Classic Offline Gamesby Joyglitch
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Strategy 2 min read

Mahjong Solitaire: which pair to clear first

Any two matching free tiles can go. Choosing the right two is the whole game.

Mahjong

In Mahjong Solitaire you clear the board two tiles at a time. The two tiles must match, and both must be free. A tile is free when no tile lies on top of it and its left or right side is open.

● Free✿ Locked▲ Locked◆ Locked■ Free ✿
In this row only the two end tiles and the tile on top are free. The tile under it is locked.

Five habits

  1. Clear tall stacks early. Every tile under a stack stays locked until the stack comes down.
  2. Open long rows. A long row frees tiles only from its ends, so it takes many moves to clear. Start on it early.
  3. With three of a kind free, choose. Clear the pair that frees more tiles, and keep the third for later.
  4. With all four free, clear both pairs. There is nothing to gain by waiting.
  5. Don’t clear a pair just because you can. Look for the move that opens something new.

If no matches are left, the game tells you and offers a way to keep going.