WARSAW - On November 21st, the first open international Polish mahjong tournament will take place. Two students Japanese Culture at the Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology in Warsaw have taken this initiative.

Unfortunately, the event takes place in the same weekend as a MERS qualified EMA tournament (at Berlicum, Holland; be it with Mahjong Competition Rules). Co-organizer Szymon Lasota: “We chose for this date because this tournament is part of a bigger event. There are many other tournaments at the same time: poker, shogi, blackjack, chess, hearts, etc. But we are planning to organize more tournaments in the future, which will fit in better with the European mahjong calendar.”

E-mail

It was an unexpected e-mail from Szymon Lasota to Mahjong News: "I’m organizing a riichi tournament in Poland. Could you put some information on Mahjong News and RiichiMahjong.Com please?”

Szymon and his friend Dominik Kolenda are both students Japanese Culture in Warsaw. Szymon studies at the Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology, Dominik at Warsaw University.

When asked for more details about mahjong, Szymon tells: “During our lectures, the teacher showed us mahjong.” From that moment on, two years ago, Szymon was interested in the Game of a Thousand Intelligences.

"Half a year later, we formed the Japanese Games Club, in which we specialize in Japanese mahjong, although also shogi and hanafuda is played. We chose for riichi because of our Japanese studies”, Szymon tells, “but we know how to play other styles too.”

Now, there are two Japanese Games Club in Warsaw. One at the Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology, where Szymon plays, the other at Warsaw University. Dominik is from the other one. 

Long history 

According to Szymon, mahjong has a long history in Poland. Just like in other European countries, it has been played there since the nineteen-twenties.

Dominik Kolenda adds that, in the past, more international mahjong tournaments took place in Poland. "The first open international Polish japanese mahjong tournament was in 1983. Maybe also other tournaments in Chinese or Japanese mahjong took place, but the earliest which I know about was in that year.  Mahjong came to Poland in 1920's, like in other European countries, so maybe there was some tournament which I don't know about." 

Just like in many other countries, a lot of people confuse it with the tile matching game of Solitaire.

Mahjong sessions

Szymon and Dominik now are trying to promote the original way of playing. Together they organize lectures, outdoor events, and regular mahjong sessions.

“Now, after 1,5 year, there are quite some people who know how to play. At the moment, our club has twenty regular players, and a lot more who know the rules. I know of some people in Poland who have learned mahjong by themselves, and from my webpage, and we hope to meet them at ths first tournament we are organizing.”

Szymon considers to start a Polish Mahjong Association, but for the time being he recoils for the work that comes with it. “We don’t want to rush it.”

He has translated the EMA Riichi Rules into Polish, and made some modifications, the most important of which is the tanyo rule. Unlike in the mst Japanese rules, in EMA riichi an open tanyo is not allowed. In other words: a hand with All Simples (tiles 2~8) can only be made concealed.

How about the stay in Warsaw, Szymon? Do you have names and addresses of good hotels?

Szymon: “I can’t provide information about any good and cheap hotels at the moment, but in Warsaw there are a lot in the city center, close to the venue of the tournament. Unfortunately, these are the more expensive ons. I will search for some cheaper places and I will send you the details.”

The venue is in the city center. “It is very easy to get there”, Szymon says. “Just a five minutes’ walk from the central train station, and thirty minutes by bus from the airport.'

More information about the tournament