FreeCell Supermoves Explained
Officially FreeCell lets you move only one card at a time. In practice every FreeCell program, including ours, lets you move a whole run in one go, as long as it could be done one card at a time. Here's how the limit works.
The idea
To move a run of three cards with two empty free cells, you would: put the top card in a cell, the next card in the other cell, move the bottom card, then bring the other two back. A supermove just does that for you.
The formula
Maximum cards = (empty free cells + 1) × 2empty columns
| Empty free cells | Empty columns | Max run |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | 2 | 12 |
Moving into an empty column
If the destination is itself an empty column, that column can't also be used as a temporary space, so it isn't counted. With 2 free cells and 1 empty column, you can move 6 cards onto another column, but only 3 into the empty column.
Why it matters
An empty column doubles your moving power; a free cell only adds one. That's why strong players work hard to empty a column early and avoid filling cells.
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FAQ
How many cards can you move at once in FreeCell?
(empty free cells + 1) multiplied by 2 for each empty column. With 4 free cells and no empty columns, 5 cards.
Why can't I move my run into the empty column?
Moving into an empty column means that column can't be used as temporary space, so the limit is lower.