Play Russian Cell Solitaire Online — Russian Solitaire With Two Cells

Russian Cell, also called Finnish Solitaire, is Yukon Cells with Russian Solitaire's build. The deal is Yukon's staircase — 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 cards, five turned in each column — and the move is Yukon's: any face-up card travels with everything above it. But columns build down in suit, which halves the hosts, and that is exactly why the two cells matter. Only a king fills a space. Four foundations build up from the ace; bank all 52 to win.

Setup

Shuffle one deck. Deal seven columns of one, six, seven, eight, nine, ten and eleven cards. The first column's card is face up; in the others the last five are face up and the rest hidden beneath. The two cells and the four foundations start empty.

Rules

• Foundations build up in suit from ace to king.
• Building: a card goes only on the card one rank higher of the same suit.
• The Yukon move: any face-up card may be moved with every card above it, packed or not.
• Turning up: an exposed hidden card is turned.
• The cells each hold one card with nothing on top of it; it returns onto its suit host, into a space as a king, or to a foundation.
• Only a king may enter an empty column.
• Win when all four foundations are complete.

Strategy

Russian Solitaire is the family's hard game because every card has one host, and it is usually buried. Two cells do not change the arithmetic, but they change what you can reach: a card that blocks its own suit can be lifted out of the way.

• Find the one host first. Before any move, locate the card one rank higher in the same suit. If it is hidden, the move that turns it is the move to make.
• Park blockers, not orphans. Use a cell for a card whose removal turns a hidden card or frees a host — never for a card that simply has nowhere to go.
• Carry tails to make tops. The card you want to park must be alone. Yukon's move lets you lift the cards above it and drop them anywhere they will land in suit, or on a king in a space.
• Kings go to spaces from the cells. A king parked in a cell is a column waiting to happen; a space is the place for it.
• Bank at once. A card on its foundation is one fewer host needed. With one host per card there is no reason to hold a low card back.
• Keep a cell for the end. The last hidden cards are the deepest; a free cell at that point is often the difference between a win and a locked board.

Where It Sits in the Yukon Family

Russian Cell is Yukon Cells with the one-line change that separates Russian Solitaire from Yukon: the suit build. It sits beside Yukon Cells and Panopticon as the family's cell members, all on the shared pocket the Spider and FreeCell families use.

Other Games to Try

• Russian Solitaire — the original, without cells
• Yukon Cells — the same cells in alternating colours
• Panopticon — four cells dealt full, suit build
• Double Russian — two decks in suit

About This Version

Russian Cell runs in your browser — free, no download, no sign-up. Install it as an app on your phone or computer and it works offline. You get unlimited undo, a hint button that names a legal move, statistics that track your wins and times, and seeded deals: every game has a seed you can replay, so a board you enjoyed (or lost) can be played again exactly.