Chateau

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Chateau Solitaire is to build all cards onto the four foundation piles, each ascending in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Shuffle and deal all cards face up into twelve tableau piles, each with eight cards splayed downward.
• No cards are hidden; every card is visible at the start of play.
• The play areas are:
• Tableau: Twelve piles where all gameplay occurs.
• Foundations: Four central piles, initially empty, to be built up by suit from Ace to King.
• There is no stock, reserve, or waste pile in this variant.

Chateau Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement: Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Building Sequences:
• Cards may be moved onto another tableau pile if the card being placed is one rank lower than the top card of the destination pile, regardless of suit or color.
• Example: You may place a 7 (any suit) onto an 8 (any suit).
• Foundations:
• Foundations are built up in suit, starting with Ace and ending with King.
• Only an Ace can start a foundation pile.
• Only the next highest card of the same suit can be placed on a foundation (e.g., 2♠ on Ace♠, then 3♠, etc.).
• Empty Tableau Piles:
• Any available card may be placed into an empty tableau pile.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move the top card of any tableau pile onto another tableau pile if it is one rank lower.
• Move the top card of any tableau pile onto a foundation if it matches the required suit and is the next rank in sequence.
• Place any available card into an empty tableau pile.
• Play continues until no further legal moves can be made or all cards are built onto the foundations.
• There is no stock or reserve; all moves are made from the tableau.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all cards are correctly built onto the four foundation piles, each from Ace to King in suit.
• Lose: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Any available card may be moved into an empty tableau pile, providing flexibility for rearranging sequences and freeing up cards.
• No Suit or Color Restriction in Tableau: Building within the tableau ignores suit and color; only rank order matters (descending by one).
• No Stock/Reserve: All cards are dealt at the start; there is no mechanism for introducing new cards during play.
• All Cards Face Up: There is no hidden information; every card is visible from the beginning, allowing for strategic planning.

Note: These rules are based on the official rules for Chateau Solitaire as described by Politaire, which is the authoritative source for this variant. If you encounter a version with a different tableau or additional play areas, consult that specific rule set.