Solitaire is one of the most famous card games for a single player, combining simple rules with a deep logical structure. Over the centuries, the game has evolved from an aristocratic pastime to a digital entertainment, becoming part of everyday culture in many countries. Unlike most card games, Solitaire is designed for individual play, where attention, consistency, and the ability to think several steps ahead are essential. Its popularity is largely linked to its versatility: just one deck of cards is enough to create an activity that is both calming and intellectually engaging.
A special place in the history of Solitaire belongs to Klondike — a variation that over time has practically become synonymous with the entire game. This version gained the greatest recognition thanks to its successful balance of logic and chance, as well as its wide distribution in the digital environment. Solitaire secured a stable place in culture: from Victorian parlors to standard applications in operating systems. It is perceived not just as a game, but as a form of organized rest — a way to switch off, concentrate, and detach from external noise.
History of Solitaire
Origins and early years
The exact origins of Solitaire remain unclear, but researchers agree that card-laying games — the prototypes of Solitaire — appeared in Europe toward the end of the 18th century. Northern and Central Europe are considered the most likely places of origin — especially Scandinavia, France, and Germany. Interestingly, in some languages traces of Solitaire’s early mystical perception have survived. In the Scandinavian countries, the game was named Kabale — borrowed from the French Cabale, a word associated with mysteries, conspiracies, and enigmatic practices. At a time when Solitaire was often regarded as a form of divination, such a name seemed quite appropriate. Indeed, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries Solitaire was seen not only as entertainment but also as a kind of fortune-telling: it was believed that if the layout «worked out» (that is, all cards fell into the required order), the wish would come true.
The first documented references to Solitaire date back to the 1780s: in the German anthology of games Das neue Königliche L’Hombre-Spiel (1783) there are descriptions of card layouts under the names Patience and Cabale. According to the game historian David Parlett, in its early stage there was even a two-player version of Solitaire — each laid out their combination, competing in speed. However, the single-player version quickly gained much greater popularity, as it was a calmer and more focused pastime.
Spread in Europe
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Solitaire began to gain popularity at courts and in salons. In France during the reign of Louis XV, card layouts became a favorite pastime of the nobility. Soon after, the passion for Solitaire spread to England: the first recorded use of the word «Patience» in English dates to 1801, and by the 1820s the game was already well known in British society. This is evidenced, in particular, by a letter from Harriet Leveson-Gower, Countess of Granville, dated 1822.
Around the same time, the first literary references to Solitaire appeared in Russia. As early as 1826, a book with the telling title «Collection of card layouts, known as grand solitaires, diligently dedicated to all business people» was published in Moscow. This indicates that the game was known among Russian aristocracy since at least the early 1820s.
Gradually, Solitaire lost its purely fortune-telling character and turned into a logical game accessible to a wide circle of card lovers.
The Victorian era and the first collections
The true rise of Solitaire’s popularity came in the mid and late 19th century. At that time, numerous collections with descriptions of card layouts appeared in Europe and the USA. One of the earliest and most notable publications that influenced the spread of Solitaire was the book by British aristocrat Adelaide Cadogan. Her «Illustrated Games of Patience» was first published around 1870 and contained 25 types of Solitaire. The book was highly successful and was reprinted many times — in England, the name Cadogan even became a generic term for any Solitaire collection.
Other authors followed Lady Cadogan: American writer Ednah Cheney published her book on Solitaire soon after the 1870s, and in the 1890s–1900s large collections appeared from British writers Mary Elizabeth Whitmore Jones, E. D’Orse, and others, documenting hundreds of different layouts. In Victorian England, Solitaire became a fashionable hobby, especially for ladies — a leisurely card puzzle that suited the spirit of the era.
During this period new variations of Solitaire emerged, and many classic layouts were given names referring to well-known historical figures and events. A widely known legend claims that Napoleon Bonaparte, during his exile on the island of Saint Helena, passed the time by playing Solitaire. In his honor, popular layouts such as «Napoleon at St. Helena» and «Napoleon’s Square» were named — although there is little historical evidence for this. Nevertheless, the very appearance of such names shows the role Solitaire played in the cultural life of the 19th century.
