Queen of Italy Solitaire Rules

Queen of Italy, also widely known as Terrace, is a sophisticated patience game played with two decks of cards. It is a highly strategic game that rewards careful planning rather than just luck. Unlike the casual flow of Klondike, Queen of Italy presents you with the cards that might block your victory right at the start in a special reserve.

Historically, this game has been appreciated by players who enjoy complex puzzles like FreeCell or Spider. With a win rate of approximately 50% for skilled players, it offers a fair but rigorous challenge where every move counts.

Game Setup

The game is played with two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total). The layout is arranged as follows:

• The Terrace (Reserve): A pile of 11 cards is dealt face up. Only the top card is active. This is the most critical part of the game.
• The Tableau: Consists of 9 piles of cards arranged in a row.
• The Foundations: There are 8 foundation piles located above the tableau.
• Stock and Waste: The remaining cards form the stock, which will be dealt to the waste pile one by one.

At the very beginning of the game, a specific setup phase determines the target rank. Several cards are laid out, and one is chosen to start the first Foundation. The rank of this card (e.g., a 7 or a Jack) becomes the starting rank for all 8 foundations.

How to Play

The objective is to move all cards to the foundations. The game ends when you have built all 8 foundations or when you are blocked with no moves remaining.

Building Foundations

Foundations are built up in alternating colors (e.g., a Red 8 goes on a Black 7). The sequence is continuous, meaning an Ace can be placed on a King if the colors alternate.

Building the Tableau

Cards in the tableau are built down in alternating colors (e.g., a Black 6 goes on a Red 7). You can move cards from the tableau to other tableau piles or to the foundations. Unlike Yukon, you can usually only move one card at a time, not groups of cards.

The Terrace Rules

The top card of the Terrace (Reserve) is protected by a strict rule: it can only be moved to a Foundation. It cannot be moved to the tableau. This makes clearing the Terrace the primary difficulty of the game.

Dealing and Empty Spaces

• When you deal from the stock, cards go to the waste pile. The top card of the waste pile can be played to the foundations or the tableau.
• If a space (gap) is created in the tableau, it is immediately and automatically filled with a card from the waste pile (or stock). You cannot manually fill empty spaces with cards from the tableau.
• There is no redeal of the stock.

Tips and Strategy

• Focus on the Terrace: Since Terrace cards can only go to the foundations, they are your bottleneck. Always check if the top card of the Terrace can be played.
• Watch the Alternating Colors: Unlike Big Ben or other two-deck games that might use suits, remember that Queen of Italy uses alternating colors for both foundations and tableau.
• Plan Ahead: Before moving a card in the tableau, consider what card is underneath it and if moving it will block a card needed for the foundations.