The Fan Strategy
The Fan is won by king placement quality, not move volume.
With no redeals, every commitment is permanent. Empty fans can only be reclaimed by Kings, so King routing becomes the central tactical resource from mid-game onward.
Last updated: May 2026
History and background
The Fan is a close La Belle Lucie family relative that removes redeals and strengthens space-management pressure. It feels calmer than it is because many legal moves exist, but the board punishes low-value king commitments very quickly.
How the game is set up
- Tableau. Fan-style columns with exposed top-card interactions.
- No redeals. The initial deal must be solved as dealt.
- Empty fan rule. Only Kings can fill empty spaces.
- Goal. Build suit foundations from Ace to King.
The core mechanic is king mobility preservation
In many fan games, redeals can compensate for a bad structural choice. In The Fan they can not. A single poorly placed King can eliminate future access lines and force a slow lock.
Core idea
Evaluate every King move by what it unlocks two turns later. Immediate legality is not enough; future fan-top quality is the winning metric.
Strategic priorities in order
- Advance foundations safely. Foundation exits create natural space.
- Protect empty fans. Keep at least one meaningful King landing option.
- Delay weak King placements. Do not commit if no structural gain follows.
- Favor multi-branch tops. Choose lines with several next legal improvements.