The emergence of Klondike
At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, a variation appeared that would later become the most famous Solitaire in the world — Klondike. The origin of this layout is shrouded in some mystery. The name clearly refers to the Klondike region in northwestern Canada, which became famous for the gold rush of 1896–1899. According to one version, it was the prospectors during the gold rush who came up with laying out Solitaire to pass the long polar nights while waiting for luck. It is said that gold diggers always had a deck of cards with them and, while guarding their mined gold at night, laid out Solitaire to avoid falling asleep. This romanticized version took firm root in cultural folklore. For example, writer Jack London in one of his northern stories describes how Klondike prospectors spent evenings playing Solitaire: «Shorty, plunged into deep despair, laid out Solitaire.» However, there are no direct documentary proofs linking the appearance of the game to the Klondike.
Researchers only note that the first publications of the rules of this layout date back to the early 20th century. For example, in the 1907 edition of «Hoyle’s Games» there is mention of a game called «Seven-Card Klondike» — essentially the classic Klondike, where 7 columns are laid out with an increasing number of cards. Interestingly, in the same 1907 book another, more complex gambling variation appeared under the name Klondike — in fact, this was the game now known as «Canfield». The confusion in names continued for several years until modern terminology was finally established.
In the American game rules of 1913 the concepts were already clearly distinguished: Klondike was exactly the Solitaire with seven columns and cards arranged in descending order, while the name «Canfield» became fixed for a separate game based on that gambling variation. Where did the name «Canfield» come from? Here too is a remarkable story: Richard Albert Canfield, a well-known casino owner in the USA, allegedly offered his clients a gambling Solitaire in which for $50 one could buy a deck and receive $5 for each completed suit — this game became known as «Canfield».
Later in England Klondike was mistakenly also called «Canfield», which created confusion. But over time, terminology stabilized in both countries: Klondike — the classic Solitaire, called Solitaire in the USA and Patience in Britain, while «Canfield» designated another, more complex game.
Geography of popularity and evolution
In the first half of the 20th century, Klondike became widespread — both through printed collections and thanks to a stable oral tradition. The game required nothing but a deck of cards and therefore took root everywhere — from North America to Russia. In the Russian tradition, Klondike became known as «Kosynka» — according to legend, because of the schematic similarity of the card layout to the triangular silhouette of a kerchief. This name likely became entrenched in everyday use in the first half of the 20th century, when the original word was less understood, and the game was already familiar from translated literature (some even suggest that Jack London’s stories played a role in introducing Russian readers to Klondike).
The rules of Klondike were passed down from generation to generation and changed very little: a layout of 28 cards in 7 columns, with the goal of collecting all suits in ascending order on 4 foundation piles, while moving cards on the table in descending order with alternating colors. Variations concerned only details — for example, whether the stock could be turned over multiple times, whether cards were dealt one at a time or three at a time, and so on. Interestingly, the classic version was originally considered to be the three-card deal (requiring more patience and regarded as harder), but some 20th-century rules already included the simpler one-card deal, which increased chances of success.
The design and format of the game also changed over time in terms of artistry. In Victorian Solitaire sets one could find specially reduced decks or elegant trays for layouts, and by the mid-20th century even a special board for Solitaire appeared («Chastleton Patience Board», invented by Mary Elizabeth Whitmore Jones), which allowed playing standing up or on the road. However, the mass popularization of Solitaire was driven by its simplicity — no special accessories or expensive components were required for play. Millions of people in different countries played Klondike — at home, on the road, on vacation — and over time it became part of everyday life.
The digital age
The real worldwide boom of Klondike’s popularity came with the arrival of computers. In the 1980s, when personal computers and graphical interfaces were gaining popularity, developers turned their attention to classic card games for screen adaptation. One of the first computer versions was a program for 8-bit Atari (released in 1981) under the simple name «Solitaire», implementing exactly Klondike. In 1984, enthusiast Michael A. Casteel released a Klondike version for Apple Macintosh computers. The game was distributed as shareware and regularly updated.
But the turning point was Microsoft’s decision to include Solitaire in the standard Windows package. In 1988, Microsoft intern Wes Cherry developed an electronic version of Klondike during his internship — initially as an exercise and a means to help users adapt to using the computer mouse. At the time, the drag-and-drop concept was new, and the game turned out to be an excellent trainer for this skill. The updated card design was entrusted to Susan Kare. In 1990, «Solitaire» debuted in the Windows 3.0 operating system — and from that moment Klondike’s triumphant march around the planet began. The game instantly gained popularity: according to Microsoft, a few years later it became the most frequently used Windows application — ahead of text editors.
