Yukon Solitaire

Yukon Solitaire is often described as the adventurous cousin of the classic Klondike. If you find traditional solitaire a bit too predictable, Yukon is here to spice things up. Its defining characteristic is that nearly all cards are dealt onto the tableau from the start, and there is no stock pile to fall back on.

The origins of Yukon are somewhat mysterious, but it shares a deep connection with Scorpion. What makes Yukon truly unique and beloved by enthusiasts is the freedom it grants: you can move any group of face-up cards, regardless of their sequence, as long as the starting card follows the building rules. It is a game of foresight and tactical maneuvering that rewards players who like to plan several moves ahead.

Game Setup

Yukon uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards. The setup consists of seven columns dealt across the tableau:

• Column 1: 1 card face up.
• Column 2: 1 card face down and 5 cards face up.
• Column 3: 2 cards face down and 5 cards face up.
• Column 4: 3 cards face down and 5 cards face up.
• Column 5: 4 cards face down and 5 cards face up.
• Column 6: 5 cards face down and 5 cards face up.
• Column 7: 6 cards face down and 5 cards face up.

The remaining cards are all on the board. Unlike Spider Solitaire, there is no deck to draw from during the game. Four foundation piles are located above the tableau, starting empty.

How to Play

The objective of Yukon is to move all cards to the four foundation piles, organized by suit from Ace to King.

Building the Tableau

You can move cards between columns on the tableau following these rules:

• Cards must be placed on a card of the opposite color and exactly one rank higher (e.g., a Red 7 can only be placed on a Black 8).
• The Yukon Twist: You can move any face-up card, even if it has other cards resting on top of it that are not in sequence. The entire group of cards moves with it.
• Only a King (or a group of cards led by a King) can be moved into an empty tableau column.

Using the Foundations

Foundations are built by suit starting with the Ace. Once an Ace is available, you can move it to the foundation area. Subsequent cards must follow in ascending order (2, 3, 4…) of the same suit.

Tips and Strategies for Winning

Yukon is a game where skill significantly outweighs luck. Because you can see most of the cards, you have the power to influence the outcome through careful play.

• Prioritize face-down cards: Your main goal should be to reveal the cards that are face down. Every time you flip a card, you gain more options and information.
• Don't clear a column too early: An empty space is only useful if you have a King ready to occupy it. If you clear a column without a King, you effectively reduce your maneuvering space.
• Move the Aces quickly: Unlike some variants like Canfield where you might hold back, getting Aces and low cards to the foundations early in Yukon usually helps clear the way for other moves.
• Look for the "Deep" cards: Check which face-up cards are blocking face-down ones and look for their destination cards elsewhere on the board. Since you can move groups, you are rarely truly stuck if the target card is visible.