Where I come from, Solitaire is a game for one player, but played with a board and pegs, not playing cards. The pegs are arranged in a cross pattern as shown in the array below. In the classic game the initial position is as shown, with the central peg (3,3) removed. Only the locations shown below exist, it is not possible, for example, to move a peg to (1,1).

A piece moves by jumping the peg next to it, and landing on the other side, in a vacant location. The jumped peg is removed. Diagonal moves are not permitted: only horizontal and vertical.

So in the start position, there are just four legal moves. (3,1) can jump (3,2) (which is removed) and land in (3,3). Or (5,3) can jump into (3,3) via (4,3). There are clearly four of these symmetrical first moves.

The aim in the classical solution is to remove all the pegs by legal moves, leaving just one peg in the middle--location (3,3). There are a number of variants, however, in which the aim is to leave a variety of patterns remaining on the peg board.

This game always fascinated me, as I was never able to work out a solution by myself. We recently bought a nice wooden set for my daughter and I had to resort to the internet to find a solution to show her. Anyhow, here is one answer, out of the many alternatives.

Initial grid


            (2,0) (3,0) (4,0)

            (2,1) (3,1) (4,1)

(0,2) (1,2) (2,2) (3,2) (4,2) (5,2) (6,2)

(0,3) (1,3) (2,3) (3,3) (4,3) (5,3) (6,3)

(0,4) (1,4) (2,4) (3,4) (4,4) (5,4) (6,4)

            (2,5) (3,5) (4,5)

            (2,6) (3,6) (4,6)


One solution


(5,3) to (3,3) remove (4,3)
(4,5) to (4,3) remove (4,4)
(6,4) to (4,4) remove (5,4)
(6,2) to (6,4) remove (6,3)
(3,4) to (5,4) remove (4,4)
(6,4) to (4,4) remove (5,4)
(4,3) to (4,5) remove (4,4)
(1,4) to (3,4) remove (2,4)
(2,6) to (2,4) remove (2,5)
(3,4) to (1,4) remove (2,4)
(3,2) to (3,4) remove (3,3)
(1,2) to (3,2) remove (2,2)
(2,0) to (2,2) remove (2,1)
(3,2) to (1,2) remove (2,2)
(5,2) to (3,2) remove (4,2)
(4,6) to (2,6) remove (3,6)
(4,5) to (2,5) remove (3,5)
(4,1) to (2,1) remove (3,1)
(4,0) to (2,0) remove (3,0)
(0,4) to (2,4) remove (1,4)
(3,4) to (1,4) remove (2,4)
(2,6) to (2,4) remove (2,5)
(2,0) to (2,2) remove (2,1)
(2,3) to (2,1) remove (2,2)
(0,2) to (2,2) remove (1,2)
(3,2) to (1,2) remove (2,2)
(2,4) to (0,4) remove (1,4)
(0,4) to (0,2) remove (0,3)
(0,2) to (2,2) remove (1,2)
(2,1) to (2,3) remove (2,2)
(1,3) to (3,3) remove (2,3)