Klondike Solitaire

How to play Klondike Solitaire

The goal is to move all 52 cards onto the four foundations, one pile per suit, building up from Ace to King.

1. Seven columns are dealt: the first has one card, the last has seven. Only the top card of each column is face up.
2. Move face-up cards between columns, building down in alternating colours: a red 6 goes on a black 7, a black Jack on a red Queen.
3. You can move a whole run of face-up cards together, as long as its first card fits the column you drop it on.
4. When you uncover a face-down card, it turns over and joins the game.
5. Only a King, or a run that starts with a King, can go into an empty column.
6. Tap the stock at the top to draw cards onto the waste. The top waste card can go to a column or a foundation.
7. When the stock runs out, tap it again to turn the waste back over and go through it once more.

Draw 1 or draw 3

In draw 1 you turn one card at a time, so every card in the stock is reachable on each pass. Most games can be won this way, which makes it a relaxed choice.

In draw 3 you turn three cards and can only play the top one. The cards underneath come up in a different order on the next pass, so you have to plan ahead. It is the classic challenge for experienced players. Changing the mode starts a new deal.

Strategy tips

• Turn over face-down cards first. A move that reveals a hidden card is almost always better than one that doesn't.
• Work on the longest columns early: they hide the most cards.
• Don't empty a column unless you have a King ready to fill it.
• Move Aces and Twos to the foundations at once, but think before sending higher cards up: you may need them to hold a lower card of the other colour.
• In draw 3, go through the stock before committing to a move, so you know which cards are coming.
• Stuck? Use Undo to try a different line. There is no limit.

Scoring

Every move adds to the move counter, and the clock starts with your first move.

• A card to a foundation: +10
• A card from the waste to a column: +5
• Turning over a face-down card: +5
• A card from a foundation back to a column: −15
• Turning the waste back into the stock: −20 (the score never goes below zero)

Questions and answers