Solitaire Winning Checklist
This checklist is designed for players who already know the basic rules and want to win more often. Keep it open in a second tab while you play. For fundamentals, start with How to play Klondike Solitaire.
Priority checklist (top to bottom)
- Reveal face-down cards in the tableau as early as possible.
- Preserve at least one empty tableau column for King mobility.
- Avoid moving low cards to foundations too early if tableau flexibility drops.
- Before drawing from stock, scan for sequence moves in tableau.
- When two legal moves exist, choose the move that opens more future options.
- Track color balance to avoid dead-end runs in tableau columns.
Common anti-patterns
- Foundation rush: moving everything up too fast and blocking tableau rebuilding.
- Stock spam: cycling stock without checking a single deep tableau move.
- Column lock: filling your only empty column with a low-value King sequence.
- Undo drift: using undo without a clear tactical objective.
60-second move audit
When stuck, ask these in order:
- Can I reveal a hidden card in one or two moves?
- Can I create or preserve an empty column?
- Does this foundation move reduce my tableau options?
- If I draw stock now, what exact card am I hoping to unlock?