Sevastopol

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Sevastopol Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau to the foundations by building complete sequences of cards in descending order and by suit, from King down to Ace, within the tableau. The game is won when all cards are organized into these suit-specific descending sequences.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Standard 52-card deck is used.
• Tableau: The tableau consists of seven piles. Four of these piles are each dealt three cards face up; the remaining three piles each receive four cards face up.
• Foundations: There are no separate foundation piles in the traditional sense. Instead, completed sequences (King down to Ace of the same suit) are removed from the tableau as they are formed.
• Stock, Waste, Reserve: There is no stock, waste, or reserve in Sevastopol Solitaire. All cards are dealt to the tableau at the start of the game.
• Face-up/Face-down: All cards are dealt face up in the tableau; there are no face-down cards.

Sevastopol Solitaire Rules:

• Building on the Tableau:
• Cards are built down in sequence by suit (e.g., 7♠ on 8♠).
• Only cards that are one rank lower and of the same suit as the top card of a tableau pile can be placed on that pile.
• Moving Cards:
• Single cards or any sequence of cards that are already in descending order and of the same suit may be moved together as a unit.
• Empty Tableau Spaces: Only a King (or a sequence starting with a King) may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Removing Sequences:
• When a complete sequence from King down to Ace of the same suit is formed in a tableau pile, that sequence is immediately removed from the tableau.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move a card or a valid descending suit sequence onto another tableau pile, provided the move follows the building rules (one rank lower, same suit).
• Move a King or a sequence starting with a King to any empty tableau pile.
• No new cards are introduced during play; all cards are available from the initial deal.
• If a complete King-to-Ace sequence of the same suit is formed, remove it from the tableau immediately.
• Play continues until no more legal moves can be made.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all cards have been removed by forming and discarding complete King-to-Ace sequences of the same suit from the tableau.
• Losing: The game is lost if the player cannot make any further legal moves and there are still cards remaining in the tableau.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces: Only a King or a valid descending suit sequence starting with a King may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Sequence Movement: Any sequence of cards in strict descending order and of the same suit may be moved together as a group.
• No Stock or Redeal: There is no stock pile and no redeal; all play is confined to the tableau.
• No Foundation Piles: Sevastopol Solitaire does not use traditional foundation piles; completed sequences are simply removed from play.

Key Terms Defined:

• Tableau: The main play area where all cards are dealt and manipulated.
• Sequence: A group of cards in strict descending order and of the same suit (e.g., K♣, Q♣, J♣, …, A♣).
• Foundation: In this variant, refers to the removed complete suit sequences rather than a separate play area.

This ruleset reflects the unique mechanics of Sevastopol Solitaire, distinguishing it from more common solitaire variants by its strict suit-based building, immediate sequence removal, and absence of a stock or waste pile.