What makes La Belle Lucie hard
Moving one top card onto another often blocks both beneath-card lines until a foundation release or redeal opens them again. Strong play is about preventing dead tops.
Classic variant
La Belle Lucie
A strict fan solitaire: all cards are dealt face-up into 18 fans, only top cards move, and empty fans stay empty. Build foundations from Ace to King by suit, or build on other fans down by suit. If no moves remain, reshuffle and redeal the tableau up to two times.
Select a top card, then pick a highlighted destination. Redeal unlocks when no moves remain.
Fan 13
Fan 23
Fan 33
Fan 43
Fan 53
Fan 63
Fan 73
Fan 83
Fan 93
Fan 103
Fan 113
Fan 123
Fan 133
Fan 143
Fan 153
Fan 163
Fan 173
Fan 181
Rules overview
Top cards can move to foundations in-suit upward, or to another fan in-suit downward. Empty fans stay empty, and at most two reshuffle redeals are available when play stalls.
Strategy tips
- Before making a fan-to-fan move, check whether the destination top card can move first to avoid locking both cards.
- Prioritize foundation progress whenever available because it permanently frees fan tops.
- Use redeals only after you have truly exhausted every available move; each one is limited and precious.
Need deeper advice? Read the La Belle Lucie strategy guide.