Russian Solitaire is a tougher cousin of Yukon that forces you to build columns in a single suit, not alternating colors. If you already know Yukon, you understand the layout: all 52 cards are dealt into seven columns with no stock, and you can move any face-up card together with the cards above it, even if they are not in sequence. The main twist in Russian Solitaire rules is that cards must build down in the same suit, which sharply reduces your options and makes winning much harder than in plain Yukon. Learn the rules, the key differences from Yukon, and practical strategy to improve your odds. Alaska solitaire, a related variant, is worth trying after mastering this one.

Layout and Setup

Russian Solitaire uses the exact same deal as Yukon. All 52 cards are dealt into seven columns with no stockpile. Column one holds 1 card. Columns two through seven hold 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 cards respectively. That gives you 21 face-down cards and 31 face-up cards. The face-up cards are the single card in column one plus the top 5 cards of columns two through seven. Every other card in those columns is face down.

Because there is no stock, every move you make must come from the columns themselves. You cannot draw from a reserve. Plan carefully.

Moving Cards Same Suit Only

In Yukon, cards build down in alternating colors (red on black, black on red). In Russian Solitaire, they must build down in the same suit. That means a 9 of hearts can only be placed on a 10 of hearts, a 7 of clubs only on an 8 of clubs, and so on. This single change makes the game far more restrictive.

What You Can Move

As in Yukon, you may move any face-up card together with all cards on top of it, even if those cards are not in sequence. For example, if a column shows (from bottom to top) 10 of spades, 7 of spades, 5 of spades, you can move the 7 of spades along with the 5 of spades as a group, even though the 7 and 5 are not consecutive. Move the group onto a card that is one rank higher and the same suit as the bottom card of the group, in this case an 8 of spades.

Filling Empty Columns

Only a King may fill an empty column. This is the same rule as in Yukon. If you have no King available and a column empties, leave the space open until a King appears face up.

Winning Conditions and Difficulty

You win by moving all 52 cards to the four foundations, building each foundation up from Ace to King in the same suit. That part is identical to Yukon and standard Klondike.

Russian Solitaire is won far less often than Yukon. The same-suit building rule means that many sequences that would be playable in Yukon are dead ends here. A single misplaced card can block an entire column. Because you cannot move face-down cards until they are uncovered, you may run out of legal moves quickly.

Strategy for Russian Solitaire

Every move matters. Use these guidelines to increase your chances.

Uncover Face-Down Cards First

Expose as many face-down cards as possible in the opening moves. The more cards you turn over, the more options you have for building sequences. Look for moves that clear a column or that move a small group off a large face-down stack.

Build in Suit, Not Across Suits

In Yukon you can sometimes afford to shift cards between colors. In Russian Solitaire, you cannot. If you have a run of hearts in one column and a run of spades in another, keep them separate. Moving a heart onto a spade is illegal. Plan your column space around each suit.

Use the Foundation Early, but Carefully

Move cards to the foundation at any time. In many solitaire games, it is wise to delay foundation moves to keep tableau options open. Here, because the tableau is so constrained, moving a card to the foundation early can free up a key card. But be cautious. If you move a card that could have helped build a longer sequence on the tableau, you block yourself. Only move a card to the foundation if you are sure you do not need it for building.

Think Several Moves Ahead

Because you can move groups of cards even when they are not in sequence, you have some flexibility. You might move a group that includes a low-value card just to access a high-value card underneath. Before you make any group move, check whether the destination card actually exists in the tableau or foundation. If it does not, the move is wasted.

Empty Columns Are Valuable

An empty column can only be filled by a King, but a King placed there can then be built upon. If you have a King face up, move it to an empty column to start a new sequence. This gives you a fresh place to build and helps reorganize your tableau.

A Note on Alaska Solitaire

Alaska is a related variant that uses the same Yukon layout but changes the building rule. In Alaska solitaire, cards may build up or down in the same suit. Place a 9 of hearts on either a 10 of hearts (building down) or an 8 of hearts (building up). This gives you far more flexibility than Russian Solitaire, though still not as much as standard Yukon with its alternating colors. If Russian Solitaire feels too punishing, Alaska offers a more forgiving challenge while still requiring same-suit discipline.

Comparing Russian Solitaire and Yukon Side by Side

  • Layout: Identical. Both use 7 columns, 52 cards, no stock.
  • Building rule: Yukon uses alternating colors; Russian Solitaire uses same suit.
  • Moving groups: Both allow moving any face-up card together with all cards above it, even if not in sequence.
  • Empty columns: Both require a King to fill an empty column.
  • Win rate: Russian Solitaire is won far less often than Yukon.