Canfield
Canfield, called Demon in much of Britain, hands you a reserve of thirteen cards to work through and a set of foundations that start wherever the first card says.
How to play Canfield
Canfield uses one pack. Thirteen cards are dealt to the reserve, face down except the top one. The next card goes up to the first foundation, and its rank becomes the base rank for all four foundations in this deal. Four cards are dealt face up to start four columns, and the remaining 34 form the stock.
- Build the foundations up by suit from the base rank, wrapping from King to Ace. With a base of 8, a foundation runs 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2 and up to 7.
- In the columns, build down in alternating colours, also wrapping: a red King may go on a black Ace.
- Runs, or the lower part of a run, may be moved together.
- An empty column fills itself from the reserve. Once the reserve is empty, any card or run may go into an empty column.
- Tap the stock to turn three cards (Draw 3) or one card (Draw 1) onto the waste. You may go through the stock as often as you like.
Strategy and tips
The reserve is the real opponent
The game is usually won or lost in the reserve. Playing its top card is almost always a good move, and emptying a column is valuable because the reserve then fills it with a new card.
Watch the base rank
Every base-rank card can only go to a foundation, never into the columns as a fresh start. Note where they are at the start: one locked deep in the reserve is the card you will wait for longest.
Keep the columns flexible
With only four columns, do not tie them up with long runs you cannot use. Move parts of runs between columns to free the card the reserve or the waste needs.
Feel the rhythm of Draw 3
Just as in Klondike, playing a card from the waste changes which cards you see on the next pass. If the stock seems stuck, take a waste card simply to shift the rhythm.
Questions and answers
Why does the foundation start at a different card each time?
That is Canfield's signature rule. The first card dealt to a foundation sets the base rank, and all four foundations build up from that rank, wrapping from King to Ace.
How often can Canfield be won?
It is one of the harder one-pack games, though unlimited passes through the stock make it kinder than the strict versions. For the numbered deals our solver won 20 of 40 Draw 3 seeds and 10 of 10 Draw 1 seeds; only won deals are in the library.
What happens when a column is empty?
While the reserve has cards, its top card moves into the empty column at once. When the reserve is empty, you choose what goes there.
Is Canfield the same as Demon?
Yes. In Britain the game is widely known as Demon, while Canfield is the usual name in North America.
Numbered deals
Canfield (draw 3)
All Canfield (draw 3) deals (20) →
