Queen of Italy

:"This article is about the card game. The term may also refer to the spouse of the King of Italy or a woman who holds the King's title."

Queen of Italy (also known as Terrace) is a solitaire card game that is played using two decks of playing cards. It is one of those which has the lowest chances of winning because the cards that would potentially block the game is presented at the start.

First, eleven cards are dealt in a row, overlapping each other. These cards form the reserve or "the terrace" (hence the name Terrace). After leaving a space below the terrace for the foundations, four cards are laid out in a row on the tableau. The player will then choose which of these four cards would start the first foundation. Once the choice has been made and the card chosen is placed on the foundation row, the gap it leaves behind is immediately filled with a new card from the stock. Five new cards are then added beside these four to form the tableau.

The foundations are built up in alternating colors, wrapping from King to Ace if necessary. The cards on the tableau are available to be built either on the foundations or on other cards in the tableau. The card on the tableau are built down on each other also in alternating colors, and any gap is immediately filled by a card from the stock. Cards are moved one at a time, and when a column is formed from building cards, only the top card is available for play.

The top card (i. e. the exposed card) of the terrace is the only card available for play and can be used to build only on the foundations.

When there are no more possible moves on the tableau, the stock is dealt one card at a time and placed on the wastepile, the top card of which is available to be built on the foundations or the tableau. The top card of the wastepile is also used to fill a gap on the tableau whenever it occurs. However, when the stock runs out, there is no redeal; the game ends soon after.

The game is won when all cards end up in the foundations. The game is lost when it is stuck after the entire stock has been dealt.

"See also: solitaire terminology"