Diplomat Solitaire: the two-pack game of quiet negotiation

Diplomat is a two-pack patience with a calm, orderly look and a surprisingly friendly nature. Eight short columns sit face up in front of you, eight foundation spaces wait above them, and the rest of the cards come to you one at a time. Nothing is hidden at the start, so every game begins as a puzzle you can actually see, which is exactly why so many players prefer it to games where you are guessing what lies underneath.

According to Wikipedia's entry on Diplomat, the game belongs to the Forty Thieves family, its layout resembles Beleaguered Castle, and it "can be completed successfully more often than not", with the odds of winning given as 2 in 3. That is generous for a 104-card game, and it makes Diplomat a lovely step up if Klondike has started to feel too familiar.

Diplomat is free to play here, with no ads, no pop-ups and no paywalls. There is nothing to download or install, no sign-up, no account and no email address. Open the page, and the cards are dealt.

The table at a glance

The rules, explained simply

The aim

Build all eight foundations from Ace up to King in the same suit: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King. Because two packs are in play, you finish with two complete runs of each suit. Get all 104 cards up there and the game is won.

Moving cards in the columns

• Only the bottom (exposed) card of each column is available to play.
• Columns build downwards by one rank, in any suit. A 9 of any suit may go on a 10 of any suit. Suit and colour simply do not matter here, that is Diplomat's signature twist within the Forty Thieves family.
• Cards move one at a time. You cannot pick up a run of three or four and shift it in one go, so each move has to be thought through.
• An empty column is a free space: you may fill it with any available card, from another column or from the waste.

Moving cards to the foundations

• Aces go up as soon as they are free. After that, add the next card of the same suit in order.
• Foundation cards are best treated as settled, once a card is home, plan as though it is staying there.

Working through the stock

• Turn cards from the stock one at a time. The card showing on the waste pile can go to a column or to a foundation.
• If it fits nowhere useful, turn the next one.
• There is one pass only, no redeal. That is why the early columns matter so much.

How the game ends

You win when all 104 cards sit on the foundations. You are stuck when the stock is empty and no exposed card will move anywhere. On this site you never have to accept that: use Undo as often as you like, or press Restart and take the same deal again with better information.

How to play Diplomat on this site

Everything here is built for comfortable, unhurried play, and every feature is available to everyone, nothing is locked, nothing is sold.

• Large, clear cards and readable text, with a zoom control to make the board bigger. Kind on tired eyes, and a real help with a two-pack game.
• Drag and drop, or simply tap a card and tap where it should go.
• Hint when you cannot see a move, and unlimited Undo when you want to test an idea.
• Restart to replay the deal, and Auto Play to send the last cards home once the game is clearly solved.
• Wins, time and moves are tracked for your current game if you like a benchmark, and quietly ignored if you don't.
• Sound can be switched off, there is a fullscreen mode, and you can change the table colour to suit your screen.
• Runs in any modern browser on desktop, tablet and phone, handy at the kitchen table, on the couch or at the bach.

No gambling, no in-app purchases, no timer pushing you along. It exists for enjoyment, full stop. Our privacy page explains our approach, and you can browse everything on the games list.

Strategy that actually works

Spend your first minute looking, not moving

All 32 tableau cards are face up, so the opening is pure information. Find the Aces and 2s first, then look for short chains you can build, a 7 sitting on an 8, a Jack ready for a 10 from the waste. Plan two or three moves ahead before you touch anything.

Guard your empty columns

An empty column is the most valuable thing on the table, because it accepts any card. Fill it too quickly with a low card you will never move again and you have traded a workshop for a cupboard. Ideal uses: parking a King or Queen that is blocking a column you want to clear, or holding a card you need in two moves' time.

Empty the shortest column, not the prettiest one

Because cards move singly, clearing a column of two is often faster than untangling a neat-looking run of five. Count the moves needed before you commit.

Don't rush every card to the foundations

A 4 or 5 left in a column can be the bridge that lets you shift a 5 or 6 later. Send cards up when they help, not just because they can go.

Treat the stock with respect

With one pass and no redeal, every turned card is a one-off chance. Before you draw, ask yourself: do I have somewhere for a mid-range card, and do I still have a space if a King appears?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Filling the first empty column straight away, out of tidiness.
• Stacking a tall descending run you can then never take apart.
• Burying a needed low card under three higher ones.
• Drawing from the stock as a way of putting off a decision.
• Forgetting Undo exists, it is there so you can test a line safely.

Facts and numbers worth knowing

• Two in three deals are winnable. Wikipedia lists Diplomat's odds of winning as 2 in 3 and notes it is usually completed successfully, far kinder than most two-pack patiences.
• Kiwis are keen Solitaire players. When Microsoft Solitaire turned 30 in May 2020, Microsoft's figures showed New Zealand as the fifth most enthusiastic Solitaire-playing nation per head of population, behind only the Cocos Islands, Anguilla, Vatican City and Barbados, as reported by Newshub.
• Most older New Zealanders are online. The Government's Digital inclusion and wellbeing in New Zealand report found 15.8% of people aged 65 and over had no internet access, meaning the clear majority do, which is part of why we keep the cards big and the pages simple.
• Diplomat's family tree. It sits in the Forty Thieves group alongside Congress and Forty and Eight, and takes its layout cue from Beleaguered Castle.

We do not publish invented player counts. Where we quote a number, we name the source and link it.

Frequently asked questions

Is Diplomat hard for a beginner?

It is more demanding than Klondike because there are two packs and single-card moves only, but the whole tableau is face up, so nothing is luck-of-the-turn. With Hint and Undo to lean on, most people pick it up within two or three games.

Can I move several cards at once?

No. In Diplomat cards travel one at a time, which is precisely what makes the planning satisfying.

Do I get a second pass through the stock?

No. Diplomat gives you one pass and no redeal. Keep at least one flexible space for the cards you have not seen yet.

Does suit matter in the columns?

Not at all. In the columns you only match rank, going down one at a time. Suit matters only on the foundations, which build A to K in a single suit.

Is this really free, and are there ads?

Yes, completely free, and there are no ads of any kind, no pop-ups and no paywalls. No download, no sign-up, no email.

Will it work on my tablet or phone?

Yes, any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. Tap to move cards, and use the zoom control or fullscreen if you want the board larger.

What should I play next?

If you enjoy the planning, try FreeCell or Baker's Solitaire. For another two-pack challenge, Spider Solitaire (2 suits) and Spider (4 suits) are the obvious next stop. For something lighter over a cuppa, Golf, Pyramid, Yukon, Alaska or classic Solitaire Draw 3 are all waiting. There are more tips on the blog, or start from the home page.