Empress of Italy

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Empress of Italy Solitaire is to move all cards to the foundation piles, building each foundation up in alternating colors from its starting rank until each foundation contains a complete sequence of thirteen cards.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Uses four standard 52-card decks (208 cards total).
• Foundations: Sixteen foundation piles. Each will be built up in alternating colors, starting from the same initial rank as the first card dealt to the first foundation.
• Tableau: Eleven tableau piles. Each pile is dealt one card face up in a vertical splayed arrangement.
• Stock: The remaining cards form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: One waste pile, initially empty.
• All cards in the tableau are dealt face up.
• No reserve piles or cells are specifically used in this variant.

Empress of Italy Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
• Build up in alternating colors (red-black-red-black, etc.) from the starting rank (e.g., if the initial card is a 6, build 6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A-2-3-4-5).
• Wrapping is allowed: After King, you may place Ace, and after Ace, you may place 2, continuing the sequence.
• Empty foundation spaces may only be filled with a card of the same rank as the original starting card.
• Tableau:
• Build down in alternating colors (e.g., 8♠ on 9♥).
• Only one card at a time may be moved.
• The top card of each tableau pile is available for play to another tableau pile or to the foundations.
• Empty tableau spaces are automatically filled from the stock, then the waste, then with any card from the tableau or waste if both are empty.
• Stock & Waste:
• Deal one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile.
• The top card of the waste is available for play to the tableau or foundations.
• No redeals are permitted; once the stock is exhausted, no further cards can be dealt.

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn Sequence:
• Move available cards from the tableau or waste to the foundations, following building rules.
• Move tableau cards onto other tableau piles, building down in alternating colors.
• When no moves are possible, deal one card from the stock to the waste.
• Continue until all cards are built onto the foundations or no moves remain.
• Introducing New Cards:
• When a tableau pile becomes empty, it is automatically filled in this order: from the stock, then from the waste, then from any tableau or waste card if both are empty.
• When No Moves Remain:
• If the stock is exhausted and no legal moves are available, the game ends in a loss.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 208 cards are moved to the foundations, each foundation containing a complete, correctly built sequence of thirteen cards in alternating colors, starting from the initial rank.
• Losing: The game is lost when no further legal moves are possible and the stock is depleted, leaving cards stranded in the tableau or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces:
• Empty tableau spaces are filled automatically from the stock, then from the waste, then with any available card from the tableau or waste if both are empty.
• Empty foundation spaces may only be filled with a card of the same initial rank as the first card dealt to the first foundation.
• Building Rules:
• Alternating color building applies to both tableau (down) and foundations (up).
• Sequences cannot be moved; only single cards may be moved at a time.
• No Redeals: Once the stock is exhausted, no cards can be recycled or redealt.
• Wrap-Around: Both foundations and tableau allow "around the corner" building (e.g., King followed by Ace, Ace followed by 2).
• Card Availability: Only the top card of each tableau pile and the top card of the waste are available for play.

Note: The above rules are specific to the "Empress of Italy" variant, which expands upon the "Queen of Italy" family by using four decks and sixteen foundations, with strict rules for filling empty spaces and no redeals.