Why is Russian Solitaire so hard?

Because you are restricted to building down by the exact same suit, your options for moving cards are drastically reduced compared to Yukon, where you can build using alternating colors.

Is every game of Russian Solitaire winnable?

No. In fact, it is estimated that less than 20% of Russian Solitaire games can be won, even with perfect play. It requires a lot of patience and luck.

Can I put any card in an empty column?

No. Just like Klondike and Yukon, only a King can be placed into an empty tableau column.

Play Russian Solitaire Online for Free

Play unlimited games of Russian Solitaire online for free. No download or registration required – play in full screen on desktop, tablet, or mobile. Test your skill against one of the most difficult and strategic same-suit Yukon variants!

What is Russian Solitaire?

If you have mastered classic Yukon and are looking for a game that will truly test your patience, logic, and foresight, Russian Solitaire is the ultimate challenge. Sharing the exact same board setup and the iconic “Super Move” mechanic as Yukon, this version introduces a strict restriction: instead of building columns with alternating colours, you must build columns down in the exact same suit. This makes the Russian Solitaire card game one of the most difficult patience variations in existence, demanding that you think multiple steps ahead before making any move. Play Russian Solitaire online for free in your browser and see if you can beat the odds!

Pro Tip: Keyboard Shortcuts

Play faster and more comfortably like a pro using these quick hotkeys.

Ctrl / Cmd + Z

Undo your last move

H

Show a hint for the next move

How to Play Russian Solitaire

Just like Yukon, there is no stock pile in Russian Solitaire. If you are learning how to play solitaire uk layouts, or searching for the russian patience card game rules (or russian patience), you will see that all 52 cards are dealt onto the tableau right from the start. Your goal is to move all cards to the four foundation piles, building each suit upwards from Ace to King.

Understanding the Playing Area

Russian Solitaire board layout with all 52 cards dealt into seven tableau columns

The board layout of Russian Solitaire is completely open, dealing all 52 cards onto the board immediately. As shown in the layout screenshot, there is no stock or waste pile at the top left. The cards are distributed across 7 columns, with the bottom cards of columns 2 through 7 starting face-down.

To navigate this challenging card game, you must understand the layout of the board:

The Tableau: Seven columns are dealt on the board. Column 1 has 1 face-up card. Columns 2 through 7 contain a mix of face-down cards (from 1 to 6 cards in depth) with exactly 5 face-up cards placed on top of them.
The Foundations: The four empty slots at the top-right of the board. Build these up by suit starting with the Aces (e.g., Ace of Spades, 2 of Spades, up to King of Spades).
Empty Stock Area: The top-left corner is empty. Every card is already on the board, so there are no extra draws.

The Rules of Movement & The Same-Suit Restriction

Moving cards in Russian Solitaire showing the same-suit placement restriction

Movement in Russian Solitaire is highly strategic due to its building rules. As shown in the move illustration, you can move any face-up stack of cards (even if they are non-sequential or “dirty”). However, according to the russian solitaire rules, you can only place a card on a card of the exact same suit that is exactly one rank higher.

Movement in the game uses the “Super Move” rule from Yukon combined with this same-suit constraint:

The “Super Move”: You can grab any face-up card in the tableau, no matter how deep it is or what cards are stacked on top of it. Every card resting on top of it will move with it as a single unit.
Same-Suit Placement: The card you grab must be placed on a card at the bottom of another column that is exactly one rank higher and of the same suit (for example, a 6 of Spades can only be placed on a 7 of Spades; a Jack of Hearts can only be placed on a Queen of Hearts).
Empty Columns: If a column is completely cleared of cards, you can only move a King (or a stack of cards with a King at its base) into that empty space.

Building the Foundations

Building the foundation piles is shown in the image above. The four target slots must be built up in ascending order (Ace to King) by suit. Shifting cards from the tableau is the only way to expose face-down cards and eventually release all the buried Aces.

