Batsford

Game Objective:

The primary goal of Batsford Solitaire is to move all 104 cards (using two standard 52-card decks) to the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks (total 104 cards).
• Foundations: Eight piles, initially empty, where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: Ten columns. Cards are dealt as follows:
• The first column receives one card, the second column two cards, and so on, up to ten cards in the tenth column (total 55 cards in the tableau).
• Only the top card of each tableau pile is dealt face-up; all other cards in the pile are face-down.
• Stock: The remaining 49 cards form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: Cards from the stock are dealt one at a time face-up to the waste pile; only the top card of the waste is available for play.
• Reserve: A single reserve pile, initially empty, which can hold up to three Kings at any time.

Batsford Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

• Build up by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace♠, 2♠, 3♠, …, King♠).

• Only an Ace may be placed on an empty foundation.

• Tableau:

• Build down by alternating colors (e.g., a red 7 can be placed on a black 8).

• Sequences of cards built down by alternating color may be moved together as a group.

• Only Kings (or a group headed by a King) may be moved into an empty tableau space.

• Reserve:

• Only Kings may be placed in the reserve pile, up to a maximum of three.

• The reserve may be used when there is no empty tableau pile for a King.

• Only the top King in the reserve is available for play back to the tableau.

• Stock and Waste:

• Cards are dealt one at a time from the stock to the waste pile.

• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.

• Only one pass through the stock is allowed; no redeals are permitted.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:

• Move available cards (top cards of tableau, waste, or reserve) to the foundations if possible.

• Build tableau piles down by alternating color, moving single cards or legal sequences.

• Move Kings to empty tableau spaces or, if none are available, to the reserve (if space is available).

• If no moves are possible, deal one card from the stock to the waste pile.

• Continue play until all cards are moved to the foundations or no legal moves remain.

• Introducing New Cards:

• Cards are introduced into play from the stock, one at a time, to the waste pile.

• When a face-down card in the tableau becomes exposed, turn it face-up immediately.

• No More Moves:

• If no legal moves remain and the stock is exhausted, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all 104 cards are moved to the eight foundations, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Loss/Unwinnable: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations, or if the stock is exhausted with cards remaining in the tableau, reserve, or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Only Kings or sequences starting with a King may be moved into empty tableau spaces.
• Reserve Pile Use: Only Kings may be placed in the reserve, and only if there is no empty tableau pile available; up to three Kings may be stored.
• Moving Sequences: Any sequence of cards built down by alternating color may be moved together within the tableau.
• Stock Limit: Only one pass through the stock is permitted; there are no redeals.
• Turning Over Cards: When a face-down card in the tableau is uncovered, it is immediately turned face-up.
• Waste Pile: Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play to the tableau or foundations.
• Reserve Accessibility: Only the top King in the reserve pile may be played back to the tableau.

Note: Batsford Solitaire is considered a difficult game, with a relatively low win rate due to the single pass through the stock and strict movement rules.