Play Lasker Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

Move whole same-suit sequences as one block, not just single cards, across ten tableau piles. Medium difficulty, single deck, and a 40% shot at winning.

Lasker Solitaire is a Chessboard Solitaire variant with one key difference: whole sequences can be moved as a block instead of one card at a time. Out of a single deck, you'll clear the board about 40% of the time at this medium difficulty. Skill decides most of that, not luck.

It's also related to Fortress Solitaire, which uses the same same-suit, up-or-down tableau but keeps its foundations fixed at Ace and lets you move only one card at a time.

If you enjoy Lasker, try Spider Solitaire for another game built around moving same-suit sequences.

If you run into anything odd or have an idea that would make the game better, please contact me.

Enjoy playing!

How to play Lasker Solitaire

Layout:

4 foundation piles: Build up in suit from the rank of the first card added to the first pile, wrapping from King to Ace if needed, until each pile holds 13 cards.

10 tableau piles: Build up or down by suit. Sequences in proper suit-and-rank order can be moved together as a block. Any available card may be used to fill any open space. At the start of the game, the top two piles are dealt six cards apiece, while the remaining piles are handed five cards each.

Foundation:

There are four foundation piles.

Any card may be the first one placed on an empty foundation pile. Whatever rank you place there becomes the base rank for every foundation pile, so each of the four piles must start with a card of that same rank.

A card can be added to a foundation pile only if it's one rank higher and the same suit as the pile's current top card, so the only card that fits on a 3 of spades is a 4 of spades.

The top card of each foundation can be moved back into play if another pile will accept it.

Tableau:

Ten tableau piles of cards, the first two with six cards each and the last eight with five cards each. Every card is dealt face-up.

A card can be added to a tableau pile only if it's one rank higher or lower and the same suit as the pile's current top card, so the only cards that fit on the 10 of diamonds are the 9 of diamonds and the J of diamonds. Matching cards move to the foundation automatically.

Cards on the tableau that are not covered by another card are free to be played onto the foundation or any other tableau pile.

Any card can fill an empty slot in the tableau.

Groups of cards in the same suit, in succession up or down, can be moved together from one tableau column to another.