Chinese

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Chinese Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau and stock to the four foundation piles, building each foundation in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Seven tableau piles are arranged horizontally. Each tableau pile contains seven cards:
• Pile 1: One face-up card.
• Pile 2: One face-down card, one face-up card.
• Pile 3: Two face-down cards, one face-up card.
• Pile 4: Three face-down cards, one face-up card.
• Pile 5: Four face-down cards, one face-up card.
• Pile 6: Five face-down cards, one face-up card.
• Pile 7: Six face-down cards, one face-up card.
• Reserve (if applicable): In some variants, remaining cards form a reserve or stock pile, dealt face down.
• Foundations: Four foundation piles, initially empty, are reserved for building up each suit from Ace to King.
• Face-up/Face-down: Only the top card of each tableau pile is face up; all other cards in the tableau are face down.

Chinese Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
• Build up by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace♠, 2♠, …, King♠).
• Only an Ace can be placed in an empty foundation pile.
• Only the top card of a tableau pile may be moved to a foundation, and it must be one rank higher and the same suit as the current top card of the foundation.
• Tableau:
• Build down by alternating color (red-black-red-black), regardless of suit (e.g., 9♠ on 10♦).
• Any face-up card in the tableau may be moved onto another tableau pile if it creates a valid descending sequence by alternating color.
• Multiple cards forming a valid sequence may be moved together as a group, regardless of suit or rank.
• Only Kings may be moved to empty tableau piles.
• Stock/Reserve:
• When the stock is present, deal one card face up to each tableau pile when activated.
• Only a single pass through the stock is permitted; redeals are not allowed.
• Card Movement:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile or a valid group of cards may be moved.
• Cards must follow the build rules for their destination (foundation or tableau).
• When a face-down card becomes the top card in a tableau pile, it is immediately turned face up.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move the top face-up card (or a valid sequence) from one tableau pile to another, following the alternating color descending rule.
• Move the top face-up card from a tableau pile to a foundation pile if it is the next rank and same suit.
• Move a King (or a valid descending sequence starting with a King) to an empty tableau pile.
• If using a stock, deal one card face up to each tableau pile when no other moves are possible.
• After every move, if a face-down card is revealed at the top of a tableau pile, turn it face up.
• Play continues until no more legal moves are available or all cards are moved to the foundations.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all four foundation piles contain a complete sequence of thirteen cards (Ace to King) in each suit.
• Lose: The game is lost or becomes unwinnable if no legal moves remain and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Piles: Only Kings (or valid sequences starting with a King) may be moved to empty tableau piles.
• Multiple Card Moves: Any number of cards from the top of a tableau pile may be moved together, regardless of their build, as long as the sequence is valid by alternating color.
• Stock Limitations: Only one pass through the stock is permitted; once exhausted, no redeals are allowed.
• Face-down Cards: Whenever a face-down card becomes the top card on a tableau pile, it must be turned face up immediately.
• No Foundation or Tableau Removal: Cards, once placed in the foundation, cannot be moved back to the tableau. Similarly, cards cannot be moved from one foundation to another.
• No Moves Available: If no moves are possible and the stock is exhausted, the game ends in a loss.

Key Terms Defined:

• Tableau: The main play area consisting of seven piles where cards are arranged and manipulated according to the rules.
• Foundation: Four target piles where cards are built up in ascending order by suit.
• Stock/Reserve: A pile of undealt cards used to introduce new cards into play.
• Sequence: A group of cards arranged in descending order by alternating color.
• Face-up/Face-down: Indicates whether a card is visible (face-up) or hidden (face-down) in the tableau.

This guide presents the formal structure and rules for Chinese Solitaire, focusing exclusively on gameplay mechanics and omitting lore or non-essential details.