How to Play Klondike Solitaire
Klondike is the solitaire most people simply call "Solitaire". You sort a shuffled deck into four piles, one per suit, from Ace up to King. To get there you build columns of alternating colours and dig out the face-down cards.
The deal
- Seven columns: the first has 1 card, the second 2, and so on up to 7. Only the last card of each column is face up.
- The other 24 cards form the stock, face down.
- Above the columns are four empty foundations, one for each suit.
Building the columns
- You can put a card on a card one rank higher of the opposite colour: a red 7 on a black 8, a black Jack on a red Queen.
- You can move a run of face-up cards together, as long as its top card fits where it's going.
- When you move the last face-up card off a column, the face-down card underneath turns over.
- Only a King, or a run starting with a King, can go into an empty column.
The stock and the waste
Click the stock to turn cards onto the waste:
- Draw 1 (kawu's default): one card at a time.
- Draw 3: three at a time. They're fanned out, and only the top one can be played. When you play it, the one beneath becomes playable.
When the stock runs out, click it again to turn the waste back over and go through it again. On kawu you can do this as often as you like.
The foundations
Move each Ace to a foundation as soon as it's free, then build that suit up: 2, 3, 4 … up to the King. Click a card that can go to a foundation and it goes there. Double-click any card to send it to the best place.
Winning
You win when all 52 cards are on the foundations. Once every card in the columns is face up, an Auto-complete button appears and finishes the game for you.
Solvable deals
Plenty of Klondike deals can't be won, however well you play. By default kawu deals only games that its solver, which can see every card, has managed to win. Every game you start can be won, though the solver may have needed moves that are hard to find. Turn off "Only deal games that can be won" in the settings for fully random deals.
Playing on kawu
- Undo as much as you like, including drawing from the stock.
- Hint suggests a useful move.
- Your time, moves and win rate are kept separately for draw 1 and draw 3.
- The daily deal (draw 1, solvable) is the same for everyone each day.
Next, read the Klondike strategy guide. Or try FreeCell, where every card is face up from the start.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between draw 1 and draw 3?
In draw 1 you turn one card from the stock at a time, and every card in the stock is reachable on every pass. In draw 3 you turn three at a time and can only play the top one, so some cards stay buried until a later pass. Draw 3 is the classic version and much harder.
Can any card go into an empty column?
No. Only a King, or a run of cards that starts with a King, can be moved into an empty column.
How many times can I go through the stock?
As many times as you like on kawu. When the stock is empty, click it to turn the waste back over.
Can every Klondike game be won?
No. Some deals are impossible to win, even if you could see every card. By default kawu only deals games that its solver has won, so a win is always possible. You can turn this off in the settings.
Can I move a card back from a foundation?
Yes. The top card of a foundation can go back onto a column, which sometimes helps you move another card.
Last updated 2026-10-18