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Klondike variant

Klondike (Turn 1) Solitaire

The classic. One card at a time. Almost every deal is winnable.

Klondike Turn 1 is the textbook solitaire. The stock turns one card at a time, so every card is reachable and almost every game is winnable with the right plan. It's the version most people picture when they hear the word "solitaire" - and the version Microsoft shipped on every Windows PC for two decades. In Solitaire Royal players win around 35% of Turn 1 deals.

Klondike (Turn 1) solitaire opening layout
Opening deal of Klondike (Turn 1) - Klondike family

How to play Klondike (Turn 1)

Goal - Move all the cards to the Foundation

Decks

  • A standard deck (52 cards)

Redeals

  • No

Foundation

  • Built up by suit from Ace to King
  • The top card of each pile is available for move

Tableau

  • Build tableau piles down by the alternating color
  • The top card of each pile is available for move
  • Group of cards in the proper sequence can be moved
  • An empty pile can be filled with a King or a pile starting with a King

Stock

  • Press to turn over 1 card from the Stock to the Waste
  • When empty, press to redeal all cards from Waste to Stock

Waste

  • The top card of each pile is available for move

What makes Klondike (Turn 1) different

  • Stock turns one card at a time - slower but more deliberate.

Strategy & tips

  • Cycle the stock once before committing - knowing what's in the deck completely changes early move choice.
  • Treat aces as foundation candy: send them up, but think twice before sending higher cards. Tableau colour matters.
  • Empty columns are gold - hoard them for kings, then for chains.
  • Play aces and twos to the foundation immediately, but think twice before sending higher cards - you may need them in the tableau.

Origin & history

Klondike emerged among gold prospectors in the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada around 1907. The Microsoft Windows release in 1990 turned it into the most-played card game in computing history.

Other Klondike variants

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