Objective

The goal of Klondike Solitaire is to move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, sorted by suit in ascending order from Ace to King.

The Layout

A game of Klondike Solitaire has four areas:

• Tableau: Seven columns of cards in the center of the board. The top card of each column is face-up; the rest are face-down. Columns increase in size from left (1 card) to right (7 cards).
• Foundations: Four empty piles (top-right) where you build each suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The remaining 24 cards in a face-down pile (top-left). Click to draw new cards.
• Waste (or discard pile): Cards drawn from the stock land here. Only the top card is available to play.

Moving Cards

Tableau Rules

Cards in the tableau are arranged in descending order with alternating colors — place a red card on a black card, or a black card on a red card. For example, a red 6 goes on a black 7.

• You can move a single face-up card or a group of sequenced face-up cards together.
• Only a King (or a sequence starting with a King) can be placed on an empty tableau column.
• When you move a card that was covering a face-down card, the face-down card flips automatically.

Foundation Rules

Foundations are built by suit in ascending order, starting with the Ace:

A → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 → 9 → 10 → J → Q → K

• Each foundation holds one suit only (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, or Clubs).
• Only one card at a time can be moved to a foundation.
• You can move a card back from the foundation to the tableau if needed.

Drawing from the Stock

When you have no more moves in the tableau, draw cards from the stock pile:

• Click the stock pile to draw cards to the waste pile.
• The top card of the waste pile is available to play onto the tableau or a foundation.
• When the stock is empty, click it to recycle the waste pile back into the stock.

Draw 1 and Draw 3

Klondike Solitaire offers two draw modes that change the difficulty:

Mode	Cards Drawn	Difficulty	Win Rate
Draw 1	1 card per click	Easier	~40-50%
Draw 3	3 cards per click	Harder	~10-15%

In Draw 3 mode, three cards are turned over at once, but only the top card is playable. You can see the two cards beneath it, but you must play or move the top card before accessing them. This requires more careful planning and multiple passes through the stock.

Controls and Features

Selecting and Moving Cards

To move a card, click it to select it. Valid destinations will be highlighted on the board. Then click the destination to complete the move.

• Green highlight on a card means it has at least one valid move available.
• Red highlight on a column or foundation shows where a selected card can go.
• If you click a card that has no valid moves, it shakes briefly.

Auto-Complete

When all remaining cards in the tableau are face-up and the stock is empty, the game detects that you can finish automatically. An Auto-complete button appears — click it to watch the cards fly to the foundations one by one.

Winning

You win when all four foundations are complete — each containing 13 cards from Ace to King. A win message appears with your move count and time.

Is every Klondike Solitaire game winnable?

No. Studies estimate that roughly 80-82% of Klondike Solitaire deals are theoretically winnable with perfect play. However, because you can't see the face-down cards, even skilled players win around 40-50% in Draw 1 mode and 10-15% in Draw 3 mode. If you're stuck, starting a new game is always an option.

Strategy Tips

Always play Aces and Twos immediately

There is never a reason to leave an Ace or Two in the tableau. Move them to the foundations as soon as they appear — they cannot be useful in tableau sequences.

Prioritize revealing face-down cards

The most important moves are those that flip hidden cards. More visible cards give you more options and a better chance of finding the cards you need. Choose columns with fewer face-down cards to uncover them faster.

Keep foundations roughly balanced

Avoid building one foundation far ahead of the others. If Spades is at 8 but Hearts is at 2, you won't be able to play many red cards on the tableau because their destinations are buried in the foundations. Keep suits within 2-3 ranks of each other.

Use empty columns strategically

Empty tableau columns are powerful — they act as temporary storage. Only place Kings in empty columns (since only Kings can go there), and prefer Kings that will let you build long sequences.

Think before moving Kings

Not all Kings are equal. A King that uncovers face-down cards or enables a long alternating sequence is more valuable than one that just fills an empty column.

Manage the stock carefully

In Draw 3 mode, pay attention to the order of cards in the stock. You may need to cycle through the stock multiple times to access a specific card, so plan your draws to expose the cards you need.

Use undo to explore

The undo button lets you experiment with different move sequences risk-free. If a line of play doesn't work out, undo back and try a different approach.

Summary

Klondike Solitaire rewards patience, observation, and strategic planning. Build foundations by suit from Ace to King, arrange tableau cards in descending order with alternating colors, and draw from the stock when you run out of moves. Focus on uncovering hidden cards, keep your foundations balanced, and use empty columns wisely. With practice, you'll develop the pattern recognition to win consistently.