Double Solitaire
Added 02/2026
Double Solitaire: The Cutthroat Head-to-Head Race
By Martin Petroff
If you have ever thought that card games were a little too peaceful and isolated, Double Solitaire is exactly what you need to ruin a quiet afternoon—in the best way possible. This brilliant multiplayer variation takes the standard, solitary game of Klondike and turns it into a cutthroat, head-to-head race. By forcing two players to sit across from each other and fight over the exact same foundation piles, it completely transforms a relaxing puzzle into a deeply strategic, aggressive duel. If you have a competitive streak and a friend who thinks they are faster than you, this is the ultimate test to settle the score.
How to Play
While the mechanics are almost identical to Klondike, the introduction of a second player and a shared center zone completely changes the strategy. You will need two players, a large table, and two standard 52-card decks (ideally with different patterned backs so you can separate them when the game is over!).
The Objective: Your goal is to get rid of as many of your cards as possible by playing them into the shared center Foundation piles. The player who has played the most cards into the center when the game ends is the winner.
The Setup (The Dual Tableaus):
Each player takes their own 52-card deck and shuffles it.
Both players set up their own standard Klondike Tableau right in front of them: seven columns, starting with one card on the left and ending with seven on the right, with only the top cards face up.
Both players keep their remaining cards as their own personal, face-down Stockpile.
Leave a wide, empty space directly in the middle of the table between both players. This will be the home for the eight shared Foundation piles.
How to Play:
Taking Turns: Unlike the frantic, real-time game of Nertz, classic Double Solitaire is strictly turn-based. Player One makes as many valid moves as they can. Their turn only ends when they flip a card from their Stockpile into their Waste pile and cannot play it anywhere. Then, Player Two takes their turn.
Managing Your Board: You build and manage your own Tableau exactly like standard Klondike (descending order, alternating colors). You cannot touch, move, or play cards onto your opponent's Tableau.
The Cutthroat Center: The middle of the table can hold up to eight Foundation piles. When either player uncovers an Ace, they place it in the center. Both players share these piles. You can play your cards onto any available Foundation pile in the center, building up from Ace to King by suit.
Blocking and Hoarding: Because the foundations are shared, the core strategy is offensive blocking. If you know your opponent desperately needs to play a 4 of Hearts to unclog their board, and you happen to have the 3 of Hearts sitting on your board, you might intentionally delay playing your 3 just to keep them stuck!
The Draw: Just like Klondike, you draw from your Stockpile to your Waste pile. You must both agree beforehand whether you are playing the forgiving "Draw 1" or the punishing "Draw 3" rules.
Winning: The game instantly ends when one player successfully plays all of their cards into the shared center, or when both players are completely stuck and pass their turns consecutively. At that point, sort the center piles by deck pattern—whoever played the most cards wins the duel!