Today, mahjong is one of the most popular board games ported to PC and mobile devices. It is presented in a huge variety of applications: with different types of game chips (dice) and with different styles.
History of the game
Myths and facts
The progenitor of all modern mahjong games is the traditional Chinese mahjong, a board game for four players that is similar to dominoes and poker at the same time. According to one legend, it was invented by the philosopher Confucius in 500 BC, but there is no official confirmation of this version. Another legend says that mahjong was played on Noah's Ark during the Flood. This version was also not found to be confirmed (except for oral traditions).
In Chinese mythology, mahjong is referred to in passing as a game played by fishermen on boats during storms as a distraction from seasickness. The alleged inventor is a certain fisherman named Jie, who is not known anymore.
At the same time, the connection of the game with the teachings of Confucius is visible to the naked eye, since the game pieces called the three dragons exactly correspond to the Confucian three virtues: moderation (red dragon), prosperity (green) and goodwill (white). The very name "mahjong", which translates as "sparrow", can be explained by the fact that Confucius liked to watch birds (which is also a rather controversial point).
Reliable historical evidence
We can only say with certainty that mahjong was widely used in the countries of East Asia at the beginning of the 20th century. First - in China, and then - in Japan and Southeast Asian countries. Moreover, the peak of the popularity of the game fell on that historical period, when card games brought here from Europe began to circulate in Asian countries. This leads to the assumption that mahjong is not an ancient, but a relatively new game, invented around the beginning of the 19th century: based on the traditional Chinese dominoes and the Ma-Diao card game.
So, Ma Diao has 40 playing cards, which are divided into 4 suits and numbered from 1 to 9. The remaining 4 cards are indicated by flowers - just like in the mahjong game. The most likely places of its invention are the provincial settlements around the cities of Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai. According to another version, the authorship of mahjong belongs to a nobleman (name unknown) who lived in Shanghai in the 1870s.
Mahjong solitaire is the successor to traditional mahjong
The original mahjong game was a cooperative game with 4 players playing against each other. But today, this original version of the game is remembered only in its historical homeland, and the rest of the world associates the word "mahjong" with a solitaire-like board game designed for one player. This version is called Mahjong Solitaire and is presented on computers, mobile devices and the Internet, in the widest range.
Familiar to us solitaire mahjong was invented quite recently - in 1981, by the developer Brodie Lockard. Interested in his adaptation of Chinese mahjong, Activision signed a contract with Lockard and in 1986 he introduced the public to the famous game Shanghai - the progenitor of all modern versions of computer mahjong.
Each new branch took the game further and further away from the original. Today, instead of traditional Chinese symbols, everything is depicted on mahjong chips: from cartoon characters to weapons, coats of arms, fruits. At the same time, the rules remained the same (which were invented by Brody), and to win, you need to combine chips in pairs, removing them from the playing field and freeing previously blocked rows.
Mahjong Connect
Most varieties of mahjong solitaire games have a three-dimensional structure, where the pieces are arranged in layers on top of each other. To open access to the lower ones, you must first remove the top chips from the board, giving priority to the topmost (most often the third) level.
But there is also a single-level version - Mahjong Connect, in which all the chips are located flush with each other. The rules of this game are slightly different, but the ultimate goal remains the same - pairwise removal of chips from the playing field: until it is completely free.
All existing versions of mahjong, including the latest version of Mahjong Connect, require the player to be attentive, logical, and visually aware. In particular, if a large number of chips with Asian hieroglyphs unusual for our eyes are placed on the playing field.
Their one-by-one removal from the board only at first glance seems elementary. It is not always possible to completely clear the playing field. This feature, to one degree or another, all traditional Asian games have - the apparent simplicity and complexity of winning. And mahjong is no exception in this sense!