Starting with Aces: You can only start a foundation pile with an Ace. Once placed, build ascending cards of the same suit (Ace, 2, 3, etc.).
Flipping Hidden Cards: Moving a stack off a face-down card flips that card face-up. Flipping these cards is essential to find your Aces and Twos.
Undoing Foundation Moves: You can move cards back down from the foundations to the tableau if it helps you unlock a card.

Russian Solitaire vs. Classic Yukon Solitaire

Feature	Russian Solitaire	Classic Yukon Solitaire
Deck Count	1 standard 52-card deck	1 standard 52-card deck
Initial Tableau Layout	52 cards dealt into 7 columns (same layout)	52 cards dealt into 7 columns (same layout)
Tableau Building Rules	Descending rank in the same suit (e.g., Spades on Spades)	Descending rank in alternating colours (e.g., Red on Black)
Moving Non-sequential Stacks (“Super Move”)	Yes (Grab any face-up card and move its stack together)	Yes (Grab any face-up card and move its stack together)
King Placement	Only Kings can fill empty tableau columns	Only Kings can fill empty tableau columns
Estimated Win Rate	~5% to 10% (Extremely difficult)	~80% (Highly solvable)

Want to win more often?

Learn the secret strategies that top players use to beat Klondike Patience. From exposing hidden cards to smart stock management, we have you covered.

Learn Winning Strategies

Expert Strategies for Russian Solitaire

Russian Solitaire is notoriously difficult, with an estimated win rate of under 10% to 20% even for experienced players. To increase your chances, follow these expert rules of thumb:

Do Not Empty Columns Randomly: Empty columns are highly precious. Only clear a column if you have a King ready to move into it immediately. Leaving an empty space without a King is a wasted column.
Examine the Whole Board First: Before you make a single move, scan the board to locate your Aces and Kings. Plan which cards you need to clear first to access them.
Prioritise the Right-Side Columns: The columns on the right (Columns 5, 6, and 7) contain the most face-down cards. Focus your early efforts on shifting cards off these columns to reveal the hidden cards.
Avoid Trapping Cards: Since building is strictly same-suit, placing a card on a pile can easily block other moves. Think three moves ahead before committing to a shift.

Features of Our Free Russian Solitaire

Play Russian Solitaire unblocked directly in your browser with these premium features:

Play Instantly: No download, no registration, and 100% free card play.
Tactile Mechanics: Beautiful fluid animations, responsive controls, and card shadows matching modern design guidelines.
Unlimited Undo & Hints: Since Russian Solitaire is extremely tough, use undo to retrace your steps or hints to find legal moves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Russian Solitaire so difficult?

Unlike Yukon Solitaire, which allows building columns using alternating colours, Russian Solitaire strictly requires you to build down in the same suit (e.g., 8 of Clubs on 9 of Clubs). This significantly reduces your available legal moves.

Is every deal of Russian Solitaire winnable?

No. Because of the strict suit restriction and random shuffling, many games cannot be solved. The win rate is estimated at less than 10-20% even with optimal strategy. You can play in 'Winnable Only' mode to guarantee a solvable layout.

What is the difference between Russian Solitaire and Yukon Solitaire?

The only difference is the column building rule. Yukon allows you to place a card on another card of alternating colour and one rank lower (e.g., Red 7 on Black 8). Russian Solitaire requires placing a card on another of the exact same suit and one rank higher (e.g., 7 of Spades on 8 of Spades).

What is the history and origin of Russian Solitaire?

Russian Solitaire was developed as a high-difficulty same-suit variation of Yukon Solitaire. By replacing the alternating colour rule with strict same-suit building, it was designed to challenge advanced players who found classic Yukon too easy.

What other Yukon games can I play?

If you enjoy Russian Solitaire, you can try other games in the Yukon family. Play the classic Yukon Solitaire, or the flexible two-way same-suit variant Alaska Solitaire.

What other solitaire games do you recommend?

If you want a change of pace from the Yukon family, we highly recommend trying the classic Klondike Solitaire, the multi-deck challenge Spider Solitaire, the open-information FreeCell Solitaire, or the math-based Pyramid Solitaire.