Free Russian Solitaire Online
Russian Solitaire is Yukon with a strict twist: you build the columns down in the same suit, not in alternating colours. All 52 cards are on the table and there is no stock. Solitaire Play offers Russian Solitaire in your browser for free, with Hint, Undo and a daily challenge, and no download or sign-up.
Official Rules & Scoring
The goal is to build the four foundations up from Ace to King in each suit. All 52 cards are dealt to seven columns and there is no stock to draw from.
- Layout: the first column has one face-up card. Every other column has some face-down cards (one more in each column to the right, up to six) with five face-up cards on top.
- Moving: move any face-up card, together with all the cards on top of it, onto a card of the same suit that is one rank higher. The cards you move do not have to be in sequence.
- Empty columns: only a King (with the cards on it) can go into an empty column.
- Foundations: build each suit up from Ace to King. A card on a foundation cannot be taken back.
- Turning cards: a face-down card turns face up as soon as it is uncovered.
- Winning: you win when all 52 cards are on the foundations. Once every column is face up and in descending order, the rest is collected for you.
Strategy & Tips
- Uncover face-down cards first. each flipped card adds options, so prefer moves that turn one over.
- Think in suits. a card has exactly one place it can land (the next rank up in its own suit), so check where each card will go before you bury it.
- Aim for an empty column. an empty column takes a King and its stack, and it is the most useful tool for rearranging.
- Think before you send a card up. a card on a foundation stays there, and a low card may be the only landing spot another card has.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can every Russian Solitaire deal be won?
Not every deal can be won, so we filter. In our screening, the solver proved about 6.7% of random deals winnable within its search limit (799 of 12,000), so only those are kept, and new games and the daily challenge only use them. Winnable does not mean easy: the solver sees every face-down card, and you do not.
How is Russian Solitaire different from Yukon?
The deal is the same. The difference is the building rule: Russian Solitaire builds down in the same suit instead of alternating colours, and cards cannot be taken back from the foundations here.
Can I move cards that are not in sequence?
Yes. Any face-up card can be moved with everything on top of it, as long as the card you pick up fits on the destination: the same suit and one rank higher.
Where are the other solitaire games?
Klondike is on the home page, and FreeCell, Spider, Yukon and Golf have their own pages.
Want to play better? Read our Russian Solitaire strategy guide.