Dogmelon Solitaire

Corner Stones Solitaire

Corner Stones Solitaire is a unique game, that is both fun and challenging

Aim:

The aim of Corner Stones Solitaire is to build 4 ascending suit-sequences and 4 descending suit-sequences in the foundation zone.

How to Play:

The tableau contains 4 Aces and 4 Kings, in 2 columns in the middle. These are the foundation stacks.

Around the foundation zone, there are 12 stacks representing the manoeuvre zone. These are arranged into two columns of 4 stacks, on either side of the foundation zone, and 4 stacks on the corners, called the corner stones.

Cards can be placed onto the foundation stacks, only if the card comes from either of the stacks directly to the right, or the left of the foundation stack. The only exception to this is with the corner stones- cards from any corner stone can move to any foundation.

Cards can be moved around in the manoeuvre zone if they are 1 less, or 1 more in rank, regardless of suit. Cards wrap, so an Ace can be put onto a Two or a King.

When a manoeuvre stack is emptied it cannot be refilled, but if a corner stone is emptied, it can be filled with any card from the manoeuvre zone.

Strategy:

Cards should usually be moved to the foundation as soon as they can be.

Don't empty any of the 8 manoeuvre stacks to the left or the right of the foundation zone, unless the last card is going to the foundation. These stacks cannot be used when emptied, and so emptying them just gives you one less option.

It often pays to empty some of the corner stones though, because these can be filled with any card in the manoeuvre zone. This makes them particulalry handy for moving cards to the foundation... if a card is on the wrong row, move it to an empty corner stone, and then it can just play straight to the foundation.

Example:

Suppose that the initial deal looks like this:

The starting layout for Corner Stones Solitaire, deal #1

There are many moves possible, but we might start by moving the 8 of Clubs onto the 9 of Clubs...

After moving the 8 of Clubs

Now we might move one of the 5's onto the 6. We can move either of them, because the suit doesn't matter. Lets move the 5 of Diamonds...

After moving the 5 of Diamonds

This exposes the Queen of Clubs. The Queen could go onto the King of Clubs in the foundation zone, but it's not in the correct row. It would need to be on the same row as the King of Clubs, and these spots are currently occupied by the Jack of Clubs or the Ace of Clubs.

The other place it could be is on ANY of the corner stones.

Because the Jack of Clubs is on the correct row, and would also be immediately playable after the Queen is moved, we should move the Queen there first...

After moving the Queen of Clubs

Because the Queen of clubs is now on the same row as the King of clubs in the foundation, we can now move the queen to the foundation...

After moving the Queen of Clubs to the foundation

And we can immediately play the Jack of Clubs to the foundation as well...

After moving the Jack of Clubs to the foundation

Our next move might be to move 7 of Clubs onto the 8 of Clubs...

After moving the 7 of Clubs

This exposes the Queen of Spades- another card that could go onto the foundation, but is in the wrong row.

This time though, the Queen can not be moved to the left or the right of it's foundation stack, because they are only 5's, and a Queen needs to go onto a King or a Jack.

There are Kins and Jacks on top of the corner stones though... and when cards are on the corner stone, they can always be moved directly onto the foundation. So the next move would probably be to move the Queen of Spades onto the King of Hearts, and then move it straight from there, to the foundation.