To play Klondike Solitaire, build the four foundation piles up from Ace to King by suit, while stacking the tableau columns down in alternating colours to free the cards you need. You win when all 52 cards reach the foundations. You can try every idea below on the live Solitaire board.
The setup and the legal moves
Seven columns make up the tableau. The first has one card, the second two, and so on, and only the bottom card of each column starts face up. The rest of the deck sits in the stock, which you turn over to reveal more cards.
There are only a few legal moves. On the tableau you place a card on one that is one rank higher and the opposite colour, so a red six goes on a black seven. You move an Ace to start a foundation, then build that foundation up in the same suit. A King, and only a King, can move into an empty column.
Draw-one versus draw-three
Before you deal, pick how many cards turn from the stock. Draw-one shows a single card you can play right away, which is the gentler game and wins far more often. Draw-three turns three cards and lets you play only the top one, so the cards underneath stay out of reach until you cycle through again. Draw-three is the traditional version and the harder test.
If you are learning, start on draw-one. The rules are identical, so everything you practise carries straight over when you move up.
Habits that win more games
A few simple habits separate a won deal from a stalled one:
- Turn the stock early and often so you know what is coming before you commit the board.
- Free your face-down cards first. A column you cannot dig into is dead weight, so prefer moves that flip a hidden card.
- Do not rush every Ace and Two up. Sometimes a low card is more useful on the tableau, holding a colour you need for a later move.
- Empty a column when you can, then save it for a King that unblocks the most cards.
When the board is all face up and the path is clear, the auto-complete button finishes the deal for you, and undo means a wrong move never ends the game. Open the Solitaire board and play a few deals with these habits in mind. For why a quiet round of cards is worth the time, see the benefits of puzzle games.