Solo (Farbsolo)
Choose your own trump suit and play alone against three
What is Solo?
Solo (also called Farbsolo) is the highest-ranking normal contract in Schafkopf. The declarer chooses any suit as the trump suit and plays alone against all three opponents.
Unlike Wenz (4 trumps) or Sauspiel (fixed Hearts), Solo gives you 14 trumps - the 4 Obers, 4 Unters, plus all 6 cards of your chosen suit. This makes it easier to control the game, but you still need a strong hand to overcome three coordinated opponents.
Solo Types
You can choose any of the four suits as trump:
Note: You must have at least one card of the chosen suit (besides Obers/Unters).
Trump Hierarchy in Solo
Example: Eichel-Solo (Acorns as trump)
The other three suits (Leaves, Hearts, Bells in this example) have only 6 cards each: Ace, Ten, King, Nine, Eight, Seven
When to Play Solo
Solo requires a very strong hand. Consider these factors:
Strong Solo Hand
- • 5+ trumps (ideally 6-7)
- • High Obers (Eichel-O, Gras-O)
- • Ace-Ten of trump suit
- • Side Aces in fail suits
- • Voids or singletons in weak suits
Avoid Solo With
- • Less than 5 trumps
- • No high Obers (Eichel, Gras)
- • Weak trump suit (missing A-10)
- • Long fail suits without control
Solo vs Wenz
| Feature | Solo | Wenz |
|---|---|---|
| Trump count | 14 | 4 |
| Obers are trump? | Yes | No (suit cards) |
| Contract rank | Higher | Lower |
| Payout | Same as Wenz | Same as Solo |
| Difficulty | Easier (more trump) | Harder (less trump) |
Solo Strategy
As Declarer
- • Draw trump early - use your trump length advantage
- • Lead high Obers to pull out opponents' trumps
- • Cash side Aces once trump is exhausted
- • Watch the count - know when you have 61+
As Defender
- • Coordinate with partners - you're 3 against 1
- • Lead through declarer - force difficult decisions
- • Schmear aggressively - pile points on winning tricks
- • Keep track of declarer's trumps - attack when they're low