Spider Solitaire 1-suit guide: uncover cards and create space

01Build eight complete King-to-Ace runs

The deal uses 104 cards in ten columns. The first four columns start with six cards and the other six with five; only the top card of each column is face up. The remaining 50 cards form five stock deals. Build descending sequences from King through Ace. A complete face-up run is removed automatically; remove all eight to win.

Move a face-up card onto a card one rank higher, or into an empty column. A group can move together only when every card in it is face up and descends by exactly one rank within the same suit. In one-suit play that suit condition is automatic, but a gap in ranks still breaks the group. Ace is low: it cannot receive a King.

02Select the beginning of the run

Drag a card and the run below it to another column, or select the card and then select the destination. On the focused board, use the arrow keys to navigate and Enter or Space to select and place. Escape cancels the selection. Select the first card you want to move, not an unrelated card higher in the pile.

Use Undo to compare a decision with its alternative, and Hint to locate a legal move when you lose track. A hint is a suggestion, not proof that the deal is winnable. Deal adds one face-up card to every column, but it is unavailable while any column is empty.

03Choose the move that exposes information

Suppose column A ends with a hidden card followed by face-up 8–7–6, and column B ends with a face-up 9. Move the 8–7–6 group onto the 9. The hidden card in A turns face up automatically. You have both extended a descending run and gained a new option to inspect.

Now compare moving a lone 8 from another column onto that same 9. It may be legal, but if it reveals nothing and leaves the 8–7–6 group stranded, it can be less useful. Before occupying a destination, check which candidate reveals a card, frees a column or helps complete a run. Do not judge only by the length of the resulting stack.

04Treat an empty column as temporary working space

Any movable card or run can enter an empty column; it need not be a King. Use the space to park a run while rearranging another pile, and plan where the parked cards can go afterward. Moving an entire column into another empty column changes its location without creating extra space.

Before taking stock, scan for moves that uncover cards or improve the arrangement. A stock deal covers every column with a new card and can interrupt a useful run. When you decide to deal, refill every empty column with a legal card or group first. Avoid filling a valuable space casually just because the next deal is available.

05Recognize unproductive moves

A tidy pile is not always progress. Repeatedly moving the same run back and forth without revealing a card or opening a route leaves the puzzle unchanged. If two equal-rank targets are available, prefer the placement that preserves another route to a hidden card or an empty column.

Do not deal simply because the first move you tried was illegal. Check whether the selected group contains a rank gap, whether the destination is exactly one rank higher, and whether an empty column offers a temporary solution. If no useful rearrangement remains, dealing can supply new options; there is no universal rule that guarantees every deal can be won.

Questions while playing