Lady Cadogan

Game Objective:

The primary objective of Lady Cadogan Solitaire is to build up all four foundation piles in ascending sequence by suit, starting from Ace and ending with King, using a standard 52-card deck.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: One standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Deal ten tableau piles:
• Pile 1: 1 card (face up)
• Pile 2: 2 cards (top card face up, others face down)
• Pile 3: 3 cards (top card face up, others face down)
• Continue this pattern up to Pile 10, which has 10 cards (top card face up, others face down).
• Foundations: Four spaces above the tableau, one for each suit. These start empty.
• Stock: The remaining cards after the tableau is dealt form the stock, placed face down.
• Waste: A single waste pile is created as cards are drawn from the stock and cannot be played immediately.
• Face-Up/Face-Down: Only the top card of each tableau pile is face up; all other cards in the tableau are face down.

Lady Cadogan Solitaire Rules:

• Building on Foundations: Build up by suit from Ace to King (e.g., Ace♠, 2♠, 3♠, …, King♠).
• Tableau Building: Build down in descending order by suit (e.g., 7♥ on 8♥).
• Card Movement:
• Only the top face-up card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• You may move a single card or a correctly sequenced group of cards (in descending order by suit) as a unit.
• Stock and Waste:
• When no moves are available on the tableau, draw one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile.
• The top card of the waste pile is available for play to either the tableau or the foundations.
• Empty Spaces: Spaces in the tableau may only be filled with a group of 13 cards in perfect descending order by suit, starting with a King (e.g., King, Queen, …, Ace of the same suit).

Gameplay:

• Begin by moving any available Aces from the tableau to the foundations.
• Build foundations upward by suit as cards become available.
• Within the tableau, build down in descending order by suit, moving either single cards or correct sequences.
• When a tableau pile is emptied, you may only fill it with a complete sequence of 13 cards in descending order by suit, starting with a King.
• If no moves are available, draw a card from the stock to the waste pile; play the waste card if possible.
• Continue play, moving cards to the foundations, rearranging the tableau, and drawing from the stock as needed.
• If the stock is exhausted and no further moves are possible, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all cards are moved to the foundations, with each foundation pile built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Loss: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been placed on the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Tableau Spaces: Only a full, correctly sequenced group of 13 cards in descending order by suit (King to Ace) may fill an empty tableau pile.
• Sequence Movement: You may move a group of cards only if they form a continuous descending sequence by suit.
• No Redeal: There is no redeal; once the stock is exhausted, play continues only with available tableau and waste cards.
• Strategic Play: Careful planning is required when moving sequences, as blocking needed cards can make the game unwinnable.

Definitions of Key Terms:

• Foundation: The area where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area consisting of ten piles, where cards are arranged and manipulated.
• Stock: The face-down pile from which new cards are drawn.
• Waste: The pile where drawn cards from the stock are placed if not immediately played.

This guide is based on the most authoritative and official sources available for Lady Cadogan Solitaire.