What is Canfield Solitaire?

Canfield is a one-deck game with a 13-card reserve pile. It looks a little like Klondike, but the reserve and the unusual starting rank of the foundation piles make it quite different.[1]

PlayersOne
Decks1
DifficultyAdvanced
FamilyBuilding

How to set up the cards

Start with the following arrangement.[1][2]

  1. Shuffle one 52-card deck. Turn one card face up to begin the first foundation pile. Its rank sets the starting rank for all four foundations.
  2. Deal four cards face up to four playing columns. Make a reserve of 13 cards, with its top card face up and available for play.
  3. The remaining 34 cards form the stock. In this version, you turn over three at a time.

How to play

Follow these rules for the version described here.[1][2]

  1. Build downward in alternating colors in the main columns.
  2. You may move a correctly ordered group of face-up cards together.
  3. Build all four foundation piles upward in suit, beginning with the same starting rank. After King, continue with Ace if needed.
  4. Foundations wrap from King to Ace, so a foundation beginning with a 9 can continue 9–10–Jack–Queen–King–Ace–2 and upward.
  5. When a column becomes empty, fill it with the top reserve card while any reserve cards remain. Once the reserve is empty, any available card or correctly ordered group may fill an empty column.
  6. Turn three stock cards at a time onto the waste pile. The top waste card can be played; if you exhaust the stock, turn the waste over in the same order and deal again.

An example of a move

Imagine the foundation piles start with a 6. You will build 7, 8 and so on up to King, then continue with Ace through 5.

If you empty one of the main columns, the next reserve card takes that space. It does not stay empty for you to use freely.

Before clearing a column, check which reserve card will appear next and whether it will help you.

Tips for playing

These tips can help you decide what to do next. They are suggestions, not guaranteed ways to win.

  • Pay attention to the top reserve card: clearing a column usually brings it into play.
  • Remember that the foundation piles do not always begin with Aces.
  • Keep useful connecting cards in the columns when they help you reveal more of the reserve.

Common mistakes

  • Do not assume Canfield has the same seven-column setup as Klondike.
  • An empty column is usually filled from the reserve, not left available.
  • The starting rank of the foundations matters; it can be any rank.

Popular variations

Canfield has also been known as Demon, and older books sometimes used the names Canfield and Klondike differently from today. The main point for this guide is the 13-card reserve and the foundations that begin at a rank other than Ace.[3][2]

The story behind the game

History & origins

What we knowHistorical names overlap; original inventor not established

The name Canfield has been used inconsistently. A reserve-based patience game widely called Canfield today is also known as Demon; it is not the same layout as Klondike.[1][4]

Lady Cadogan’s 1914 collection includes a different game under the heading “Canfield or Klondike.” That historical title is one reason the names can be confusing.[3]

The familiar reserve-based Canfield uses a 13-card reserve, four tableau columns and foundations beginning at a randomly chosen rank. The identity of the original inventor is not securely documented.[1]

Frequently asked questions

Does Canfield always start its foundations with Aces?

No. The initially selected foundation rank determines the common base.

How many cards are in the reserve?

Thirteen cards in the model described here.

Is Canfield another name for Klondike?

Naming has been inconsistent historically, but this entry defines the distinct reserve-based Canfield rules.

What if the reserve runs out?

An empty tableau column can then be filled with any available card or correctly ordered group.

Sources & further reading

  1. 01
    Rosanna Yuen / GNOME AisleRiot project (undated (repository manual)). Canfield — AisleRiot rule documentation.

    GNOME AisleRiot upstream source repository · Open-source implementation specification

    View source ↗
  2. 02
    Charlie Blake & Ian P. Gent (2024). The Winnability of Solitaire and Patience Games (v5), Appendix A, Table 6.

    University of St Andrews / arXiv preprint · University working paper

    View source ↗
  3. 03
    Lady Adelaide Cadogan, revised edition (1914). Lady Cadogan’s Illustrated Games of Solitaire or Patience — “Canfield or Klondike”.

    David McKay Company; public-domain digitization by Project Gutenberg · Historical primary book / digital archive

    View source ↗
  4. 04
    David Parlett (undated). History of Patience/Solitaire.

    David Parlett — original games historian essay · Specialist historical essay

    View source ↗