Strategy
Canfield Solitaire Strategy & Tips
A practical strategy guide for Canfield Solitaire: dig out the reserve, find the other base cards, empty columns with whole-run moves, and plan each stock pass.
Play Canfield SolitaireThe core idea
Reserve first, foundations later
Almost every strong Canfield habit comes down to two ideas: empty the reserve as fast as you can, and keep four columns flexible instead of rushing cards up. A tidy foundation row early in the game often means a stuck tableau later.
- 01
Dig into the reserve first
The reserve holds 13 of the 52 cards and you can only see the top one. Every move that plays the reserve top is a move that uncovers a fresh card, so treat it as your main source of new options and take reserve plays over almost anything else.
- 02
Find the other base cards
Three more cards of the base rank are hidden in the tableau, reserve, and stock, and each one starts a foundation. Until a foundation starts, no card of its suit can leave the board, so locating those cards is the fastest way to open the game.
- 03
Empty a column to pull from the reserve
When a column empties, the top reserve card drops in for free. Moving a whole run onto another column is often better than a partial move, because it refills the gap and exposes another reserve card at the same time.
- 04
Keep the columns short and flexible
With only four columns, a tall stack of awkward cards locks up a quarter of the board. Prefer plays that keep the runs orderly and leave a card at the bottom that many others can land on.
- 05
Use the wrap
A King can be placed on an Ace of the opposite colour, and an Ace can go on a 2. Ranks wrap on the foundations too. Remembering that no card is a dead end makes ordering the tableau much easier.
- 06
Read the stock before you turn it
The stock turns three cards and only the top waste card plays, so what you reach depends on the order the stock is in. Before a pass, look at what you need and count where it sits; unlimited redeals mean a second and third pass show the same order again.
- 07
Use undo to test lines
Undo here is unlimited and costs nothing. Try a move or a stock turn, see what it opens up, and take it back if the board did not improve. Treat questionable moves as experiments rather than commitments.
By stage of the game
How the approach shifts
The habits above apply to both modes. What changes is how much room for error you have — see the differences section of the guide.
Early game
Play any base-rank cards up, build the reserve top onto the tableau if it fits, and look for a whole-column move that empties a column before you touch the stock.
Mid game
Plan around the stock. Note which card sits at the top of each triplet on your first pass and which cards you will need from the reserve, then choose moves that make room for them.
When you are stuck
If no useful move remains, the deal is lost — deal a new one. Getting stuck is normal in Canfield and not a sign you played badly; most deals cannot be won.
Ready to put it into practice? Read the full how-to-play guide or jump straight in.
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