Subject: Never won winnables!

Date: Wed Mar 4 18:05:57 2020
User: Oded789
Message:
Not a never won winnable, but during a Wide tournament today I've encountered this one: Game #: 10x1 13002 Game stats: 51/1/1.96% Difficulty: 10 Only gave it a brief try. I don't know who solved it (before the tournament).

Date: Thu Mar 5 14:44:34 2020
User: TNmountainman
Message:
8x1-5 #9163. Unfortunately second try. (Almost got it first time.) Very fun game.

Date: Thu Mar 5 19:30:42 2020
User: Kaos
Message:
Yeah, that 8x1 is a fun game. Would have been more fun to get it first time instead of second. Interesting how everything falls into place once you choose the right path.

Date: Thu Mar 5 22:07:58 2020
User: Klepp
Message:
15374-5 9X1 first of 47, first try...this puzzle must have been attempted previously solely by rather, rather average freecellers, let's be honest...

Date: Fri Mar 6 12:27:15 2020
User: TNmountainman
Message:
What?! 12x0-6 22040 9/1/11.11%

Date: Fri Mar 6 20:00:30 2020
User: Kaos
Message:
Game: 6x4 7557-11 Plays: 126-1 Percentage: 0.79 Woo Hoo! - Only 6 of those plays were mine. This game showed up in today's Freakout. It was already something like 88-0 when I first looked but something about it made me think it could be beaten.

Date: Thu Mar 12 01:23:15 2020
User: ix
Message:
6x5 2414-5 Game stats: 114/2/1.75% Elapsed: 3:19 Streak was: 0 i need to win the next 105 to beat Bozeman

Date: Fri Mar 13 21:57:22 2020
User: Mastermind
Message:
#8x2 30163 8 dealt in the recent freakout. 25/1.

Date: Fri Mar 13 22:46:13 2020
User: ix
Message:
i finally got through a possibly difficult 6x5! man, i suck at 6x5 Game #: 6x5 10416 Game stats: 21/1/4.76% Difficulty: 5 Elapsed: 8:07 Streak: 6 CubicSprocks stats are mind numbing best streak: 64 plays: 145 wins: 139 win percent: 95.86% average time: 2:12 minutes

Link: https://www.freecell.net/f/c/view_one_game.html?;10416,5,6x5

Date: Sat Mar 14 15:25:03 2020
User: byronsmoot
Message:
Game #: 6x5 2004 Game stats: 15/1/6.67% Difficulty: 5 Elapsed: 3:35

Date: Sat Mar 14 15:45:51 2020
User: jamesblackburn-lynch
Message:
I thought there was an 8x3 project that won all of the winnable ones. Guess not. This was not particularly hard. Game #: 8x3 18236 Game stats: 5/1/20.00% Difficulty: 10 Elapsed: 6:17 James

Date: Sat Mar 14 17:24:12 2020
User: TNmountainman
Message:
I think that was for a particular climate - and I think they've done it for more than 1.

Date: Sat Mar 21 20:14:07 2020
User: TNmountainman
Message:
7x4-8 #2150 4/1/25.00% First try.

Date: Sun Mar 22 23:26:44 2020
User: jamesblackburn-lynch
Message:
This one has same stats as the one I posted a few posts back but this one was very unpleasant: You Win Game #: 8x3 27059 Game stats: 5/1/20.00% Difficulty: 10 Elapsed: 1:06:43 Hames

Date: Tue Mar 24 20:16:01 2020
User: WRAC
Message:
I can't claim to be the first person to solve this one; like calicokid, d164280, watersmooth_silver, Kaos (who started late) and a bunch of other players, I was unable to figure it out during today's Potluck. I therefore thought I ought to mention it here. Ya know, just in case anyone is bored and looking for a little challenge: Game #: 8x2 30221 Game stats: 193/2/1.04% Difficulty: 5 Elapsed: 3:35

Link: 8x2 30221-5

Date: Tue Mar 24 21:01:03 2020
User: Kaos
Message:
.bow Great job WRAC. I was trying it after the bell and rang up half-a-dozen losses or so. It looks like one of those 8x2 deals that could (and of course obviously does) have some way home. But, if you don't see it, it's not too hard to convince yourself it isn't winnable. It's interesting, now that the ratings are gone, I'm much more likely to jump into a tournament even 30 minutes late if I see you, calico, Hop, kenwa, roo, or any other strong field underway.

