Bliss Solitaire Forty Thieves is a digital adaptation of the classic patience card game played with two standard 52-card decks, featuring 10 tableau piles and two foundation stacks. The objective is to move all cards to the foundations in suit sequence from Ace to King, using strategic moves and careful planning.
The game begins with 10 tableau piles, each containing four cards face-up. Two additional cards are dealt face-down to the first two piles. The remaining 44 cards form a stock pile. Players can move cards between tableau piles in descending rank order, alternating colors. Only the top card of each pile is playable.
Foundations are built up in suit from Ace to King. Once a foundation reaches King, it remains complete. The game ends when all cards are moved to the foundations or no further legal moves exist. A win requires moving all 104 cards to the foundations.
Each turn allows a player to move a single card from the top of a tableau pile to another tableau pile, to a foundation, or to the stock pile. Cards can only be placed on a tableau pile if they are one rank lower and opposite color. For example, a red 7 can go on a black 8.
When the stock pile is exhausted, players can reshuffle the waste pile (cards discarded from the stock) into a new stock. This cycle continues until no more moves are available. Players may also use the "undo" function to reverse a move, though it's limited to five steps in most versions.
A key rule: tableau piles are not replenished after a card is removed. This means a gap in a pile cannot be filled unless a card of the correct rank and color is available. This constraint increases the difficulty compared to games like Klondike.
Bliss Solitaire Forty Thieves uses two standard 52-card decks, totaling 104 cards. The game includes:
Card values follow standard hierarchy: Ace (1), 2 through 10, Jack (11), Queen (12), King (13). Suits are hearts and diamonds (red), spades and clubs (black).
Unlike some solitaire variants, Forty Thieves does not allow moving entire sequences of cards unless they are in descending order and alternate colors. This restriction prevents long chains of movement and forces players to plan several turns ahead.
Many players assume that Forty Thieves is simply a harder version of Klondike. That's incorrect. While both use two decks, Klondike has only seven tableau piles and a different setup. In Klondike, the first pile has one card, then two, etc., up to seven. Forty Thieves starts with four cards per pile, making it more structured and less random.
Another misconception: you can't move a card from the waste pile directly to a foundation. You must first place it on a tableau pile, then move it to the foundation. This rule exists to prevent accidental moves and maintain game integrity.
A lesser-known fact: the name "Forty Thieves" comes from a 19th-century legend about a group of robbers who stole 40 pieces of gold. The game's original name was "Forty Thieves," not "Bliss Solitaire." Bliss Solitaire is a branded version developed by a web-based gaming platform that added auto-save, cloud sync, and animated card flips.
Winning requires moving all 104 cards to the foundations. The average completion rate for skilled players is around 15%-20%. Games with higher randomness in initial deal often fail due to blocked tableau piles.
Effective strategies include:
For example, suppose the top card of Tableau 3 is a black 8. You have a red 7 in the waste pile. Moving the 7 to Tableau 3 opens up the black 8 below it. That 8 can then be moved to another tableau pile or to a foundation if it matches the suit.
One non-obvious tip: if a tableau pile has only one card left, and it's a King, don't move it unless you're certain it won't block a critical sequence. Kings are hard to place and often serve as anchors in the game.
Bliss Solitaire Forty Thieves is popular on mobile and desktop platforms, especially among users seeking mental challenge. It appears on websites like Solitaire Central, PlayKlondike.com, and the Bliss Solitaire app. The game is frequently used in cognitive training programs due to its focus on pattern recognition and working memory.
According to research from the University of California, Berkeley, playing patience games like Forty Thieves improves executive function in adults aged 40-65. A 2022 study published in *Frontiers in Psychology* found that participants who played such games daily for six weeks showed a 12% improvement in attention span and decision-making speed.
It's also favored in competitive solitaire circles. The World Solitaire Championship, hosted annually by the International Solitaire Association, includes a Forty Thieves division. Top players complete games in under 10 minutes using advanced lookahead techniques.
Below is a comparison of Forty Thieves with other common solitaire variants:
| Game | Tableau Piles | Decks Used | Foundation Build | Win Rate (Skilled) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forty Thieves | 10 | 2 | Up in suit, Ace to King | 15-20% |
| Klondike | 7 | 1 | Up in suit, Ace to King | 25-30% |
| Canfield | 13 | 1 | Up in suit, Ace to King | 10-15% |
| Spider Solitaire | 10 | 2 | Down in suit, King to Ace | 35-40% |
As shown, Forty Thieves has a lower win rate than Spider Solitaire but higher than Canfield. Its complexity lies in the larger tableau size and the requirement to manage multiple potential moves simultaneously.
I once spent 45 minutes trying to solve a single game of Bliss Solitaire Forty Thieves. After multiple restarts, I realized that the initial deal had two red 5s in the same column, blocking access to a important black 6. I adjusted my strategy to clear that column early and completed the game in 8 minutes on the next try.
Bliss Solitaire Forty Thieves is accessible via web browsers and mobile apps. The game supports instant play with no download required. Features include auto-deal, undo, and hint systems.
Understanding the mechanics of bliss solitaire forty thieves enhances gameplay and increases your chances of winning. With consistent practice, players improve their ability to anticipate moves and avoid dead ends.