Canfield is a solitaire game originally almost impossible win, but because of various relaxations of the rules over the years, the game can now often be won with a bit the right strategies. The goal of Canfield Solitaire is to move all the cards in the game to the four foundation piles.
Layout
There are four different areas in the layout. The tableau is located below to the right in the layout. The tableau contains four piles, and each pile contains one card at the beginning of the game. The stock pile is located on the top left. Cards from the deck can be turned face up three and three into a pile next to it. The top card in this pile can be brought into play and moved to either the tableau or a foundation pile. When all the cards in the stock pile are turned, the entire pile can be turned over, and the game continues. The reserve pile consists of 13 cards. The top card in the reserve pile is turned face up and can be moved to the tableau or a foundation pile. The foundation piles are located in the top right side of the layout. The initial value of the first card in the foundation piles is determined by a randomly drawn card which is moved to the first foundation pile. This card also determines the base value of the other three foundation piles.
Canfield Solitaire rules
A card can be moved to the tableau if it has a different color and value one less than the top card in the pile it is moved to. This applies to cards from tableau, the stock pile, as well as from the reserve pile. Two entire piles from the tableau can be merged thus leaving an empty pile. Single cards or other sequences of cards cannot be moved between the piles in the tableau. Only cards from the reserve pile can be placed in an empty pile. Only if the reserve pile is empty, also a card from the stock pile can be moved to an empty pile in the tableau. Any free card from the tableau, the stock pile or the reserve pile can be moved to a foundation pile, if the card has the same suit and a rank one above the top card of the foundation pile. Aces can be placed on top of kings, if the base cards of the foundation piles are not aces.
Canfield Solitaire strategy
A good strategy for Canfield Solitaire is to get all the cards from the reserve pile into play as soon as possible. If this succeeds, the cards from the stock pile are carefully played, such that every new card in play provides additional alternatives or empty piles in the tableau.
Do you enjoy playing classic solitaire? If you like solitaire games like Canfield, all of our other game in the category solitaire would propably be interesting to you as well.