Intelligence

Game Objective:

The primary objective of Intelligence Solitaire is to move all 104 cards (two standard 52-card decks) to the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks (104 cards in total).
• Tableau: Deal 18 tableau piles (also called "fans"), each with three cards, all face up and fanned so every card is visible.
  • If an Ace appears during the initial deal, immediately move it to the foundations and replace it with the next card from the stock.
• Foundations: Eight empty piles above the tableau, one for each suit (two per suit).
• Stock: The remaining 50 cards after dealing the tableau are placed face down as the stock pile.
• All tableau cards are dealt face up. The stock is face down.

Intelligence Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
  • Build up in suit from Ace to King (e.g., Ace, 2, 3, …, King).
  • Only Aces can start a foundation pile.
• Tableau:
  • Build either up or down by suit (e.g., 7♣ can be placed on 6♣ or 8♣).
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
  • Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved as a group.
• Card Movement:
  • Top cards of tableau piles can be moved to:
    • Another tableau pile (if building up or down in suit).
    • A foundation pile (if the card is the next in sequence and of the same suit).
• Empty Tableau Piles:
  • Immediately filled with three new cards from the stock, if available.
  • If the stock is empty, empty tableau piles remain empty until the next redeal.

Gameplay:

• On your turn, you may:
  • Move the top card of any tableau pile to a foundation pile (if legal).
  • Move the top card of any tableau pile to another tableau pile (if legal).
• Whenever a tableau pile becomes empty, immediately fill it with three cards from the stock (if the stock is not empty).
• Continue making moves until no more legal moves are possible.
• Redeal:
  • When no further moves can be made, gather all tableau cards, shuffle, and redeal into up to 18 piles of three cards each (last pile may have fewer than three cards if not divisible evenly).
  • Move any Aces encountered during the redeal immediately to the foundations and replace them with the next card from the stock.
  • Place any remaining cards face down as the stock.
  • You are allowed a maximum of two redeals per game (three deals in total).
  • The stock does not need to be empty before a redeal.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all 104 cards are successfully moved to the eight foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing Condition: The game is lost if, after using all permitted redeals, there are still cards remaining in the tableau or stock and no further legal moves are possible.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles:
  • Always fill immediately with three cards from the stock, if available.
  • If the stock is empty, leave the pile empty until after the next redeal.
• Redeal Limit:
  • Only two redeals are allowed per game (for a total of three deals: the initial deal plus two redeals).
• Aces During Deal:
  • If an Ace appears during the initial deal or a redeal, move it directly to the foundation and replace it with the next card from the stock.
• Card Movement Restriction:
  • Only one card may be moved at a time, and only the top card of each tableau pile is eligible.
  • No building by alternating color or by rank alone; all building must be strictly up or down by suit.
• Stock Depletion:
  • If the stock runs out while filling tableau piles, leave any remaining empty piles empty until the next redeal.
• No Moves Available:
  • If no moves are possible and redeals remain, perform a redeal as described above.
  • If no moves are possible and no redeals remain, the game is lost.

Definitions of Key Terms:

• Tableau: The main play area consisting of 18 piles of three face-up cards each.
• Foundation: Eight piles (two per suit) where cards are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The face-down pile containing undealt cards, used to fill empty tableau piles and during redeals.
• Redeal: The process of gathering, shuffling, and redealing all tableau cards into new piles when no moves are possible.

This guide covers all essential mechanics and unique rules for playing Intelligence Solitaire according to the most authoritative sources.