How to Play Solitaire Classic

Solitaire Classic, also known as Klondike, is a straightforward yet strategic card game. This guide will walk you through the basic rules and strategies to help you master this timeless classic.

Objective

The goal of Solitaire Classic is to move all cards to the four foundation piles, sorted by suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) and ranked from Ace (low) to King (high).

Setup

Solitaire Classic uses a standard 52-card deck. The game layout consists of:

• Tableau: Seven columns of cards. The first column has one card, the second has two, and so on. The top card of each column is face-up, while the rest are face-down.
• Stock (or Draw) Pile: The remaining cards placed face-down in the upper left.
• Waste Pile: Where cards from the stock pile are placed after being drawn.
• Foundation Piles: Four empty spots at the top right, where you'll build the four suits from Ace to King.

Basic Rules

Moving Cards in the Tableau

In the tableau, cards must be placed in descending order (King to Ace) and alternating colors (red and black). For example, you can place a red 9 on a black 10.

Building Foundation Piles

Foundation piles are built in ascending order (Ace to King) by suit. Each foundation begins with an Ace.

Using the Stock Pile

When no moves are available in the tableau, draw cards from the stock pile. Depending on the variation, you may draw one or three cards at a time. In traditional Solitaire Classic, cards are drawn one at a time.

Moving Kings

Only Kings can be placed on empty tableau columns.

Step-by-Step Play

1. Examine the tableau for available moves. Look for face-up cards that can be moved to create a descending sequence of alternating colors.
2. Reveal hidden cards whenever possible by moving face-up cards.
3. Move Aces to the foundation piles as soon as they become available.
4. Build on the foundation piles whenever it doesn't block more useful moves in the tableau.
5. Use empty columns strategically to manipulate card sequences.
6. When no moves are available in the tableau, draw from the stock pile.
7. Continue until all cards are moved to the foundation piles (a win) or no more moves are possible (a loss).

Strategy Tips

• Always try to uncover face-down cards in the tableau.
• Create empty columns whenever possible to give yourself more flexibility.
• Don't rush to move cards to the foundation piles if they're useful in the tableau.
• Plan several moves ahead, especially when deciding which card to place on a foundation pile.
• Pay attention to color sequences to avoid blocking important cards.