The Riichi Mahjong Times. Episode 6
Video from the Vienna tournament. A new story from Mr. Sato, etiquette principles,another chance for WRC 2025. Plus, the puzzle with a prize.
See you in one month for the next episode! 😊
I'm going on vacation!
Recent tournaments:
Congratulations to the winners!
Vienna Riichi Open 2024
Enjoy the video!
All videos can be found on the Youtube channel
The Path to Tenpai in the Final Tiles
In the "House of Tiles," Kenji carefully watched his hand, knowing the game was nearing its end. Only a few tiles remained in the wall, and his chance to reach Tenpai felt slim. With a furrowed brow, he looked to Mr. Sato for guidance.
Mr. Sato observed Kenji’s struggle and offered a gentle nod, signaling his understanding. "Kenji," he began, "when the wall grows thin, every tile holds a story. In these final draws, you must adjust your approach, for pushing too hard may lead to an unfortunate path."
Kenji listened closely as Mr. Sato continued, “Reaching Tenpai in the last rounds is like finding a single thread in a tapestry. You must be cautious, but focused. At this stage, your goal is not to build a perfect hand but to avoid a furiten—or worse, a risky discard.”
Mr. Sato gestured to Kenji's hand, pointing to the safe tiles. "Keep these for defense," he advised. "The fewer tiles left, the more carefully you must consider each one. Only push for Tenpai if the path is clear, with minimal risk. If not, fold with care and preserve your points."
Kenji felt the weight of each tile he drew, and with Mr. Sato’s words in mind, he began to balance caution with opportunity. As the game closed, he reached Tenpai—not by force, but by aligning his hand with the flow of the game.
That night, Kenji learned the true art of late-stage play: a measured path to Tenpai, embracing both patience and adaptability.
Watch live game translations with English commentary!
Etiquette principles
Much of the etiquette stems on one simple principle: Respect for the game and respect for the players. As long as players can adhere to this concept, then everyone at the mahjong table can play with a positive game environment.
The exact level of expectation will vary by decorum. Professional settings require a very high level of etiquette, by which a break in protocol may warrant some penalties or some disciplinary action. On the other hand, casual settings provide a more relaxed environment, especially in a game played among friends.
Specific guidelines
A number of guidelines point to specific aspects to the game.
Knowledge
If you are relatively new to the game, it's ok to not know these right away, if the group tolerates it. However, experienced players are expected to know these.
Make sure to know the rule variations used in the current game.
Pay attention to the game state - current round, round wind, seat wind, honba, etc.
Know how to calculate your hand's han, fu, and point value quickly.
Know what types of tiles you want to call on before they are discarded.
https://riichi.wiki/Etiquette_in_mahjong
Upcoming tournaments:
All events are here
Another Chance for WRC 2025!
As part of your attendance to a World Riichi League event, you will be potentially eligible to qualify into an exclusive qualifying event. The winners of our first three World Riichi League events will be automatically seeded into this online event. Further, the top five scorers based on the cumulative raw scores over the three events will be invited to fill the remaining seats.
If you like the newsletter - share it with your friends! It makes me smile =)Biweekly puzzle
It's currently All Last, the last hand in the match. You are in fourth. The scores are as follows:
North: 14000 (YOU)
South: 19500 (+5500)
West: 26700 (+12700)
East: 39800 (+25800)
1. What is the minimum score you can tsumo to get third?
2. What is the minimum score you can ron third with to get third?
3. What is the minimum score you can ron second with to get third?
4. What is the minimum score you can ron first with to get third?The question is taken from mahjong-efficiency-trainer!
List all the answers in the comments and share this newsletter with your Mahjong friends! 😊
There’s a prize!
The prize is a hand-made Mahjong-themed postcard! Good luck!
The prize will be handed over at one of the tournaments or by mail. We will contact the winner to arrange the details.
Previous puzzle results:
We had only one correct (and very specific) answer!
The winner is:
!
If you want to offer some prizes for the next puzzles, contact me. =)
With love from the editor and correspondent, Anastasiia Veremenko.
Twitter
Assuming no honba:
1. 3 - 40, 2600/1300
2. 3 - 25, 3200
3. Impossible, the lowest to pass 3rd is 6400 points from 4 - 25 but that gets you into 2nd place not 3rd
4. 4 - 25, 6400