When Is Clearing the Shortest Klondike Column the Best Plan?
Clear the shortest column first when its cards have clean destinations and the empty lane enables a King move that opens deeper cards. Length alone is not enough.
Clear the shortest column first when its cards already have safe destinations and the empty lane enables a specific King move. The number of cards is only a useful shortcut; destination quality decides the real cost.
A two-card column can be impossible to clear, while a four-card legal sequence may move in one action.
A strong short-column clear
Suppose the short column contains 6♣–5♥, and 7♦ is exposed. Move the pair onto 7♦ and the column becomes empty. K♠–Q♥–J♣ can then enter from a deep column, revealing its next hidden card.
The sequence is strong because the first move has a named follow-up and preserves the moved cards in legal order.
A short column that should wait
Now suppose the column contains 6♣ with no red Seven available. Sending 6♣ to the foundation would clear the column, but 5♥ remains in the tableau and still needs a black Six. The apparent shortcut removes support and can block the position.
Meanwhile, a deeper column may expose a card with one legal move. Work there first.
Compare moves, not column labels
Count how many transfers are required, whether they are reversible, and what the empty lane will receive. If no King or King-led sequence can use the space productively, the clear may not be urgent.
A column is “cheap” only when its cards have destinations that do not create new dependencies.
A four-part test
- Can the entire face-up tail move together?
- Do the destinations preserve needed opposite-color parents?
- Which King will enter the new lane?
- What hidden card or additional empty column will that King move produce?
Use the test in Play Klondike Draw 1 or Play Klondike Draw 3.
Sources used
This guide distinguishes PlaySoli's current game rules from historical variants and marks disputed claims instead of presenting them as settled facts.