The best Mahjong Solitaire strategy is to match tiles that free the most other tiles. Start with the tops of tall stacks and the ends of long rows. Before you take a pair, look at what it opens up. When all four copies of a tile are free, take them together, since they cannot block anything. Avoid taking tiles at random, and you will clear far more boards.
1. Work down the tall stacks first
A tile under a stack cannot move until everything above it is gone. So stacks trap more tiles than anything else. When you have a choice, take the pair that comes off the tallest stack.
2. Take long rows from the ends
Rows only open from the ends. A long row holds many tiles hostage, so working it from both ends keeps your options open. If one side of a row is stuck, do not take every tile from the other side without thinking.
3. Ask what a move opens
Before you match, ask two questions:
- Which new tiles does this free?
- Do any of those new tiles match something I can already reach?
A pair that frees two new tiles beats a pair that frees nothing, in most positions.
4. Take all four at once
If all four copies of a tile are free, you can take them both in pairs. It can never hurt you, because no other tile needs them.
If three copies are free, be careful. Take the pair that opens the most, since one copy will stay behind until the last is free.
5. Watch for buried copies
Suppose a tile sits under a stack, and its match is on top of the same stack. Sometimes the only way to reach it is to take all the others first. Stuck boards often come from a tile hiding directly below its own match. Check a tall stack before you commit to it.
6. Do not rush the flowers and seasons
Any flower matches any flower, so these pairs are flexible. Keep them as a late escape: when you are almost stuck, a spare flower pair can open what you need.
7. Use undo to learn
Undo is not cheating. When you get stuck, step back a few moves and look at the choice that hurt you. You will start to recognize that pattern earlier in your next game. Hints work the same way: they show you what you may have missed.
How to choose a layout
| You want | Try |
|---|---|
| An easy, relaxed game | Courtyard, Garden Path, or Pocket |
| A classic challenge | Turtle |
| More planning | Twin Peaks or Diamond |
| A phone-friendly game | Pagoda, Tall Tower, or Scroll |
Common beginner mistakes
- Clearing the easy edges first. They are the most flexible tiles, and they can wait.
- Matching the instant you see a pair. Slow down and look at what it opens.
- Giving up too early. A shuffle or a few undos can rescue most boards.