Solitaire

How to play Klondike Solitaire

The goal is to move all 52 cards onto the four foundations at the top right, one pile per suit, in order from Ace up to King.

1. In the seven tableau columns, build downward in alternating colours — a red 7 on a black 8, a black 6 on that red 7, and so on.
2. You can move a whole run of face-up cards together, as long as it keeps that pattern.
3. When you move the last face-up card off a column, the card under it turns over.
4. Only a King (or a run starting with a King) can go into an empty column.
5. When you run out of moves, tap the stock at the top left to turn over new cards. When the stock is empty, tap it again to turn the waste pile back over.

Strategy tips

• Uncover hidden cards first. Moves that turn over a face-down card in the tableau are almost always better than playing from the waste.
• Work on the biggest columns. The right-hand columns hide the most cards, so freeing them early opens up the game.
• Don’t empty a column without a King ready. An empty column is only useful if you have a King to put in it.
• Don’t rush cards to the foundations. Low cards are safe to send up, but you may still need a 5 or 6 in the tableau to hold a 4 or 5 of the other colour.
• Use Undo to explore. There’s no penalty, so try a line, and back out if it goes nowhere.

A short history of solitaire

Patience games like Klondike have been played with real cards since at least the 1800s. The name is often linked to the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada’s Yukon at the end of that century. It became the best-known single-player card game in the world when it started shipping on personal computers, and it’s still one of the most-played games online today.

Frequently asked questions