We all get the usual solitaire games every now and then online and even those that are downloaded over gaming websites. Klondike, Golf, and Spider makes up the great percentage of the games that we are accustomed with and seemingly engaged most of the time. Other than these, there are occasions where the game boots up several tweaks coming from other puzzle games to re-invent the given challenge. But not known to many, there are several more Solitaire games that could give you all the frustrating puzzle challenge you want, especially with their legit versions of the game (no boosters and power-ups). In this article, let’s discuss one of the rare solitaire games – Canfield.

Canfield is a solitaire (patience) card game with a very low probability of winning. According to legend, it is originally a casino game, named after the casino owner Richard A. Canfield, noted gambler to boot, (owned the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs, New York during the 1890s), who is said to have invented it.

To play the game, one must first deal thirteen cards faced up and then turned down. These cards would be the reserve, the top card of which is available for play. Then a card is placed on first of the four foundations to the right of the reserve. This card is the first card of its foundation and all other cards of the same rank must also start the other three foundations.

Below the foundations are four piles, each starting with a card each. This will be the tableau and the top cards of each pile are available for play. Cards on the tableau are built down by alternating colors, while the foundations are built up by suit, wrapping from King to Ace if necessary. Any gaps on the tableau are filled from the reserve; in case the reserve is used up, cards from the waste pile are used. Cards on the reserve can also be distributed to the foundations or to the tableau. Cards on the tableau are also moved one unit, provided that the entire column has to be moved.

At the chance that there are no more plays possible on your current state, and no more cards can be placed to the foundations, especially from the reserve, one can deal cards from the stock (the undealt cards) three at a time into the waste pile and use these cards to build to the foundations or to the tableau. You can make unlimited re-deals as long as there are no moves to make in your succession of re-deals.

The game is won when all cards are placed in the foundations. But as with most solitaire games, winning this game has a very slim probability making it a very challenging puzzle to beat - as one can manage to place an average of five to six cards in this case.

Getting to play Canfield in the roster of games that we currently have is pretty rare, nonetheless, if you’d want to experience this type of solitaire game, we recommend to you the game Greek Goddesses Solitaire, which houses this legit version of the game (along with several more original solitaire games) but with several tweaks of its own pitched in to the original mechanics. Get a hold of the game, to get you primed for another great solitaire challenge, and experience!