How to play Canfield
A practical guide to the objective, legal flow, and decisions that matter in this playable version.
Objective
Canfield Solitaire builds four foundations upward by suit from a randomly chosen base rank, wrapping King to Ace when required. The tableau descends in alternating colours, and a reserve feeds empty spaces automatically.
How a turn works
Move exposed tableau, reserve, or waste cards to foundations or legal tableau destinations. Build foundations cyclically from the displayed base rank. Tableau sequences descend with colour alternation and may also wrap. Draw from the stock according to the table rule until all cards reach foundations or no route remains.
Strategy that changes the outcome
The reserve is the main constraint. Expose its top cards without creating a tableau bottleneck, and keep foundation ranks balanced enough to release useful builds. Because ranks wrap, look for sequences crossing King and Ace that would be illegal in ordinary Klondike but essential here.
First decision: The reserve supplies pressure and opportunity; expose it without blocking the foundations’ rotating base rank.
A common mistake to avoid
Treating Ace as the universal foundation start causes confusion. Each deal establishes its own base rank, and every suit foundation must follow that rank cyclically.
Three useful table habits
- Read the foundation base before making the first move.
- Open tableau space so reserve cards have somewhere useful to go.
- Remember rank wrapping on both foundations and tableau builds.
A question players ask
Why did a reserve card move into an empty Canfield column?
Canfield traditionally fills an empty tableau column from the reserve while reserve cards remain. The automatic refill is part of the pressure of the game, so plan the empty column with that next reserve card in mind.
About this guide
We compare the rules shown in the game with the implemented legal moves, complete representative deals, and review desktop and mobile presentation. If a house rule changes play, the in-game How to play panel takes precedence. Read How games are researched and tested.