> "A card is unneeded when no lower-rank cards of the opposite color
> remain in the playing area" (from the tutorial).
>
> Why is it that 2C and 2S will be sent home before either AH or AD
> are?
That's Horne's Rule (the author of MS freecell). If that's all the tutorial
says, it's just a bit incomplete. In general, The Card is needed in the columns
when lower-rank cards of the opposite color remain because with the The Card
removed from play, the movement of the one-rank-lower cards become severely
restricted. If both black 5s have been played home, an exposed red 4 will block
its column (absent an empty column). Then, notice that a black 2 will never be
needed as a landing spot for a red ace because all aces play home
automatically. So a 2 plays home as soon as its own ace is home.
Bill Raymond
Received on Fri Nov 21 2003 - 00:34:55 IST