Whitehead Solitaire

What is Whitehead Solitaire?

Whitehead Solitaire is a Klondike variant where every tableau card is dealt face-up from the start. At first glance this seems like an enormous advantage, but the rules compensate with two critical twists: building is by same color (red on red, black on black) instead of alternating colors, and stack moves require a same-suit run. Any card may fill an empty column, not just Kings. These rules create a deeply tactical game with an estimated win rate of about 30%.

Whitehead Solitaire history

Whitehead was first described in early-twentieth-century patience compilations as a thought experiment: what happens when you remove hidden information from Klondike but tighten the movement rules? The result is a game where perfect information coexists with strict color and suit constraints! Players used to standard Klondike often find the same-color build rule surprisingly difficult to internalize. The game appears in major digital solitaire libraries including BVS Solitaire and PySol.

Whitehead deal layout

The deal follows the standard Klondike staircase pattern, but every card is placed face-up.

Element	Detail
Decks used	1 standard deck (52 cards)
Tableau columns	7 columns (1 to 7 cards), all face-up
Stock	24 cards, draw 1 at a time to waste
Waste pile	Standard waste, top card playable
Foundations	4 piles, built up by suit from Ace to King
Redeals	Unlimited

How to play Whitehead Solitaire

Build tableau columns down by same color (red on red, black on black).
Move stacks only when the entire run is the same suit and in sequence.
Any single card or valid same-suit sequence may fill an empty column.
Move Aces to foundations and build each foundation up by suit to King.
Click the stock to draw one card to the waste. Play the waste top card.
Win by completing all four foundations from Ace to King.

Building rule: same color, not alternating. Stack moves require a same-suit sequence. These two constraints make Whitehead much trickier than it looks.

Whitehead strategies

Use the full visibility to plan multi-step sequences before committing.
Build same-suit runs whenever possible to preserve stack mobility.
Take advantage of the flexible empty-column rule to reorganize.
Avoid mixing suits in a column even when the color matches.
Move low cards to foundations early to reduce tableau congestion.

Whitehead objective

Move all 52 cards to the four foundations, building each suit up from Ace through King.

Whitehead compared to similar games

Feature	Whitehead	Klondike	Thoughtful Klondike
Cards face-up	All	Top card per column	All
Build rule	Same color	Alternating color	Alternating color
Stack move rule	Same suit only	Full alternating sequence	Full alternating sequence
Empty column	Any card	King only	King only
Win rate	~30%	~30%	~75%

Whitehead difficulty and win rate

Whitehead offers roughly the same overall win rate as standard Klondike (around 30%), but the difficulty profile is very different. Full visibility means there is no hidden information, yet the same-suit stack-move requirement severely limits your ability to reorganize big runs. Players who are used to Klondike's alternating-color stacks will need to rethink their approach completely.

Whitehead vs Klondike: key differences

The biggest adjustment is the same-color build rule combined with the same-suit stack move restriction. In Klondike, you build alternating colors and can move any valid sequence. In Whitehead, you build same color, but you can only move a run if every card shares the same suit. This means a column with alternating hearts and diamonds (both red) is built correctly, but only the topmost same-suit segment can be moved as a unit. The other major difference is that all cards start face-up and any card can fill an empty column.

Frequently asked questions

What is the same-color build rule in Whitehead?

You stack cards of the same color on each other. Hearts go on diamonds and vice versa; spades go on clubs and vice versa. This is the opposite of Klondike's alternating-color pattern.

Why can I only move some of my stack in Whitehead?

Whitehead allows multi-card stack moves only when the entire run is the same suit. A column containing 5 of Hearts, 4 of Diamonds, 3 of Hearts allows building (all red), but only the 3 of Hearts can move alone because the three cards are not all the same suit.

Can any card go in an empty column?

Yes. Unlike Klondike where only Kings fill empties, Whitehead allows any single card or valid same-suit descending sequence to be placed in an empty space.

Is Whitehead easier because all cards are visible?

Not necessarily. The complete visibility removes hidden information, but the stricter movement rules (same-color build, same-suit stack moves) more than compensate. The win rate is comparable to standard Klondike at around 30%.

How is Whitehead different from Thoughtful Klondike?

Both games deal all cards face-up for perfect information. Thoughtful Klondike keeps the standard alternating-color build and King-only empties. Whitehead changes the build to same-color and the stack move rule to same-suit, while allowing any card on empties.

Play all solitaire games

Classic Klondike Solitaire offers dozens of unique solitaire games, from Klondike and Spider to niche variants. Try them all.

Whitehead board anatomy

Pile	Role	Strategic priority
Stock	Draws 1 card to waste	Cycle through for needed cards
Waste	Holds drawn stock cards	Play top card whenever possible
Foundations	Build up by suit Ace to King	Build evenly to avoid locks
Tableau	Build down by same color	Maintain same-suit runs for mobility

Whitehead tactical checklist

Build same-suit runs to keep stack mobility.
Use empty columns freely for temporary storage.
Send Aces and Twos to foundations as soon as possible.
Plan several moves ahead using the full visibility.
Avoid creating mixed-suit columns that lock down cards.

Whitehead glossary

Same-color build: Stacking cards of matching color (both red or both black) in descending rank.
Same-suit sequence: A descending run where every card shares the same suit, required for multi-card stack moves.
Open information: A game state where all cards are visible, eliminating hidden information and luck of the draw.
Foundation: One of four piles built up by suit from Ace to King to win the game.