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Diplomat Solitaire is a double-deck Napoleon family game with an unusually tall tableau: eight columns of five face-up cards each. Same-suit building and single-card movement make every placement count, while the wider stock gives you more drawing opportunities than classic Forty Thieves.
What is Diplomat Solitaire?
Diplomat uses two standard 52-card decks (104 cards). Eight tableau columns are each dealt five cards face-up, placing 40 cards on the tableau and leaving 64 in the stock. Foundations (eight piles, one per suit-deck combination) must be built from Ace up to King in suit. Tableau columns build down by the same suit; only one card at a time may be moved. One card is drawn at a time from the stock; no redeals.
How Diplomat differs from Forty Thieves
Forty Thieves has ten columns of four cards each. Diplomat has eight columns of five. Fewer columns mean less lateral space for maneuvering, but each column is deeper, so more cards are initially visible in sequential groups. The taller columns naturally produce longer same-suit runs at setup, which can be advantageous if the suits are well distributed.
How to play Diplomat Solitaire
Rules and objective
Move all 104 cards to the eight foundation piles, each built from Ace to King in a single suit. A card may be placed on a tableau column if it is one rank lower and of the same suit as the current top card. Only one card at a time may be moved. Empty columns accept any single card. Draw one card at a time from the stock; the top waste card is always available. No redeals.
Game setup
- Shuffle two standard 52-card decks together (104 cards total).
- Deal five rows of eight, all face-up, into eight columns.
- Reserve space above for eight foundation slots.
- Place the remaining 64 cards face-down as the stock.
Strategies to win Diplomat Solitaire
- Work the tall columns early. With five cards per column, the bottom cards are reachable only after clearing the top four. Identify which deep cards are needed for foundations and plan a sequence of moves to expose them.
- Protect empty columns. Diplomat has only eight columns, so an empty column is rare and precious. Avoid filling it with a single isolated card unless that card enables an immediate foundation play.
- Same-suit building is mandatory. Unlike alternating-colour variants, Diplomat requires strictly same-suit tableau builds. When a card arrives from the stock, check if any existing column top shares its suit and is one rank higher.
- Draw stock after exhausting tableau moves. With 64 undrawn cards and no redeal, each draw is significant. Exhaust every legal tableau move before drawing to maximise the usefulness of each stock card.
Diplomat vs similar Napoleon family games
| Game | Columns | Cards per column | Build rule | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forty Thieves | 10 | 4 | Same suit | ~15% |
| Diplomat | 8 | 5 | Same suit | ~20% |
| Limited | 12 | 3 | Same suit | ~18% |
| Maria | 9 | 4 | Alt colour | ~40% |
Diplomat Solitaire FAQ
Where does Diplomat Solitaire come from?
Diplomat is a traditional Napoleon family variant documented in classic patience compilations. The name refers to the diplomatic skill required to negotiate the taller, more complex tableau compared to standard Forty Thieves. It has appeared in several published card game references under the Diplomat name without a single definitive origin.
Can you move sequences in Diplomat?
No. Diplomat follows the standard Napoleon single-card movement rule. Sequences form naturally on the tableau as same-suit runs, but each card must be moved individually. Players who want sequence movement should try Rank and File or Emperor Solitaire.
Is Diplomat harder than Forty Thieves?
Diplomat has a slightly higher win rate than Forty Thieves because the taller columns occasionally produce long same-suit runs at setup that can be transferred to foundations more efficiently. However, the fewer columns mean less maneuvering space, so complex positions can still become blocked quickly.