Ukrainian

Game Objective:

The primary objective in Ukrainian Solitaire is to discard all cards by assembling complete, in-suit sequences of thirteen cards (King through Ace) within the tableau. Once a full sequence is completed, it is removed from play. The game is won when all cards have been discarded in this manner.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: A standard 52-card deck is used.
• Tableau: There are seven tableau piles.
  • Cards are dealt as follows:
    • Deal 1 card face up to the first pile, 2 cards to the second pile (top card face up, the rest face down), 3 to the third pile (top card face up, others face down), and so on up to the seventh pile.
    • After this, deal the remaining cards face up onto the tableau piles so that the first four piles have seven cards each, and the last three have eight cards each.
• Foundations: There are no traditional foundations where cards are built up one by one. Instead, completed sequences are removed from the tableau.
• Stock/Waste: There is no stock or waste pile in Ukrainian Solitaire.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: The primary area where all gameplay occurs. Cards are manipulated here to build in-suit sequences.
• Removed/Discarded Area: Completed sequences are removed from the tableau and placed out of play.

Ukrainian Solitaire Rules:

• Building Sequences:
  • Cards in the tableau are built down by suit (e.g., 6♠ on 7♠, 5♠ on 6♠, etc.).
  • Only Kings may be moved to empty tableau piles.
  • A complete sequence from King down to Ace of the same suit, once assembled in a single tableau pile, is automatically removed from play.
  • Some implementations allow the sequence to "wrap" (i.e., Ace can be placed under a King of the same suit to continue the sequence), but the standard rule is King to Ace.
• Card Movement:
  • Any face-up card in the tableau may be moved, along with all cards stacked on top of it, regardless of their order or suit.
  • There is no restriction on moving stacks: any group of face-up cards can be moved as a unit, even if they are not in sequence.
  • When a face-down card is exposed at the top of a tableau pile, it is immediately turned face up.
  • Only Kings (or stacks headed by a King) can be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Sequence Removal:
  • A pile containing a complete, in-suit sequence from King to Ace (thirteen cards) is removed from the tableau as a unit.
  • Single cards may never be moved directly to a foundation; only complete sequences are removed.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
  • Move any face-up card, along with all cards above it, to another tableau pile, provided the move builds down in suit (e.g., 5♥ onto 6♥).
  • Move any stack of cards, regardless of sequence or suit, as a unit.
  • Move a King (or a stack starting with a King) to an empty tableau pile.
• Whenever a face-down card is uncovered at the top of a pile, it is turned face up and becomes available for play.
• When a complete in-suit sequence from King to Ace is assembled in a tableau pile, it is immediately removed from play.
• There are no stock or waste piles; all moves are made within the tableau.
• Play continues until either all cards have been removed (win) or no more legal moves are possible (loss).

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all cards have been removed from the tableau by forming and discarding four complete, in-suit sequences from King to Ace.
• Losing: The game is lost (unwinnable) if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been discarded.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces: Only a King (or a stack with a King at the bottom) may be moved into an empty tableau pile.
• Stack Movement: Any group of face-up cards may be moved together, regardless of their order, suit, or sequence, as long as the destination card is one rank higher and of the same suit as the bottom card of the moving stack.
• Sequence Wrapping: Some versions permit the sequence to "wrap" (e.g., Ace under King), but standard rules require a strict King-to-Ace sequence for removal.
• No Foundations: Unlike many solitaire games, there are no traditional foundations. Only complete sequences are removed.
• No Stock/Waste: There is no stock or waste pile; all play occurs on the tableau.
• Automatic Removal: When a complete sequence is formed, it is automatically removed from the tableau.
• No Redeals: Once no more moves are possible, the game ends.

Note: Ukrainian Solitaire is a challenging variant with a low win rate, requiring careful planning and strategic use of empty spaces to successfully uncover and sequence all cards.