Playing Russian Solitaire well
In brief
With no stock, everything hinges on the 21 face-down cards: prioritize moves that uncover them, using the groups out of sequence that the rules allow you to move, and organize each suit. Move aces to the foundations as soon as they are free, and empty a column only if a king can go there.
1. Uncover the face-down cards
A face-down card cannot be played and can block an entire suit. Since there is no stock, turning it face up is the only way to free it. When choosing between two possible moves, prefer the one that uncovers a card, and keep the right-hand columns in mind: column 7 has 6 face-down cards at the start. Each card turned face up also earns 5 points.
2. Use groups out of sequence
The rules allow you to move a face-up card with everything above it, even out of sequence. This is your main tool: an entire group can be moved to free the face-down card beneath it. In the winning game for deal RU1-C-AAAAABB, move 3 moves 5 cards out of sequence this way, from 3♣ to the end of column 6, onto 4♣ in column 1, and turns a card face up. Of the 90 moves in this game, 23 move a group out of sequence.
3. Organize each suit
A card can only be placed on a card of its own suit, one rank higher: each card therefore has only one possible destination on the tableau, far fewer than in Yukon. A sequence arranged in the same suit, from king down to ace, can then move to its foundation card by card, without moving anything else. Conversely, a card of another suit trapped in the middle of a sequence must be moved before the sequence can go to its foundation.
4. Move aces to the foundations early
A free ace has no reason to stay on the tableau: placing it on its foundation lets you follow it with the 2, then the 3, and gets it out of the way. The first move of the winning game sends the ace of hearts (A♥) at the end of column 2 to its foundation: 10 points. At higher ranks, a card sent to its foundation too soon may be needed as a destination for a card on the tableau; if necessary, the app lets you take back the top card of a foundation.
Foundations, cards placed: 0 spades, 0 hearts, 0 diamonds, 0 clubs. Column 1: 0 face down, then 4 of clubs; column 2: 1 face down, then ace of diamonds, 7 of clubs, jack of hearts, 5 of clubs, ace of hearts; column 3: 2 face down, then 9 of spades, 6 of clubs, king of spades, queen of spades, 2 of hearts; column 4: 3 face down, then 6 of spades, 6 of diamonds, king of clubs, 10 of spades, 7 of spades; column 5: 4 face down, then 8 of spades, ace of clubs, jack of spades, 5 of hearts, 4 of diamonds; column 6: 5 face down, then 3 of clubs, 7 of diamonds, ace of spades, 4 of spades, 10 of hearts; column 7: 6 face down, then queen of hearts, 9 of hearts, 8 of hearts, 2 of clubs, 10 of clubs.
5. Keep the empty column for a king
An empty column accepts only a king, or a group whose bottom card is a king. A king sitting on face-down cards is the best candidate: moving it uncovers a card. In the same game, column 1 becomes empty on move 4; on move 5, R♦ from column 6 moves into it and uncovers a card (19 remain face down). The Examples page shows a group being rejected from an empty column.
6. When all cards are face up
Once the last face-down card has been turned face up, there are no more surprises. In the winning game, this happens on move 85: 47 cards are then on the foundations, and the next 5 moves all go to the foundations. The app does not finish the game itself: one tap on each card is enough.
7. Use undo
The app remembers the last 100 moves. When two moves seem equally good, try one, look at the card it uncovers, and undo it if that card does not help: undoing also restores the score. The move counter still includes the undone move.