Date: Tue Mar 24 21:06:54 2020
User: Oded789
Message:
Is 11x0 30899-5 unwinnable? It looked close, there's a way to open a column but I fell just short of solving it, and a couple of more tries in a different direction didn't yield any results.

Date: Wed Mar 25 15:10:51 2020
User: WRAC
Message:
I would say not, Oded. But I've been wrong before!

Date: Wed Mar 25 15:51:21 2020
User: Oded789
Message:
The question was a negative, but I'll take that as "probably not winnable". Thanks!

Date: Wed Mar 25 15:51:40 2020
User: Kaos
Message:
Game #: 6x4 21302-5 Game stats: 36/1/2.78% Elapsed: 2:21 Alas, second attempt

Date: Wed Mar 25 16:08:33 2020
User: TNmountainman
Message:
As to Oded's 11x0..........that's an extremely intriguing game, but I also tend to think unwinnable. But so many pathways that I'm not gonna state that definitively.

Date: Wed Mar 25 17:41:36 2020
User: TitanicTony
Message:
This game was fun to win!.... You Win..... Game #: 10x1 31372-7; Game stats: 5/1/20.00%;.... Elapsed: 4:39;.... Streak: 27;.... Moves: 54/158.

Date: Tue Mar 31 15:40:31 2020
User: Klepp
Message:
8145-5 9X1...first try, but not easy...

Date: Sun Apr 5 20:42:13 2020
User: Oded789
Message:
Game #: 4x7 30844 Game stats: 5/1/20.00% Difficulty: 5 Elapsed: 7:44 For a 4x7, not particularly hard. Just took my time there.

Date: Sun Apr 5 22:22:40 2020
User: Mastermind
Message:
# 26341 6x4 10 53/1.Game may look familiar to many players.

Date: Mon Apr 6 02:57:16 2020
User: Uberman
Message:
I see what you did there Mastermind ;o) Oh that I had the time to even look at that game, but I spent way too long on the 4x9 to no avail. Congrats to Kaos, by the way.

Date: Mon Apr 6 23:12:06 2020
User: byronsmoot
Message:
Game #: 6x5 13082 Game stats: 13/1/7.69% Difficulty: 5 Elapsed: 3:27

Date: Tue Apr 7 08:28:28 2020
User: TitanicTony
Message:
I thought this one was really tricky: You Win..... Game #: 10x1 6223-9; Game stats: 2/1/50.00%;..... Elapsed: 5:08;..... Streak: 43;..... Moves: 55/120.

Date: Sat Apr 11 10:57:19 2020
User: byronsmoot
Message:
Game #: 6x5 9818 Game stats: 9/1/11.11% Difficulty: 5 Elapsed: 4:56

Date: Sat Apr 11 17:42:54 2020
User: byronsmoot
Message:
Game #: 6x5 121 Game stats: 22/1/4.55% Difficulty: 5 Elapsed: 2:44

Date: Sun Apr 12 16:21:56 2020
User: Oded789
Message:
Game #: 10x1 7966 Game stats: 21/1/4.76% Difficulty: 11 Elapsed: 12:14 One minute I had left to make it 20/20 and win a Wide Open tourney wasn't quite enough...

Date: Sun Apr 12 21:50:52 2020
User: Mastermind
Message:
Last week it was 26341,this week it is 54. 6x4 is certainly an irritation in the Masters.

Date: Mon Apr 13 12:04:35 2020
User: byronsmoot
Message:
Game #: 6x5 13306 Game stats: 15/1/6.67% Difficulty: 5 Elapsed: 3:17

Date: Mon Apr 13 13:03:32 2020
User: byronsmoot
Message:
Game #: 6x4 22556 Game stats: 45/1/2.22% Difficulty: 5 Elapsed: 3:02

Date: Mon Apr 13 18:13:48 2020
User: Kaos
Message:
Mastermind wrote: # 26341 6x4 10 53/1. Game may look familiar to many players. Now 68-2 after six more attempts from me. Hints follow below if anyone is interested. There could be multiple ways to solve this (given all the options available) but this one worked for me: You can clear column 6 with just a bit of work and then build down on a king. Then, clear a column on the left (I think it was 2 but might have been 1) and then you need the CubicSprock maneuver to keep going. One more tricky bit after that.

