Canfield Solitaire

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Canfield Solitaire, also called Demon Patience, pairs four tableau columns with a 13-card reserve. Build all four foundations from the deal’s starting rank. Play free, without ads or signup, with hints, undo and saved progress.

How to Play

  1. One 52-card deck: 13 cards go into the reserve, with only the top visible. One card starts a foundation and sets the base rank for every suit. Four cards start four face-up tableau columns; the other 34 form the stock.
  2. Build foundations upward by suit from the base rank, wrapping from King to Ace, until each holds 13 cards. If the base is 7, each suit runs 7–8–9–10–J–Q–K–A–2–3–4–5–6. Foundation cards cannot return to play.
  3. Build tableau columns downward in alternating colors, wrapping from Ace to King. A red King fits on a black Ace; a red King on a red Ace is illegal. Move a single exposed top card or an entire column, never just part of a multi-card sequence.
  4. The reserve’s top card may play to a foundation or a matching tableau card. Every emptied column immediately receives the reserve’s top card, revealing the next one. Once the reserve is empty, only the top waste card can fill a space; another tableau column cannot move there.
  5. Draw three stock cards at a time, or all remaining cards if fewer than three. Only the top waste card is playable. At the end of the stock, recycle the waste without shuffling; redeals are unlimited. You may draw before using other moves.
  6. Drag a card or whole column to a highlighted pile, or tap a source and then a destination. The numbered column and suit buttons also choose destinations. Keyboard: choose a source and destination in the menus, then activate Move. Escape cancels selection and hints.
  7. Undo restores a complete move, including reserve refill and exposure. Reset repeats this deal; New game starts another. Progress saves automatically. Hints suggest legal actions, not a winning solution. Auto-complete appears only when a foundation-only finish has been verified.

Strategy

Work through the reserve

Emptying a column uncovers a reserve card automatically. Compare a whole-column move with a single-card move: only the first may reveal new information.

Count from the base rank

With a 7 base, a 6 finishes a foundation. Do not treat an Ace as the starting card unless the deal’s base is Ace.

Use the draw-three order

Playing a waste card changes the packets on the next pass. Unlimited redeals do not guarantee that a blocked card becomes playable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fills an empty column in Canfield?

Cards4 immediately fills it from the reserve. When that pile is exhausted, only the waste’s top card may fill the space. Some versions also allow tableau cards; this version does not.

Can I move part of a sequence?

You may move one top card or an entire tableau column. A proper group of two or more cards taken from a longer column is illegal.

Can Kings and Aces wrap?

Yes. Foundations build King to Ace in the same suit. Tableau builds Ace to King in alternating colors.

How many times can I redeal?

There is no redeal limit. Cards4 draws three and recycles the waste in its existing order without shuffling.

Is every deal winnable?

These are random deals with no solvability guarantee. Hints are legal suggestions. Solvable-only deals and daily Canfield are not available.

How does Canfield differ from Klondike?

Both build tableau columns in alternating colors. Canfield adds a reserve, a variable foundation base and rank wrapping, and restricts group moves to whole columns.

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