Europe may host 1st WC Riichi. MaybeAMSTERDAM, the Netherlands, January, 27th - There is a chance that a first world championship riichi mahjong will be held the years to come. And this might very well take place somewhere in Europe. This is stated in a report, written for the Dutch mahjong association. Picture: The Second European Mahjong Championship, Hanover, Germany, 2010. Read more…
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| Written by Edwin Phua |
| Thursday, 22 July 2010 21:09 |
| I read the column with a lot of interest. I am from Southeast Asia, where there are a lot of people playing mahjong, but very little organised competition, whether for international rulesets such as MCR or RCR, or for local variants. Hence, I perhaps see the issue a little differently. I mainly agree with Mark Chizhenok's comment, but I want to add some thoughts on one aspect that Ian did not quite fully consider, which is with regard to the kind/level of competition. High-level tournaments (e.g. continental or world championships) should be expected to have high standards of play, befitting the status of such tournaments attracting top players from various countries. So, the tournament that Ian just participated in was the European regional championships. Many participants at such a higher level of play are unlikely to be so green; forgetting to take the 13th tile when starting a hand is really quite a big error! For some of the major mahjong-playing countries in Europe (e.g. Netherlands, Denmark, Germany), there have to be some nomination process, meaning that players from these countries have to be rather experienced and would have undergone some trials/qualification rounds before being able to participate. So, the mistakes in the examples raised (particularly Examples 1 and 3) should not have happened in the first place because such mistakes seem too fundamental for experienced players to make, though, not to say they do not happen). And if they do, then they are deserving of penalties. On the other hand, Ian also mentioned growing the mahjong community by providing a warm and supportive environment. Yes, I think this should be the case, but this should be done at the lower levels of play, in schools, community centres etc., and at lower levels of competition, say at fun, social tournaments, or local tournaments within a district/town/city. Rules can be modified, made less strict etc. at such levels of competition, because these tournaments would be seen as trying to grow the community and providing mahjong enthusiasts the chance to pit their skills against others, but in a more relaxed environment where mistakes can be made, and lessons learnt. More serious players can progress to play higher-level tournaments with the attendant levels of strictness. Participation at a (continental/regional) tournament such as the ECRM is not aimed towards beginners; it should meant to be a competition for experienced, serious players. So, players participating should also be mentally prepared for tough competition (sometimes mean-spirited, sadly) and strict rules. That is not to say that new players should not try to participate, but such players should also have some self-awareness that it is not easy. |
| Last Updated on Thursday, 22 July 2010 21:09 |
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