Use the reserve to reposition a blocked tableau top.
Cicely starts with eight reserve cards and eight tableau piles. It uses one Ace-up and one King-down foundation per suit. Tableau cards can move by one rank either way in the same suit, and an empty reserve position can receive a tableau card.
Last updated: September 2026
Separate tableau mobility from foundation direction
A tableau top may move onto a same-suit card one rank higher or lower. Foundations are stricter: Ace-started piles rise and King-started piles fall. A Seven of Clubs can sit on a Six or Eight of Clubs in the tableau, but it follows Six on the Ace-up path or Eight on the King-down path.
Reserve cards can move to foundations, but not back into the tableau. A tableau card can move into an empty reserve slot. Before using one, identify which card in its original pile becomes available and whether that card has a useful destination.
Expect automatic refill and row coverage
When a tableau pile becomes empty, the engine fills it with up to four cards from stock while stock remains. An apparent gap is therefore not lasting working space. The separate deal action adds one card to each tableau pile from stock, potentially covering foundation cards you have not yet reached.
There is no redeal. Check all useful tableau, reserve, and foundation moves before dealing another row. The best choice depends on the ranks currently exposed, not on a fixed rule to always clear or always preserve a particular pile.