Diplomat is a two-deck solitaire which requires a fair amount of skill to play, but which, once learned, is rather easy to conquer.

The game is somewhat similar to the one-deck "Beleaguered Castle" and "Streets and Alleys" solitaires, except that in those games, the entire deck is dealt out in the initial layout. In Diplomat, only part of the deck is on the table at the start of a hand, and the remainder appears as the game progresses. This allows for greater freedom of movement, and ultimately makes the game easier.

Morehead and Mott-Smith list the odds of winning at 2 out of three games, which seems pretty reasonable.

Rules

Number of Decks: 2

Initial Layout: Deal eight piles of four cards each, all cards face up. The cards may be arranged as eight columns with space for eight foundations above the columns (as shown above), or as four rows of four columns each, with the left and right wings containing the intial deal, and the two inner columns used for foundations. After the initial deal, the remaining cards for the stock.

Object: The object of the game is to build the eight foundations up in suit from ace to king.

Play: Turn cards from the stock one at a time, onto the wastepile. The top card of each tableau pile, the top card of the stock, and the top card of the wastepile are available for play. Cards within the tableau may be built downward in sequence, regardless of suit. Cards may only be moved from tableau to tableau one at a time; cards may not be moved as a group. Spaces in the tableau may be filled with any card. As aces appear, move them to the foundations, and build these up in suit to king. Turn cards from the stock until the stock is empty. There is no redeal.

Variations: For a bit more challenge, only allow kings to be moved into empty spaces.