Klondike Solitaire

How to Play Klondike Solitaire

Klondike Solitaire, often simply called "Solitaire," is the most famous solitaire card game and is bundled with Windows operating systems, introducing millions of people to card games worldwide. The game uses a standard 52-card deck and is played against the table rather than opponents. The objective is to move all 52 cards to four foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King. The challenge lies in the setup, which creates an intricate puzzle requiring strategic card movement to solve.

The tableau consists of seven columns of cards dealt face-down and face-up in a specific pattern. The first column has one card, the second has two, and so on until the seventh column which has seven cards. Only the top card of each column is face-up, and the remaining cards form the stock pile. When you draw from the stock, you typically flip three cards at a time with the top card being playable, though some variations use draw-one rules.

Cards can be moved between tableau columns following alternating color rules: red cards must be placed on black cards and vice versa, and cards must be placed in descending order. For example, you could place the 6 of Hearts on the 7 of Spades. When a face-down card is exposed in the tableau, you can flip it face-up if it's the next in sequence. Empty tableau columns can only be filled with Kings or sequences starting with Kings.

Foundation piles are built up by suit from Ace to King. Once an Ace is available, it should typically go to a foundation pile. Cards in the foundation follow strict suit sequence rules and cannot be moved back to the tableau except in rare situations. The stock pile provides new cards when you need them, and cards from the waste pile can be used when the top card is playable.

Pro Tips for Winning

• Flip cards from the tableau early: Exposing face-down cards should be a priority because they unlock new possibilities. Whenever you can safely move a card that reveals a face-down card, do so. This doesn't mean rushing, because sometimes keeping certain cards in place prevents accidental moves, but generally more exposed cards means more options.
• Don't rush cards to the foundation: While getting Aces to the foundation is necessary, moving other cards prematurely can block your tableau. Cards in the foundation can't be retrieved except in very limited circumstances, so be strategic about when you promote cards. Sometimes keeping a card in the tableau maintains flexibility.
• Create empty columns strategically: Empty tableau columns are valuable because they can hold Kings and long sequences. Try to establish at least one empty column as early as possible, and preferably more than one. This dramatically increases your options for arranging cards and eventually clearing other columns.
• Plan sequences before moving: Before moving a card, think about the consequences. Will that move expose a needed card? Will it block the column? Sometimes it's better to move a different card even if the obvious move seems correct. Looking ahead two or three moves helps avoid mistakes.

Popular Variations

Spider Solitaire uses eight columns and two decks, with the goal of building sequences by suit regardless of color, and is considered more challenging due to larger scale. Pyramid Solitaire requires pairing cards that add up to 13 to remove them from a pyramid-shaped tableau. Golf Solitaire involves playing cards one higher or lower than the waste pile to clear a grid of cards. Vegas Scoring gives the game a gambling twist where you pay for each draw and win based on cards moved to foundations.

Frequently Asked Questions