Interchange

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Interchange Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and stock to the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Interchange Solitaire uses two standard 52-card decks, totaling 104 cards.
• Tableau: There are seven tableau piles. Each tableau pile is dealt seven cards in a downward splay. The dealing alternates between face-up and face-down cards: the odd-numbered positions (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th) are dealt face up, and the even-numbered positions (2nd, 4th, 6th) are dealt face down.
• Foundations: There are eight foundation piles, initially empty.
• Stock: The remaining cards after dealing to the tableau form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: There is one waste pile, which receives cards dealt one at a time from the stock.
• Summary Table:

| Area | Quantity | Initial State | Card Orientation | |--------------|----------|-----------------------------|-------------------------| | Tableau | 7 piles | 7 cards each | Alternate face up/down | | Foundations | 8 piles | Empty | N/A | | Stock | 1 pile | Remainder of deck | Face down | | Waste | 1 pile | Empty | N/A |

Interchange Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
• Only Aces may be moved to empty foundation piles.
• Foundations build up by suit in ascending order: Ace, 2, 3, … King.
• Only the next higher card of the same suit may be placed on a foundation (e.g., 4♣ on 3♣).
• Tableau:
• Tableau piles build down in suit (e.g., 8♠ on 9♠).
• Sequences of cards built down in suit may be moved together as a group.
• Only Kings or groups of cards with a King at the top may be moved to an empty tableau space.
• Stock & Waste:
• Cards are dealt one at a time from the stock to the waste pile.
• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.
• There are no redeals; once the stock is exhausted, no further cards can be dealt.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move cards from the tableau or waste to the foundations if they fit the building requirements.
• Move cards or valid sequences within the tableau, building down in suit.
• Move a King or a sequence starting with a King to an empty tableau pile.
• Deal one card from the stock to the waste pile if no other moves are available or desired.
• Only the top card of each tableau pile, the top card of the waste, and any accessible cards in a valid sequence can be moved.
• When no legal moves remain and the stock is empty, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all 104 cards are moved to the eight foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition: The game is lost or becomes unwinnable if no further legal moves can be made and the stock is exhausted, with cards remaining in the tableau or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces:
• Only a King or a sequence of cards with a King at the top may be moved to fill an empty tableau pile.
• Moving Groups:
• Groups of cards may be moved together within the tableau only if they are in a continuous descending sequence and all of the same suit.
• No Redeals:
• The stock may only be dealt through once; there are no redeals in the standard version of Interchange Solitaire.
• Face-Down Cards:
• When a face-down card is exposed in the tableau (i.e., all cards above it are moved), it is immediately turned face up and becomes available for play.
• Game Difficulty:
• Interchange Solitaire is considered highly challenging due to the restrictive movement rules and lack of redeals.
• Variant Note:
• Some easier variants (such as "Unlimited") allow for unlimited redeals, but this is not part of the standard ruleset.

Key Definitions:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area where cards are built down by suit and sequences are manipulated.
• Stock: The face-down pile from which cards are drawn to the waste.
• Waste: The face-up pile where cards from the stock are placed, with only the top card available for play.

This guide covers the official rules and gameplay mechanics for Interchange Solitaire as defined by authoritative sources.