Play Forty Thieves Solitaire Online for Free (Napoleon at St Helena, Big Forty)
The classic two-deck patience that Napoleon is said to have played during his exile on St Helena. Ten columns, eight foundations, and a brutal 10% win rate make Forty Thieves one of the most challenging solitaire games you can play in your browser.
What is Forty Thieves Solitaire?
Forty Thieves Solitaire (also called Napoleon at St Helena, Big Forty, Le Cadran, and Roosevelt at San Juan) uses two standard 52-card decks for a total of 104 cards. Forty of those cards are dealt face-up into ten columns of four, forming the tableau. The remaining 64 cards become the stock. Eight foundation piles above the tableau must each be built from Ace up to King in the same suit. Only the top card of any tableau column can be moved, and tableau columns are built down by matching suit.
Forty Thieves Solitaire history
The earliest recorded reference dates to 1870, when Annie Henshaw described it as "a most excellent game which has the added charm of having been a favourite with Napoleon at St Helena." Lady Adelaide Cadogan published it in 1874 under the name Le Cadran, suggesting a possible French origin. American sources from the 1920s popularised the names Forty Thieves and Big Forty. The game remains widely featured in patience compilations and was among the first solitaire games included in commercial software collections.
How to play Forty Thieves Solitaire
Strategies to win Forty Thieves Solitaire
- Move cards to the foundation as early as possible. Every card sent up frees a tableau slot and prevents future blocking.
- Avoid filling empty columns with Kings unless you have a Queen of the same suit already accessible. An orphaned King locks the column for the rest of the game.
- Draw from stock only when no productive tableau move exists. Each wasted draw is gone forever since there is no redeal.
- Watch suit distribution carefully. Because only same-suit building is allowed, a buried Ace can block an entire suit's foundation indefinitely.
- Prioritise uncovering Aces and 2s over any other tableau manoeuvre. Getting both copies of a suit's Ace to the foundation quickly is the single most valuable thing you can do early.
Forty Thieves Solitaire rules and objective
The goal is to move all 104 cards to the eight foundation piles, each built up from Ace to King in a single suit. A card may only be placed on a tableau column if it is one rank lower and exactly the same suit as the column's current top card. Only one card at a time may be moved between columns. An empty column may receive any single card. Draw one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile; the top waste card is always available for play. The stock may only be used once; no redeals are permitted.
Game setup
- Shuffle two standard 52-card decks together (104 cards).
- Deal four rows of ten cards face-up to form ten tableau columns.
- Leave space above the tableau for eight foundation slots.
- Place the remaining 64 cards face-down as the stock.
Forty Thieves Solitaire variants and similar games
Forty Thieves is the foundation of one of the largest two-deck solitaire families. Most variants loosen one or more rules to increase the win rate. The table below compares the most popular members.
How difficult is Forty Thieves Solitaire?
Forty Thieves is one of the hardest mainstream solitaire games. The same-suit-only build rule severely limits movement options because a spadess Queen can only go on a spades King, leaving queens of other suits useless until matching kings are exposed. With only one card movable at a time and no redeals, a single buried Ace can doom the entire game before it truly begins.
What is Forty Thieves Solitaire win percentage?
The win rate for Forty Thieves Solitaire is approximately 10%, consistent with the 1-in-10 figure cited in classic card game references. Skilled play raises this slightly but cannot overcome poor initial deals. Variants that allow alternating-colour building or sequence movement see win rates two to five times higher.
What is the difference between Forty Thieves and Josephine Solitaire?
Both games use an identical layout: two decks, ten columns of four face-up cards, and eight foundations. The sole difference is sequence movement. In Forty Thieves, only the top card of each column is movable; you can never pick up a built sequence and relocate it as a unit. In Josephine, any same-suit sequence built down in the tableau may be moved together as a block. That single change raises the win rate from around 10% to roughly 30%, making Josephine noticeably more approachable while preserving the same strategic feel.
Forty Thieves Solitaire FAQ
Is Forty Thieves Solitaire the same as Napoleon at St Helena?
Yes. Forty Thieves, Napoleon at St Helena, Big Forty, Le Cadran, and Roosevelt at San Juan all refer to the same game. Napoleon at St Helena is the oldest known name, dating to 1870. Forty Thieves and Big Forty became popular in American sources from the 1920s onward.
Can you move more than one card at a time in Forty Thieves?
No. Standard Forty Thieves allows only one card to be moved at a time, even if a built sequence sits at the bottom of a column. This is the defining restriction that makes the game so difficult. If you want sequence movement, try Josephine Solitaire, which uses the same layout but allows same-suit sequences to move as a unit.
Why is Forty Thieves so hard to win?
Three factors combine to make Forty Thieves exceptionally difficult. First, same-suit-only building creates narrow placement options. Second, only one card moves at a time, so clearing buried cards requires long sequences of preparatory moves. Third, there are no redeals, meaning every stock card you draw past is gone. A single inaccessible Ace can end a winnable game.
What should I do when the stock runs out in Forty Thieves?
When the stock is empty, you are limited to tableau-to-tableau moves and tableau-to-foundation moves. If no legal moves remain, the game is lost. This is why conserving stock cards by exhausting all tableau options first is critical. Never draw from stock while a legal tableau move exists.
How does Forty Thieves compare to Klondike for difficulty?
Forty Thieves is significantly harder than Klondike. Standard Klondike Solitaire has a win rate of roughly 35% with optimal play. Forty Thieves sits around 10%. The two-deck layout, same-suit-only build, no sequence movement, and single pass through the stock are all stricter than anything in Klondike.