Nationale

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Nationale Solitaire is to build up four foundation piles, each in ascending order from Ace to King and by suit, using all 52 cards from a standard deck. The player wins by successfully transferring every card to its corresponding foundation pile.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck, with all Jokers removed.
• Tableau: Deal seven tableau piles from left to right:
• The first pile receives 1 card (face up).
• The second pile receives 2 cards (top card face up, bottom card face down).
• The third pile receives 3 cards (top card face up, others face down).
• Continue this pattern until the seventh pile, which has 7 cards (top card face up, the rest face down).
• Stock: Place the remaining cards face down in a single stock pile above the tableau.
• Foundations: Four empty foundation spaces are reserved, typically above the tableau, to be built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Waste: As cards are drawn from the stock, unplayable cards are placed face up in a waste pile beside the stock.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: Seven columns where cards are arranged and manipulated during play.
• Foundations: Four piles, one for each suit, built from Ace to King.
• Stock: The draw pile for undealt cards.
• Waste: Discard pile for unplayable cards drawn from the stock.

Nationale Solitaire Rules:

• Building on the Tableau: Cards are built in descending order and must alternate colors (e.g., red 7 on black 8).
• Moving Cards: Only face-up cards can be moved. You may move either a single card or a properly sequenced group of face-up cards (in descending, alternating color order) from one tableau pile to another.
• Foundations: Foundations are built up by suit, starting with the Ace and ending with the King (e.g., Ace of Hearts, 2 of Hearts, …, King of Hearts).
• Stock to Waste: When no moves are available in the tableau, draw cards from the stock pile. Typically, cards are drawn one at a time or three at a time, depending on the variant. Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.
• Filling Spaces: Only a King or a sequence beginning with a King may be placed in an empty tableau column.

Gameplay:

1. Move any available Aces to the foundation piles as soon as they are accessible.
2. Build tableau sequences by moving cards or groups of cards in descending order and alternating colors.
3. Expose face-down cards in the tableau by moving the face-up cards above them. When a face-down card is uncovered, immediately flip it face up.
4. Draw from the stock when no moves are available in the tableau. Place drawn cards into the waste pile if they cannot be played immediately.
5. Move cards from the waste to the tableau or foundations if legal.
6. Repeat stock pile: When the stock is exhausted, turn the waste pile over (without shuffling) to form a new stock pile. The number of allowed passes through the stock varies by variant (unlimited or limited, e.g., three times).
7. Continue play until all cards are built onto the foundations or no more legal moves are possible.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards are transferred to the foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing: The game is lost (unwinnable) if no more legal moves are possible and the stock cannot be recycled (or, in unlimited pass variants, if the player is unable to progress further despite recycling the stock).

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Columns: Only a King (or a valid sequence starting with a King) may be placed in an empty tableau column.
• Stock Recycle Limits: Some variants restrict the number of times the stock can be recycled (e.g., three times); others allow unlimited passes.
• Partial Moves: Only properly sequenced, face-up groups of cards may be moved as a unit. You cannot move a partial sequence from within a group; the move must start with the highest card in the group.
• Immediate Flipping: Whenever a face-down card is exposed in the tableau, it must be flipped face up immediately.
• Waste Pile Play: Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play to the tableau or foundations.

Note: If a rule or edge case is not specified in the official sources, it is recommended to follow the standard Klondike Solitaire conventions, as Nationale Solitaire is a close variant.