Fan

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Fan Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in sequence by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Dealing: Deal out the entire deck into 17 fans of three cards each, with one remaining card placed as a single-card fan (sometimes called the "handle").
• Play Areas:
• Tableau: Consists of 17 fans (small piles), each with three face-up cards, plus one fan with a single face-up card.
• Foundations: Four empty piles where cards will be built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Card Orientation: All cards are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards in Fan Solitaire.

Fan Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement:
• Only the top card of each fan is available for play.
• Cards may be moved either to the foundations or onto another fan in the tableau.
• Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved together in classic rules.
• Foundation Building:
• Foundations are built up by suit: Ace, 2, 3, …, King.
• Only an Ace may be placed on an empty foundation.
• Tableau Building:
• Fans are built down by suit: e.g., 7♠ may be placed on 8♠.
• Only the top card of each fan can be moved.
• Empty Spaces:
• If a fan becomes empty, it may only be filled with an exposed King from another fan.
• No other card may fill an empty fan except a King.
• Redeals:
• No redeals are permitted; once a card is played, it cannot be returned to the tableau.

Gameplay:

• Player Actions:
• Move available top cards from the tableau fans to the foundations or onto other fans, following the building rules.
• Continue moving cards and building sequences until no further legal moves are possible or all cards are in the foundations.
• Introducing New Cards:
• All cards are dealt at the start; there is no stock or reserve. No new cards enter play after the initial deal.
• When No Moves Remain:
• If no legal moves are possible and not all foundations are complete, the game is lost.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the four foundations, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable State: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations. There are no redeals or resets.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Fans:
• Only an exposed King may fill an empty fan in the tableau.
• If no King is available, the empty fan remains vacant until a King is freed.
• Movement Restrictions:
• Only the top card of each fan is playable; sequences cannot be moved together in the classic version.
• Cards must always be built down by suit in the tableau and up by suit in the foundations.
• No Stock or Reserve:
• There is no stock or reserve pile; all cards are dealt face-up at the start.
• No Redeals:
• Once a card is played, it cannot be returned to the tableau, and there are no redeals.
• Variants:
• Some relaxed or house rules allow any card to fill empty fans or permit the movement of entire sequences, but these are not standard and should be specified if used.

Definitions:

• Fan: A small pile of cards in the tableau, typically three cards each, all face-up.
• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area consisting of fans.

This guide reflects the canonical ruleset for Fan Solitaire as supported by official sources and leading solitaire rule repositories.