HANOVER - The same number of players as in 2008 (eighty). About the same economical entry fee (some 50 or 60 euros). The same residence: Hanover, Germany. The organizers of the European Riichi Mahjong Championship 2010 are embroidering on the 2008 success formula. The capital of Lower Saxony has already proven twice to be able to host a perfect riichi tournament. The EC Riichi 2010 will be the crowning glory of the Hanover mahjong club.

But there will also be differences. In 2008, the organizers (Riichi Holland, in cooperation with the German Mahjong League, more precisely the Hanover mahjong club) admitted every riichi player who wanted to subscribe. Considering the growing number of riichi players in Europe, there will be a limitation of players per nation.The organizers have made a proposition for this, which now is being studied by the board of DMJL and the European Mahjong Association (EMA). The details are to be revealed later.

Spokeswoman Ilka Stummeyer of the Hanover mahjong club is quite happy with the venue. "I have talked about it again with co-organizer Beate Stöckemann, and we still think the location is a good one for the ECR. Not only do the colums and jutties in that basement form several cosy slots, which is helpful for the acoustics during the tournament. Also the big red cellar walls guarantee something that cannot be estimated high enough: quite comfortable temperature, even in the middle of the summer, even without eye-drying air conditioning.

"To provide a referee within sight for each table, we are trying to 'hire' three referees. Applications are still welcome. Of course, all participants will play in the same room. There will be two more floors in use during the tournament, but the upper ones will only be used for registration, catering, smoking etcetera."

Players

The organizers want to limit the number of players to 80, so the tournament will have the same size as the first ECR in 2008. Ilka Stummeyer: "The limitation is partly due to the room, and partly because the organization team does not want to overstrain itself, having initiated only one tournament of its own before." (That was the German Riichi Open 2009.)

The registration fee will be relatively cheap, esp. when compared to the European championschips MCR. While competing in the OEMC 2009 in Austria cost €180, participating in the EC Riichi 2008 cost just €30. The board of the Hanover jazz club has again decided not to raise the fees, so the club will stay accessible for every social class. Ilka Stummeyer: "We also want to maintain the ECR being a low bugdet tournament. Still, we will have to charge a higher sum than in 2008 due to the lack of sponsors. Actually, we are aiming at something close to 50/60 EUR."

The EC Riichi will take place on July 10~11, 2010.