Canfield Solitaire

Canfield solitaire is a one-player card game played with a single 52-card deck. This page lets you play it for free in your web browser, with no account and no sign-up.

The game starts with a reserve of 13 cards, one card on the first foundation, and four tableau columns. Your goal is to build all four foundations up in suit from the same starting rank, wrapping from King to Ace, until all 52 cards are on them. Each deal has a number, so you can replay it or share it. The page also tracks your moves, timer, win record and best time for each draw mode.

How to play canfield solitaire online

1. Look at the Draw select. Draw 3 is the default. Choose Draw 1 if you want to turn over one card at a time. Changing it starts a new game.
2. Set Stock passes to Unlimited passes (default) or 3 passes.
3. Keep Auto-move on (Auto-move on, the default), or switch to Auto-move off to make every move yourself.
4. Read the Start rank chip and the badge “Foundations start at …”. This is the rank every foundation builds from.
5. Click or tap the Stock to turn cards onto the waste.
6. Tap a card to send it to the best legal place, or drag it to a column or foundation.
7. Press Hint when you are stuck. Press Undo to step back as far as you like.
8. Press New game for a new deal, or Restart this deal to replay the same deal from the start.

The keyboard works too: arrow keys move the cursor, Enter sends a card, Space picks up and drops a card, and D, A, U, H, N and F deal, auto-finish, undo, hint, start a new game and go fullscreen. To share a deal, copy the page address. It includes ?seed= with the deal number, and the draw and pass settings.

What is canfield solitaire?

Canfield is played with one 52-card deck. At the start, 13 cards form the reserve, with only the top card face up. One card goes to the first foundation, four cards go face up into the tableau columns, and the other 34 form the stock. The first foundation card sets the start rank, and all four foundations start at that rank.

You win when all four foundations hold 13 cards each. Cards on foundations stay there, so you cannot take them back.

What are the canfield solitaire rules for moving cards?

Foundations build up in suit from the start rank, one card at a time. Wrapping applies, so a King is followed by an Ace, then a 2. Tableau columns build down in alternating colours, and wrapping applies here as well: a black King can go on a red Ace, and a red Ace can go on a black 2.

You can move only the top card of a column, or the whole column as one unit. A card in the middle of a column cannot be moved alone. A whole column can go only onto another column’s top card that fits, never into an empty space.

How does the canfield solitaire reserve and stock work?

Only the top card of the reserve is playable, and it can go to a foundation or onto a column that fits. Cards cannot be placed on the reserve. When a column becomes empty and the reserve still has cards, the top reserve card moves into that space automatically.

The stock is turned over onto the waste. Only the top waste card is playable. When the stock runs out, the waste turns back into the stock in the same order, so the cards come round again. With 3 passes, you can do this only twice.

Canfield solitaire strategy and tips

Think before sending a card to a foundation. Once it goes up, it cannot come back, and a card on a foundation can no longer serve as a target for a column card. Auto-move only sends cards that are safe, but it does not plan ahead, so check the board after each automatic move.

An empty column is useful while the reserve has cards, because the next reserve card fills it for you. Once the reserve is empty, a space stays open for any single card, so keep it for a card you need to reach. For example, in one position with start rank 5, moving the 5♠ to its foundation emptied column 1, and the 9♠ from the reserve dropped in automatically.

Draw 1 lets you reach every stock card one at a time. Draw 3 is faster but hides cards in the waste. With 3 passes, count your trips through the stock before you commit to a plan.

Undo is unlimited, so you can test a line and go back if it fails. Hint shows one useful move, not a full solution. If the game reports “No more moves”, no card can ever reach a foundation from that position, so use Undo or start a new deal.

Frequently asked questions

Is canfield solitaire free to play?

Yes, this canfield game is free to play on this page. You can start a new deal at any time.

Do I need to sign up to play?

No. The game runs entirely in your browser, with no account to create.

Can I play canfield solitaire on a phone?

Yes. The layout fits down to a 320 px wide screen, and you can tap or drag cards. On iPhone, the fullscreen button opens a full-window mode.

Is my game saved if I close the page?

Yes. The game in progress is saved in your browser after every move and restored when you reload. It is stored only on this site and is not sent anywhere. The saved game is removed after you win.

Is every canfield solitaire deal winnable?

No. A deal number does not guarantee that the game can be won. Some deals have no winning line, and the “No more moves” message tells you when no card can reach a foundation from the current position.

What does “Foundations start at” mean?

It shows the start rank, which is the rank of the card dealt to the first foundation. All four foundations build from that rank in this deal, and it can be any of the 13 ranks.

What is canfield solitaire also called?

In the UK, this game is also known as Demon. The game itself does not use that name.

More games

• Klondike Solitaire: the classic solitaire with seven columns, built down in alternating colours like Canfield.
• Yukon Solitaire: no stock at all; any face-up stack can move.
• FreeCell: a game where all cards are dealt face up, so you can plan every move.
• Forty Thieves Solitaire: a two-deck patience with ten columns, built down by suit.
• TriPeaks Solitaire: clear three peaks of cards one rank up or down.
• Clock Solitaire: a luck game: turn up every card around a clock face before the fourth king.
• Golf Solitaire: clear the columns one rank above or below the waste card.