"STRAND" PATIENCE.
(
Problems Concerning Games.)
The idea for this came to me when considering the game of Patience that
I gave in the _Strand Magazine_ for December, 1910, which has been
reprinted in Ernest Bergholt's _Second Book of Patience Games_, under
the new name of "King Albert."
Make two piles of cards as follows: 9 D, 8 S, 7 D, 6 S, 5 D, 4 S, 3 D, 2
S, 1 D, and 9 H, 8 C, 7 H, 6 C, 5 H, 4 C, 3 H, 2 C, 1 H, with the 9 of
diamonds at the bottom of one pile and the 9 of hearts at the bottom of
the other. The point is to exchange the spades with the clubs, so that
the diamonds and clubs are still in numerical order in one pile and the
hearts and spades in the other. There are four vacant spaces in addition
to the two spaces occupied by the piles, and any card may be laid on a
space, but a card can only be laid on another of the next higher
value--an ace on a two, a two on a three, and so on. Patience is
required to discover the shortest way of doing this. When there are four
vacant spaces you can pile four cards in seven moves, with only three
spaces you can pile them in nine moves, and with two spaces you cannot
pile more than two cards. When you have a grasp of these and similar
facts you will be able to remove a number of cards bodily and write down
7, 9, or whatever the number of moves may be. The gradual shortening of
play is fascinating, and first attempts are surprisingly lengthy.
Answer:
The reader may find a solution quite easy in a little over 200 moves,
but, surprising as it may at first appear, not more than 62 moves are
required. Here is the play: By "4 C up" I mean a transfer of the 4 of
clubs with all the cards that rest on it. 1 D on space, 2 S on space, 3
D on space, 2 S on 3 D, 1 H on 2 S, 2 C on space, 1 D on 2 C, 4 S on
space, 3 H on 4 S (9 moves so far), 2 S up on 3 H (3 moves), 5 H and 5 D
exchanged, and 4 C on 5 D (6 moves), 3 D on 4 C (1), 6 S (with 5 H) on
space (3), 4 C up on 5 H (3), 2 C up on 3 D (3), 7 D on space (1), 6 C
up on 7 D (3), 8 S on space (1), 7 H on 8 S (1), 8 C on 9 D (1), 7 H on
8 C (1), 8 S on 9 H (1), 7 H on 8 S (1), 7 D up on 8 C (5), 4 C up on 5
D (9), 6 S up on 7 H (3), 4 S up on 5 H (7) = 62 moves in all. This is
my record; perhaps the reader can beat it.
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