Irmgard

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Irmgard Solitaire is to move all cards to the foundations, building each foundation pile in ascending order by suit, starting from Ace up to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Deal nine tableau piles, each with three cards splayed downward.
  • In each pile, the top card is dealt face-up, and the remaining two cards are dealt face-down.
• Foundations: Four empty foundation piles are reserved for building up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The remaining cards after the tableau setup form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: A waste pile is created during play to hold cards from the stock that cannot be played immediately.
• Key Play Areas Defined:
  • Tableau: The main playing area with nine piles.
  • Foundations: Destination piles for completed suit sequences.
  • Stock: Face-down draw pile for new cards.
  • Waste: Temporary holding area for unplayable cards from the stock.

Irmgard Solitaire Rules:

• Tableau Building: Cards on the tableau are built down in rank (e.g., 9 on 10) and by alternating colors (red on black, black on red).
• Moving Cards: Only the top face-up card of each tableau pile is available for play. When a face-up card is moved, immediately turn the next face-down card in that pile face-up.
• Foundation Building: Foundations are built up by suit from Ace to King (e.g., Ace, 2, 3, …, King of Hearts).
• Stock and Waste:
  • Draw cards from the stock pile one at a time.
  • If a drawn card can be played to the tableau or foundation, do so; otherwise, place it in the waste pile.
  • Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.
• Moving Sequences: You may move a sequence of cards within the tableau if they are in descending order and alternate colors.
• Empty Spaces: If a tableau pile becomes empty, it can only be filled with a King or a properly sequenced stack starting with a King.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, perform one or more of the following actions:
  • Move available face-up cards between tableau piles, following the descending, alternating color rule.
  • Move cards to the foundation piles when possible.
  • Draw a card from the stock pile; play it to the tableau or foundation, or place it in the waste pile if unplayable.
  • Move the top card from the waste pile to the tableau or foundation if possible.
  • When a face-up card is moved from the tableau, immediately flip the next face-down card in that pile face-up.
• Continue play, cycling through the stock and waste as needed, until no more legal moves can be made or all cards are moved to the foundations.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win Condition: The game is won when all cards are successfully built onto the foundation piles in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.
• Lose Condition: The game is lost (or unwinnable) if no legal moves remain and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Only a King or a valid descending, alternating color sequence starting with a King may fill an empty tableau space.
• Stock Recycles: When the stock pile is exhausted, you may recycle the waste pile to form a new stock, depending on the variant's rules. In classic Irmgard Solitaire, recycling may be limited or not allowed—confirm with the specific version you are playing.
• Sequence Movement: Only properly ordered sequences (descending rank, alternating colors) may be moved as a unit between tableau piles.
• Face-Down Card Exposure: Always flip the next face-down card in a tableau pile face-up when the previous face-up card is moved.
• No Moves Available: If no moves are available from the tableau, stock, or waste, the game ends in a loss.

Note: Irmgard Solitaire is a distinct variant with nine tableau piles and specific setup and movement rules. Always verify minor rule differences if playing a digital or house version.