Forty Thieves (40 Thieves) Solitaire

2 decks, 8 foundations (2 per suit). Build down by same suit on tableau, up by suit on foundations. Single-card moves only. Empty columns accept any card.

—

How to play Forty Thieves

Forty Thieves is a two-deck solitaire: you win by building all eight foundations up by suit from Ace to King. The game starts with ten columns of four face-up cards, you move one card at a time, and the stock turns over one card at a time onto the waste.

The rules in short

Two decks, 104 cards: ten columns of four face-up cards, the other 64 cards in the stock.
Build columns down by the same suit, one card at a time. Any card can go into an empty column.
Move each Ace to a foundation as it appears, then build that foundation up by suit to the King.
Select the stock to turn one card onto the waste. The top waste card can go to a column or a foundation.
When the stock runs out, select it again to turn the waste over and go through it once more. Classic Forty Thieves allows only one pass; this board lets you go through as often as you like.

Tips

Empty a column early. An empty column is the only place to park a card that has nowhere else to go.
Before sending a card to a foundation, check that no lower card of the same suit still needs it as a landing spot in the columns.
Keep same-suit runs short unless you can see where they end. Only one card moves at a time, so a long run is slow to relocate.

Questions

Can I move a whole run of cards at once in Forty Thieves?

No. Only one card moves at a time, even when the cards below it form a correct same-suit run.

How many times can I go through the stock?

As many times as you like on this board. Traditional rules allow a single pass, which makes the game much harder.

Why are there eight foundations?

The game uses two decks, so every suit appears twice and each copy is built on its own foundation from Ace to King.

Read the full Forty Thieves rules →