Millions of office workers around the world spent hours laying out virtual cards under the guise of work. Over time, this even caused concern among management: one well-known case occurred in 2006 when New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg fired an employee after catching him playing Solitaire on his work computer.
The original idea, however, was the opposite — to increase efficiency by teaching mouse use; the result turned out to be a curious paradox. Nevertheless, Solitaire’s popularity only grew. Digital Solitaire was included in all subsequent Windows versions (3.1, 95, 98, 2000, etc.) and became practically the «calling card» of the operating system. When Microsoft tried to remove the built-in Solitaire from Windows 8 in 2012, it sparked such a wave of user outrage that the game was soon brought back. In 2015, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its creation, Microsoft even organized a worldwide Solitaire tournament among Windows users.
By now, digital Solitaire has broken numerous records. «Solitaire» (now part of the Microsoft Solitaire Collection) at its 30th anniversary had over 35 million monthly players worldwide, available in 65 languages across more than 200 countries. According to 2020 statistics, more than 100 million games are played every day — a colossal number reflecting the true popular love for the game. In 2019, Microsoft Solitaire was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame as one of the most significant computer games in history. Thus Solitaire, born centuries ago as a leisurely card amusement, evolved into a global digital phenomenon, remaining relevant even in the new millennium.
Interesting facts about Solitaire
- Records and numerical paradoxes. Not every Klondike layout can be completed successfully — unlike puzzles such as FreeCell, where almost all games are solvable, here chance plays a major role. Mathematicians have calculated that only about 80% of deals are theoretically winnable (if the position of all cards is known and without move restrictions). The real win rate when playing under standard rules is even lower — experienced players win about 30–50% of games, even using strategy and the undo button. Thus Solitaire lives up to its name «patience»: sometimes even perfect play will not lead to victory, and one must simply accept defeat and try again.
- Solitaire as an office phenomenon. With the advent of the computer version, the game gained the dubious fame of a «time killer at work». In the 1990s, Solitaire on office PCs was considered such a widespread distraction that it was jokingly called «Office Solitaire».
- The fastest Solitaire game in history. On August 2, 1991, Englishman Stephen Twigge set a Guinness record by completing a tabletop Solitaire game in just 10 seconds. The record was achieved with a standard deck and classic layout rules. This achievement has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the fastest Solitaire game ever played by hand, and it has remained unbeaten for more than thirty years. The result highlights not only the game’s popularity but also the possibility of demonstrating speed, dexterity, and phenomenal coordination.
- The mathematical phenomenon of Solitaire. Each Solitaire game is almost certainly unique — the chance of seeing two identical layouts is so small that it practically does not exist. In a standard 52-card deck, the number of possible combinations approaches one followed by 67 zeros. Even if all 8 billion people on Earth had been playing a new game every second since the beginning of time, it would not have been enough to go through even a tiny fraction of all possible variants. For comparison: the age of the universe is about 13.8 billion years, or roughly 435 trillion seconds.
The history of Solitaire is the story of a game that managed to remain relevant, moving from manual layouts to the personal computer screen. Klondike combines the simplicity of rules with an endless variety of situations, requiring from the player flexible thinking, memory, and of course patience. It occupies a special place at the crossroads of a logical puzzle and a game of chance, while remaining accessible to all ages and generations.
In the cultural context, Solitaire is not just entertainment: it is a kind of meditation, time spent alone with oneself. It is no coincidence that images of people laying out cards appear in both literature and film — the game has become a metaphor for life decisions that each person makes alone. From a logical point of view, Solitaire develops planning and combinatorial skills, similar to the challenges posed by chess or puzzles, but in a calmer and slower form. In 2019, Solitaire was inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame, alongside iconic arcades and shooters. This official recognition emphasizes: despite the abundance of modern entertainment, the old card game still remains a living classic.
Before starting, it is worth understanding the rules — not for formality’s sake, but to see how behind simple moves lies a coherent system. Solitaire does not require haste: it is built step by step, allowing each move to acquire meaning. It is not a game of speed, but of attention, patience, and calculation. This inner concentration is precisely what makes Solitaire special — and explains why it remains relevant after centuries.