Forty Thieves Solitaire

Forty Thieves Solitaire uses two decks, forty tableau cards, and eight foundations. You build each foundation upward in suit from Ace to King, while the tableau usually allows cards to be placed only on the next higher rank of the same suit. That strict destination rule creates a slower, more positional game than Klondike.

The objective and the tableau

The goal is to complete two foundations for each suit. Only exposed tableau cards can be moved, and a rank match is not enough: a spade 8 needs a spade 9 above it, not any 9. The stock reveals cards one at a time, so a useful card can appear before its destination exists.

Why same-suit destinations matter

A card that looks ready to move may be an essential tableau destination later. Sending a low card to a foundation can remove the only place for the next lower same-suit card. Before you build upward, compare the immediate foundation gain with the column link you may lose.

Empty spaces are working space

Most editions let an empty tableau space hold any card. Use that freedom for a defined job: expose a covered card, connect a same-suit segment, or prepare a landing place for a stock card. Filling every empty space immediately often prevents the one transfer that would open the board.

Using the stock carefully

There is no need to play every newly revealed card at once. First check whether the tableau can be improved without it. A stock card that has no safe destination may be more useful later, after a same-suit receiver or empty space becomes available.

Common losing patterns

• Moving low cards to foundations without checking their tableau role.
• Filling an empty space with no follow-up move.
• Breaking a same-suit connection for a single legal move.
• Using a stock card only because it is currently playable.

Compared with Klondike

Klondike uses alternating colors and focuses on exposing hidden cards. Forty Thieves uses visible cards and same-suit destinations, so the puzzle is about preserving receivers and timing foundations. It is ideal for players who prefer constrained planning over luck-driven stock turns.

How to evaluate a foundation move

Imagine that a diamond 6 can move to a foundation. Before moving it, look for a diamond 5 in the tableau. If that 5 has no other receiver, the 6 may be more useful on the board than in the foundation. In Forty Thieves, a foundation is progress only when it does not remove the next same-suit landing place you need. This is especially important with duplicate cards: one copy may advance a foundation while the other must remain available as tableau infrastructure.

When a stock card appears, separate two questions: can it be played, and should it be played now? A legal move that occupies your only empty space can be worse than leaving the card until a column becomes useful. The stock is not a timer. Let the tableau set the purpose of a stock move, rather than rearranging the tableau merely to accommodate the next card.

Why this game rewards patience

Forty Thieves is a good choice for players who enjoy constrained layouts rather than rapid flips. Nearly every move has a visible cost: a receiver disappears, an empty space is consumed, or a same-suit connection is split. That makes short experiments with Undo useful. Go back to the first foundation move that changed the layout, try the other order, and compare which version leaves more receivers available.

FAQ

Can I move a full sequence?

Many Forty Thieves editions use single-card tableau moves. Use the rule shown in the game itself.

What belongs in an empty space?

A card that exposes a useful card or creates a planned same-suit connection, not simply the first card available.