Captive Queens

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Captive Queens Solitaire is to move all cards from the deck onto the correct foundation piles, building each foundation according to strict suit and sequence rules, until all cards are placed and the face cards (Kings and Jacks) are at the top of each foundation.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card French deck. Shuffle thoroughly before play.
• Play Areas:
• Foundations: Eight piles arranged in a circle. Four are started with Fives, four with Sixes. These are the only piles built upon during the game.
• Queens Area: Four Queens are placed in the center. Queens are purely decorative and play no functional role in card movement.
• Stock (Draw Pile): The remainder of the deck is placed face-down as the stock. Cards are drawn one at a time.
• Waste Pile: Cards drawn from the stock that cannot be played immediately are placed face-up in a single waste pile. Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.
• Initial Deal: No cards are dealt to the foundations at the start. All cards are face-down in the stock except for the Queens, which are placed face-up in the center as they appear.
• Queens Placement: As Queens are drawn from the stock, immediately place them face-up in the center area. Their order is irrelevant.

Captive Queens Solitaire Rules:

• Foundation Building:
• Fives Foundations: Build down in suit from Five to Ace, then King. Example sequence: 5♠, 4♠, 3♠, 2♠, A♠, K♠.
• Sixes Foundations: Build up in suit from Six to Jack. Example sequence: 6♥, 7♥, 8♥, 9♥, 10♥, J♥.
• Card Movement:
• Only Fives and Sixes can start foundation piles. When drawn, place them on any empty foundation spot in the circle.
• Cards drawn from the stock must be played immediately if possible. If not playable, place them on the waste pile.
• The top card of the waste pile is always available for play onto the foundations.
• Sequence Rules:
• All building on foundations must be by suit and strictly follow the prescribed up/down order for Fives and Sixes.
• No cards may be moved between foundation piles or from one sequence to another.
• Queens: When drawn, place in the center. They do not participate in building or movement.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:
• Draw one card at a time from the stock.
• If the card is a Five or Six, start a new foundation pile.
• If the card is a Queen, place it in the center.
• If the card can be built onto an existing foundation (following suit and sequence), do so.
• If the card cannot be played, place it face-up on the waste pile.
• After each draw, check the top of the waste pile for playable cards. Play them to foundations if possible.
• Redeals:
• When the stock is exhausted, gather the waste pile, turn it face-down, and use it as the new stock.
• You are permitted a total of two redeals (three passes through the deck).
• No Moves Available:
• If neither the top card of the stock nor the top card of the waste pile can be played, continue drawing until the stock is exhausted. Redeal if allowed. If all redeals are used and no moves remain, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all cards are correctly placed onto the foundation piles, with Kings and Jacks at the top of each respective pile (Fives foundations end with Kings, Sixes foundations end with Jacks).
• Losing: The game is lost if, after all allowed redeals, not all cards can be placed onto the foundations and no further legal moves are possible.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Foundation Spaces: Only Fives and Sixes may fill empty foundation spots. If a foundation pile is completed, its space remains empty for the rest of the game.
• Queens: Queens are placed in the center as they appear. They cannot be moved or built upon and do not interact with other cards.
• Redeal Limit: Only two redeals are permitted. After the third pass through the deck, no further redeals are allowed.
• Waste Pile Access: Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play. Cards below are inaccessible until uncovered.
• Suit Adherence: All building must be strictly by suit; no mixing suits or skipping ranks is permitted.
• No Tableau or Reserve: Captive Queens Solitaire does not use a tableau, reserve, or auxiliary cells. All play occurs between the stock, waste, and foundations.

Note: Captive Queens Solitaire is a game of chance; the initial shuffle largely determines whether the game is winnable. The player’s choices are limited to following the strict rules for building and sequence.