How Do Foundations Work in Klondike?
Each Klondike foundation starts with an Ace and rises in exact rank order to the King. That scope matters. It also shows what changes after the move.
Each Klondike foundation starts with an Ace and rises in exact rank order to the King.
Foundation cards stay in one suit; a club foundation accepts only clubs.
The tableau descends in alternating colors, while foundations ascend by suit. The useful distinction is between a card that looks possible and a move that satisfies every condition at once.
How the rule works
Only an available tableau or waste card can move to a foundation; a buried card cannot jump there.
In PlaySoli, the exposed top foundation card may be moved back to a legal tableau destination.
Progress is useful, but the game is won only when its full objective has been completed.
In Klondike, placement and access are inseparable. A move may obey the red-black or foundation order yet still cover a needed waste card, spend the only empty column, or leave a hidden card untouched.
Read the board in two layers: first test whether the move is legal, then ask which face-down card, stock card, or empty lane will be affected next.
Worked card examples
The cards below turn the rule into a position you can verify rather than a phrase to memorize.
5♣ may go only on 4♣, not on 4♠ or any red four.
Check both the immediate connection and the card that will become available after the move. That second consequence is often where two apparently similar choices diverge.
2♥ may move to its foundation only after A♥ is already there.
The counterexample matters just as much: it shows which single condition fails and prevents an accidental rule from being learned.
A reliable check before moving
Before committing the move, run three separate checks:
- Check that the immediately lower card of the same suit is already on the foundation.
- Check that the card is actually available, not merely visible beneath another card.
- Look at the position after the move: what becomes exposed, blocked, or newly usable?
If all three checks pass, make the move and reassess the new endpoints. A legal move can change access, available workspace, and the value of the next legal move.
How to use this at the table
Use the rule as a small decision procedure, not as an isolated sentence. Identify the available card, test its destination, and then inspect what the move uncovers or consumes.
To test the explanation on a live deal, open Play Klondike Draw 1 and reproduce the card example before extending the plan.
Sources used
- SRC-001 PlaySoli implementation and editorial specification.
- SRC-002 Current PlaySoli product rules: Solitaire Turn 1.
This guide distinguishes PlaySoli's current game rules from historical variants and marks disputed claims instead of presenting them as settled facts.