Klondike – Rules

Play Klondike against the computer

1. Overview

What is it about? Klondike is the best-known patience in the world. Seven piles lie side by side, with only the top card of each face up. You build cards downwards in alternating red and black, uncover face-down cards along the way and gradually build four foundations from ace to king.

2. Cards and material

• Pack: 52 French cards without jokers.
• Ranking (low → high): A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K.
• Colours: Hearts and diamonds are red, spades and clubs black.
• Face up and face down: In the tableau only the top cards are face up; the stock is face down, the waste face up.
• No other material needed.

3. Preparation and start

1. Shuffle: Shuffle all 52 cards well.
2. Lay out the tableau: Form seven piles: the first gets 1 card, the second 2 … the seventh 7 cards. Only the top card of each is turned face up.
3. Stock: Put the remaining 24 cards aside face down.
4. Foundations: The four spaces start empty.
5. Start: First check all possible moves in the tableau, then turn cards from the stock.

Start example: The top cards are the ace of hearts, 8 of spades, 9 of diamonds, 4 of clubs, 7 of hearts, 2 of spades and 10 of clubs. The ace of hearts goes straight to a foundation.

4. Goal and winning

• Won: All 52 cards lie on the four foundations, each suit from ace to king.
• Lost: No useful move is possible any more.
• No opponent: You play against the cards – and against the clock or the number of moves, if you like.

5. Play in detail

Building in the tableau.

1. A face-up card may be placed on a face-up card one rank higher and of the opposite colour (red/black) – e.g. the 7 of hearts on the 8 of spades.
2. Whole sequences of face-up cards may be moved together if the bottom card fits.
3. When a face-down card becomes free, turn it over.
4. Only a king (with everything on it) may go into an empty space in the tableau.

Building on the foundations.

• Each foundation starts with an ace, followed by 2, 3 … up to the king in the same suit.
• You may also move cards back from there into the tableau if it helps.

Stock.

• When no move is left, turn 1 card (or, depending on the rule, 3 cards) from the stock onto the waste.
• The top waste card may go to the tableau or a foundation.
• When the stock is empty, turn the waste over to form a new stock (depending on the rule, as often as you like or only a few times).

Example.

1. The ace of hearts goes to a foundation. The first tableau space is now empty – only a king may go there.
2. You move the 7 of hearts (fifth pile) onto the 8 of spades (second pile): red on black, one lower. Beneath it the king of diamonds is turned up.
3. You move the king of diamonds to the empty first space. In the fifth pile another card is turned up.
4. The 8 of spades with the 7 of hearts on it fits as a whole onto the 9 of diamonds (third pile). In the second pile a card becomes free.
5. No more moves in the tableau: you turn a card from the stock. It's the 2 of hearts – it goes on the ace of hearts.

6. Scoring

• Classically all that counts is won or not won.
• Moves and time (variant): Fewer moves or a faster time are better.
• Points (variant): e.g. +10 for every card on a foundation, +5 for every card turned up in the tableau.
• Vegas scoring (variant): You “buy” the deal for 52 points and get 5 for each card on a foundation.

7. Special rules and situations

• Draw three: With the draw-three rule only the top one of the three turned cards can be played.
• Limited passes: Often the stock may be gone through only once or three times.
• Empty space: Only kings (or a sequence with a king at the bottom) may go there.
• Unsolvable deals: Some deals cannot be solved – that's not a mistake.
• Undo: On a computer moves can often be undone; with real cards that's up to you.
• Common mistakes: moving cards to the foundations too early when they're still needed in the tableau; emptying a space without a king to fill it.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: draw 1 card, unlimited passes through the stock.

On cardgames.zone you choose whether 1 or 3 cards are drawn and whether the stock may be gone through unlimited times, three times or only once. Moves can be undone, and at the end the rest can be finished automatically.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Tableau first: Check every move in the tableau before drawing from the stock.
2. Big piles first: Prefer uncovering cards in the tall piles on the right.
3. Play aces and twos at once: Otherwise they just block.
4. Don't build up too fast: Middle cards like 5 or 6 are still needed in the tableau.
5. Empty spaces only with a king: Clear a space only when a king is ready.
6. Choose the king's colour: Think about whether a red or black king fits better.
7. Watch the stock: Remember which cards are in the stock.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. Shuffle 52 cards.
2. Seven piles of 1 to 7 cards, top cards face up.
3. Put the rest aside as the stock.
4. Build down in the tableau, alternating red and black.
5. Whole face-up sequences may be moved.
6. Turn over freed face-down cards.
7. Fill empty spaces only with a king.
8. Foundations: ace to king in each suit.
9. No move: turn 1 (or 3) cards from the stock.
10. All cards on the foundations: won.

11. Frequently asked questions

Can every deal be solved?

With real cards, no: depending on the rules, some deals cannot be solved. On cardgames.zone only solvable deals are dealt – choose easy, medium or hard.

May I take cards back from the foundations?

Yes. That's allowed and sometimes necessary.

What may go into an empty space?

Only a king – alone or with a fitting sequence on it.

Which is harder: drawing 1 or 3 cards?

Drawing 3 is clearly harder, because you can't reach every stock card.

How often may I go through the stock?

That depends on the agreed rule: unlimited, three times or once.

Where does the name come from?

From the Klondike gold rush in Canada at the end of the 19th century, where the game is said to have been popular.

Origin & history

Klondike is named after the gold rush on the Klondike River in Canada (1896–1899), where it was supposedly played. It became known worldwide because Microsoft shipped it as “Solitaire” with Windows from 1990 – partly to practise using the mouse.