic suggestion. I had pretty much settled on this being the most likely path, clearing the 6th column.

Now, small sidebar. To add a bit of a challenge, I have a self-imposed rule that I don’t put cards up on the home cells manually, I let the game move them automatically. In other words, if there’s a free card I can put up there manually, but that won’t go automatically, I won’t put it up. This happens for example if the the home cells AH, blank, 2D, AS, I won’t put up the 3 of diamonds. The game won’t automatically put up the 3D until the 2H, 2C and 2S are up there also. Like I say, no real reason other than the extra challenge. I had to break that rule in this game.

Anyway, even with that advice, I kept getting stuck.

A common spot I would get to was:

This was the first time I had freed up the 8th column. So that was progress and I had considered that key. I’m not sure what took me this long to figure out this combination of moves.

And now the break-thru. I’m feeling good here. I know once I get the 2 of Hearts up there, I’ll be making real progress!

Now I’m gaining momentum. I may seem tempting to free up that 2 of Spades. Resist that temptation!

Rather you want to move that stack on the 5 of Hearts. With that move and a few others you end up at:

The next few moves are pretty clear. Now we can move up that 2 of Spaces and after that the game is clearly winnable.

That said, I have to break my own rule one more time, but I don’t care. I’m ready to win.

And that’s it! I can relax now!