Criss Cross

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Criss Cross Solitaire is to remove all cards from the tableau by discarding pairs of cards with the same rank.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Deal 25 cards face up in a 5x5 grid (five rows, five columns).
• Stock: Place the remaining 27 cards face down as the stock pile.
• Waste Pile: Create a waste pile to hold discarded pairs; cards here are placed face down initially and turned face up at the end of each round.
• Marker: Use a marker or token to indicate the current phase of play (phase 1 or phase 2).
• All tableau cards are dealt face up; stock cards remain face down until drawn.

Criss Cross Solitaire Rules:

• Pair Removal: You may discard any pair of cards with the same rank found in a single column, or from a diagonal of exactly five cards.
  • If three cards of the same rank are present, choose which two to discard.
  • If four cards of the same rank are present, discard both pairs.
  • If the center card of both diagonals matches cards in each, you may choose which pair to discard.
• Card Movement After Pair Removal:
  • After discarding a pair, you may move cards immediately above or below the removed cards one space up or down to fill the gap, or leave them in place.
  • After vertical moves, shift all cards in each row leftward to close gaps, starting with column one.
• Transposition (Phase 2): If at least one pair was discarded in phase 1, and no further pairs can be removed, move the leftmost card of each row with fewer than five cards to the end of that row, then shift all cards left to fill spaces.
• Repeat Pair Removal: After transposition, repeat the pair removal and movement process as in phase 1.
• Filling Tableau: At the start of each new round, fill empty spaces in the tableau from the stock, starting with the leftmost column in each row, restoring the tableau to 25 cards if possible.

Gameplay:

• Sequence of Actions:
  1. Begin in phase 1. Identify and discard all possible pairs in columns or diagonals.
  2. After each discard, optionally move cards vertically to separate potential future pairs, then shift rows left to close gaps.
  3. When no more pairs can be discarded, proceed to phase 2 if at least one pair was removed.
  4. In phase 2, transpose the leftmost card of any row with fewer than five cards to the end of that row, shift left, and attempt further pair removals.
  5. When no more pairs can be removed, end the round: turn the waste pile face up and add it to the history waste pile.
  6. Fill tableau spaces from the stock and repeat the process for subsequent rounds.
• Introducing New Cards: At the start of each round (after discards and transpositions), refill empty tableau spaces from the stock, restoring the tableau to 25 cards if possible.
• No Legal Moves: If no pairs can be discarded in a round, the game is lost—even if stock remains.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: You win by successfully discarding all cards from the tableau, leaving no cards remaining.
• Losing Condition: The game is lost if:
  • No pairs can be discarded in a round, regardless of remaining stock.
  • The stock is exhausted and no further pairs can be removed from the tableau.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces: At the start of each round, fill empty tableau spaces from the stock, starting with the leftmost column in each row.
• Diagonal Pair Removal: Only diagonals of exactly five cards are eligible for pair removal; if the center card matches both diagonals, only one pair may be discarded per round.
• Multiple Pair Choices: If multiple pairs are available, you may choose to discard a single pair and move cards, or discard several/all pairs before moving, depending on your strategy.
• Card Movement Restrictions: After vertical movement, always shift rows left to close gaps; this maintains tableau integrity and enables further pair removals.
• Transposition Exception: Transpositions (moving the leftmost card to the end of the row) only occur in phase 2 and only for rows with fewer than five cards.
• Incomplete Tableau: If the stock runs out and the tableau cannot be fully restored to 25 cards, continue play with the incomplete tableau.
• End of Round: At the end of each round, turn the active waste pile face up and add it to the history waste pile.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main play area, arranged as a 5x5 grid of cards dealt face up.
• Stock: The pile of undealt cards, face down, used to refill the tableau.
• Waste Pile: The pile where discarded pairs are placed, initially face down.
• Transposition: The act of moving the leftmost card of a row with fewer than five cards to the end of that row.

This guide is based on official and authoritative sources for Criss Cross Solitaire.