Date: Wed Apr 15 01:58:14 2020
User: Mastermind
Message:
Uberman, congratulations on getting over the Masters irritation. If you remember, can you please post the solution. I am curious to know if more than one approach is possible. Thanks.

Date: Wed Apr 15 02:15:56 2020
User: Uberman
Message:
Hi Mastermind, I'd love to share with you exactly what I did, but unfortunately one of my traits is not being able to remember in detail the moves I made - not really conducive to getting the really difficult games solved in tournaments, but there you go! I'm looking at the game now and it's almost as if I've never played it before (it's been two days!) - literally all I remember is clearing column 1 up to the King and building down, but what moves I made before that is beyond me at the moment. I'll see how this try goes, but apologies in advance if I'm a font of nothing.

Date: Fri Apr 17 09:50:08 2020
User: TitanicTony
Message:
I was unable to win this W4x10 game:____ Sorry You Lose. Game #: 2447-9;____ Game stats: 1/0/0.00%;____ Streak was: 45.

Date: Fri Apr 17 10:44:40 2020
User: TitanicTony
Message:
I thought this one was fairly easy.____ You Win.____Game #: 4x10 14148-5; Game stats: 5/1/20.00%;____ Elapsed: 2:41;____ Streak: 3;____ Today: 3;____ Moves: 38/96. Can anybody tell me how to win the game posted above: W4x10, 2447-9??

Date: Fri Apr 17 13:28:38 2020
User: Kaos
Message:
Yes, interesting game. You need all of those freecells. Opening is to put up col 3 to 4H and bring down the trey and deuce. Then build carefully down on QS, QD in col 1 & 2. Then clear col 4. Still some challenges after that.

Date: Fri Apr 17 17:12:04 2020
User: TitanicTony
Message:
THANKS, Kaos!! I think it is now 1/10. If it took you 9 tries, then I don't feel so bad about losing it. When I have some time, I will come back to it, and try what you suggested...

Date: Fri Apr 17 17:55:29 2020
User: Kaos
Message:
FWIW, took me 8 real tries. The first loss was just to make sure I had the right game and the tenth loss was to make notes after I won it.

Date: Fri Apr 17 20:28:39 2020
User: Mastermind
Message:
#12990 8×2 11. Extremely interesting and intriguing game.

Date: Fri Apr 17 21:23:24 2020
User: byronsmoot
Message:
#12990 8×2 11 Third try ... although I knew right away during the first game where I had made a mistake, and in anticipation of conquering the world ... played the second game too quickly causing a different mistake. A Slurpee in Sheep's Clothing.

Date: Sat Apr 18 00:27:38 2020
User: JackStraw
Message:
At what point does a game become unwinnable - 10x1 # 30878 diff 5 0 for 62- killed my little 9 game streak

Date: Sat Apr 18 09:58:25 2020
User: byronsmoot
Message:
At what point does a game become unwinnable - 10x1 # 30878 diff 5 Winnable ... 5th try ... Fun Game

Date: Sat Apr 18 12:16:59 2020
User: JackStraw
Message:
Nice 1 for 67

Date: Sat Apr 18 12:42:28 2020
User: fcPete
Message:
Can one of you old-timers explain for the newbies (less than 5 years ;-) what the "Cubic Sprock maneuver" is? Kaos mentioned it earlier this week, and since CS is a wizard here, I figure it could be a good addition to my limited bag of tricks. Thanks! BTW, a google search of "Cubic Sprock maneuver" returns only TWO instances across the entire internet! Never seen such a small number of responses from the G.

Date: Sat Apr 18 14:07:36 2020
User: WRAC
Message:
The CubicSprock maneuver (so named after he used it to solve a tough 8x2 and thereby clinch a Masters victory), is when you build down cards in an empty column NOT starting with the highest card available. For example, say you had an empty column and the 9S, 8H and 7C in free cells. The intuitive move would be to put all 3 cards in the column. If instead, you only put the 8H and 7C down, that would be a CS maneuver. In the short run, this costs you a free cell, but in the long run, it might allow you to move the contents of said column to another column when you otherwise wouldn't have been able to.

Date: Sat Apr 18 14:19:24 2020
User: Uberman
Message:
And just for reference, here's the tournament to which WRAC refers. The 8x2 at one point had a stat-line of 1 win in over 500 attempts!

Link: The Birth Of The CubicSprock Manoeuvre