Mahjong

The skill of building winning tile combinations through pattern recognition, probability calculation, and opponent reading, focused primarily on Riichi Mahjong.

Mahjong is a four-player tile game combining hand construction, defensive judgment, and strategic adaptation. Beginning with tile recognition and basic rules, proficiency expands through yaku memorization, tile efficiency, defensive play, and opponent analysis. Mastery requires balancing aggressive hand building with risk management across thousands of rounds.

Games & Strategy

7 Levels

Published: Feb 21, 2026 · Updated: Apr 8, 2026 · v5

Levels

You recognize all tile suits (man, pin, sou), honor tiles (winds and dragons), and understand the basic game flow from deal to win declaration. You know how to draw, discard, call tiles (chi, pon, kan), and declare a win. You can complete a full hanchan without needing rule clarification from others. (Beginner level, learning through casual play)

Can identify all 34 tile types across the 3 suits (man, pin, sou) and 7 honor tiles (4 winds, 3 dragons)
Can explain the flow of a turn: draw, optional kan, discard, and other players' call priority
Can correctly execute chi, pon, and kan calls and explain when each is permitted
Can explain the difference between a closed hand and an open hand
Can declare a valid winning hand (tsumo or ron) and verify it contains 4 sets and 1 pair
Can complete a full hanchan (east and south rounds) following all basic procedures without assistance

What Comes Next

If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready for the Novice (9-kyu to 7-kyu) stage, memorizing yaku patterns and learning intentional hand building toward specific winning conditions. Chiba's Riichi Book 1 suggests transitioning from memorizing tile types and rules to putting yaku patterns into practice and building hands intentionally.

References

Tenhou (C-EGG)Rating System

Premier online Riichi Mahjong platform with a 10-dan ranking system and detailed statistical tracking, providing the quantitative skill tiers referenced in upper-level checklist design

Tenhou.net - Online Mahjong Platform

Daina Chiba (Mahjong educator)textbook

Comprehensive English-language Riichi Mahjong strategy textbook covering tile efficiency, defense theory, and scoring that maps directly to the progression from beginner to competitive play

Riichi Book 1 - Daina Chiba

World Riichi Championship OrganizationCompetency Framework

International competitive Riichi Mahjong tournament series establishing the professional standards and meta evolution referenced in upper-level checklist items

World Riichi Championship

Springer (Iida et al., 2004)academic_research

Peer-reviewed paper applying game-refinement theory to Mahjong as an imperfect-information multi-player game. Analyzes the balance of skill and luck, providing theoretical foundations for skill-based proficiency distinctions such as tile efficiency, defensive judgment, and opponent reading.

An Application of Game-Refinement Theory to Mah Jong

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Mahjong

Levels

Level 1#BasicRules#TileRecognition#BeginnerUnderstanding the basic tile types, game flow, and rules of Mahjong, and being able to complete a full round following legal play procedures.

Level 2#YakuPatterns#Scoring#IntermediateMemorizing basic yaku and consciously building hands toward specific winning conditions rather than assembling tiles randomly.

Level 3#TileEfficiency#Defense#ShantenApplying tile efficiency principles to reduce shanten count optimally and making basic defensive decisions to avoid dealing into opponents' hands.

Level 4#OpponentReading#PushFold#GameStateReading opponents' hands and intentions from their discards and calls, and adapting strategy based on overall game state and point standings.

Level 5#Tournament#Coaching#AdvancedStatsCompeting at a tournament level with consistent results, coaching developing players, and contributing strategic analysis to the Mahjong community.

Level 6#OriginalTheory#MetaAnalysis#ProLeagueDeveloping original strategic frameworks, publishing influential Mahjong analysis, and shaping how the community approaches study and competition.

Level 7#MahjongMaster#Legacy#GameEvolutionAchieving results and contributions that define eras of competitive Mahjong, influencing the game's evolution, and serving as a reference for future generations.

References

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