the Game of Mah Jong

MAH JONG, THE GAME OF, or MAH TSIONG (Sparrows), has been played in China as a card game for about eight centuries, and is said to be a striking example of the manner whereby historical or legendary events and characters became popularized throughout the length and breadth of the Celestial empire.

Origin and History.

The story of Sung Kiang and his 108 revolutionaries became one of China's minor epics during and since . the Sung dynasty. As a tribute to the exploits of these heroic characters, their names were applied to the individual cards of some ancient games already in vogue in China at that period. These games gradually evolved into one of 108 cards only, each card having the name of one of the revolutionary heroes. This game was played all over China, but was especially popular in Ning Po, a town famous for its ivory carvers. It was at Ning Po that the modern form of Mah Jong originated, and cards were replaced by ivory or bone tablets backed with bamboo, on which were still engraved the names of the 108 heroes. The introduction of Mah Jong to the West is said to have been greatly facilitated by an Englishman, who by the simple expedi ent of replacing the complicated Chinese characters by Western numerals and letters, made the game available to all European adults, and even to children, who can read numbers from 1 to 9, and the letters E, W, S, N. The game had a tremendous vogue in the United States for a short time. It died suddenly with the advent of the crossword puzzle. Inasmuch as Mah Jong was originally a card game and is still played as such in many parts of China, all explanations in this article, though referring to tiles, are equally applicable to cards.

Pieces and Their Titles.

Mah Jong is played with tiles or pieces very much like small dominoes, the bone or ivory surface being engraved and painted with the requisite characters, often with much delicacy and beauty. A full set contains 144 tiles divided into six suits, of which five suits containing 136 tiles are generally used. The five suits in common use are:— I. Bamboos, numbered 1 to 9, four of each number . 36 tiles.

2. Circles, numbered 1 to 9, four of each number . . 36 tiles.

3. Characters, numbered 1 to 9, four of each number . 36 tiles.

4. Honours, 4 red dragons, 4 green, 4 white dragons . 12 tiles.

5. Winds, 4 east winds, 4 south winds, 4 west winds, 4 north winds . . . . . . 16 tiles.

136 tiles.

In addition: 6. Extra suit, 4 red seasons, 4 green seasons . . . 8 tiles. 144 tiles.

There are also, four wind markers, two dice and a set of scoring counters supplied with each complete set.

Game and Method of Play.

Mah Jong is usually played by four persons, though a variation can be played by two, three or even eight. The players take the name of the four winds, a throw of the dice deciding the chief or east wind, who, until he loses the round and so vacates his position, has choice of seats, and an extra tile, begins the game, is paid double if he wins and receives other privileges and their equalizing penalties. The players then

seat themselves as per diagram, where it will be noticed that the seating is contrary to the European conception as to the position of the cardinal points of the compass, while the direction of play is equally dissimilar to the customary European method.

All the tiles are then put face downward on the table and thor oughly shuffled or "washed," after which each player builds a wall two tiles high and seventeen tiles long (18 tiles long if the extra suit is used). The walls are then pushed together to form a square. Further dice throwing decides where and how the wall is to be broken, and this being done, each player, always follow ing the anti-clockwise direction, takes two tiles from the left of the breach in turn. This continues until east wind has fourteen tiles and the remaining winds 13 tiles each.

The object of the game is to develop the individual hand so that it will ultimately consist of four groups of three similar tiles and one pair of similar tiles. A group consists of (i.) any three tiles of the same suit and num ber, as three circles each num bered 9, (ii.) any sequence of the same suit as, three bamboos num bered 4, 5, 6. A pair consists of any two similar tiles in any suit, as, two characters each num bered 8, two red dragons, two west winds, etc. The assembling of these groups and pairs is ac complished by each player, in turn, drawing a tile from the wall, adding it to his hand and discarding from his hand another tile which he considers to be of less value to him. A discarded tile, if needed by any player, to complete a group or final pair, can, under certain conditions, be acquired by him, if he pungs, chows or kongs it, before a fresh tile be taken from the wall, these ex pressions varying with the different purposes for which the tile is required. The player who first succeeds in assembling his four groups and final pair, is said to be Mah Jong, and is immediately paid in counters the worth of his hand by the other three players, who afterwards settle the difference in value of such completed groups and pairs as they have been able to acquire.

Charm.—The charm of this game consists largely in the in numerable combinations and variations that make up a hand of high scoring value. Great skill can be employed in the discard, and a good memory is essential if mastery of the scoring and the 42 governing laws is to be thoroughly acquired.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.-The

bibliography of Mah Jong is both varied and extensive, two of the clearest and best expositions being Mah Jong and How to Play it, by Chiang Lee, and How to Play Mah Jong, by Jean Bray. See also Foster on Malt Jong and Henry Peterson, Malt Jong Simplified. (G. E. BE.)