‘Not making mistakes like this is an everlasting goal for me’

Time for a little Christmas holiday. 2010 has been a busy mahjong year, with a world championship in Europe and the second European riichi championship. Mahjong News asked a number of prominent, and less prominent, mahjong players about their most special event of the past year. And what they expect of the year to come. They are eager to tell you - and you can share your thoughts with the world as well!

“For me, the tournament of the year is divided between my first MCR tournament win (Århus Open) and the world championship, where I placed in fifth position. It has been a good year for me and I’ve had the right amount of luck at the right times during these tournaments.
“The moment for me which most stands out in my memory, is playing Oliviér Boivin in the second to last round of the world championship, the second to last hand.
“I had a chance to fish for the 5 of characters on a small hand or go for a bit bigger hand. Oliviér is in third position at the table and his total score in the tournament could make a difference to me. I chose to go for a bit bigger hand, which, like most of the time, turned out to be a mistake. Oliviér discards the 5 of characters, which would have given me my hand. Instead Oliviér self-picks a turn later and advances from 3rd to 2nd at the table.
“Not making mistakes like this is an everlasting goal for me.
“There has been some tough competition through all the tournaments in which I’ve participated, and I’m happy that it turned out so well for me this year.”

And 2011?

“Next year I hope to do well in the European championship and I will also be participating as a minimum in the Danish and the French championships.
See you there!”

Merry Christmas from Jesper Willemoes Hansen

‘I hope our mahjong family will expand’

Otto Myslivec (Austria) was the winner of the Sisi Cup 2009, so he qualified for the WSoM 2009 in Macau. He won three MCR tournaments: the Austrian Bamboo Tournaments in 2009 and 2008 and the Austrian Open 2008.

“The most special mahjong event this year was surely the WMC in Utrecht. It was a special event in two ways:

“At first it is every time a pleasure to play against (with ;-)) Asian people. There are so many things we still can learn from them. Although I reached only rank 94, I was highly pleased with 16 points because this is what you have to do when playing 9 rounds (9 x 1,75= 15,75).

“On the other hand  I (and as I know many other players) was very disappointed because of very less consideration for €220 registration fee. Playing hall and tournament handling was good but beside there was nearly nothing ;-((((”

In 2011…

“As every year I  hope to win a big tournament next year - why not the European Championship? Ok it's only a dream... I also hope, that our mahjong family will expand more and more and maybe, the Chinese will decide to organize a WMC in 2012?

“Hope to see all my friends at the Mah Jong tables and wish you and them…
A MERRY CHRISTMAS
and
A HAPPY NEW YEAR.”

Otto

‘Michael and I now are both German champions’

Nadine König is the current MCR-champion of Germany. During the World MahjongChampionship in the Netherlands she did very well by finishing in the top-ten.

“Of course, this was a very special Mahjong Year for me.The most special event was the WMC in Utrecht because I ended at place 8. That was so great! But also a special event (not just for me) was to win the title as German Champion for the second time, because now me and my boyfriend Michael are both German Champions in the same year: he in Riichi and me in MCR.

And in 2011…

“For the next year, I hope I will meet a lot of friends at the mahjong table again and we all have a lot of fun together!” 

‘We feel left out’

Johannes Scott-Weijers won this year's Sisi Cup (for the best accumulated results of the championships of Austria and Hungary 2010). Is afraid he cannot come to the OEMC 2011, since the UK can send just one player - and both Johannes and his fellow countryman Chris Redmond is interested.

“The Game of One Thousand Intelligences - you have to laugh at yourself - how many intelligences do you have? For example, in Baden, although I came first, I missed Three Concealed Pungs on a selfpick; today, at a local tournament, my selfpick was Three Little Dragons, but I forget All Pungs. In Utrecht, I took a pung from the chap next to me, who threw the same tile immediately after, which would have given me Last Tile/Tilehog/Two Concealed Pungs. Is there a scale for feeling stupid, clever or lucky?”

And what about next year?

“I wanted to say something about the four of us [Johannes, Chris Redmond and the two Swiss players Bo Lang and Mei Hwa Felder - MR] who feel left out, that we are all of us ‘away from home’, not only in terms of affiliation now that all the pool countries have federations, even if they are just empty websites, but living far from our homes.  It is a shame what's happened - although he has not contacted me, I'm sure C. Redmond will go. I'm sure he wants to go, and I'm sure he will.”

Johannes

‘That special day my printer broke…’

Janco Onnink (the Netherlands) is the winner of the Dutch riichi mahjong competition 2010. He was a co-organizer of the World Mahjong Championship 2010 in Holland. 

“The special Mahjong event for me in 2010 was the World Mahjong Championship. It was nice to participate in organizing it and also nice to play. One thing I remember in special was the Thursday evening before the tournament, all participants were known and we were also glad with the Chinese delegation. At the location, I had problems with printing the list for Friday morning so decide to print them at home. When printing the last list my printer broke and didn’t do anything at all. So the last list with the ‘easy’ Austrian and Hungarian names I had to write myself J!

Other nice Mahjong things for me in 2010:

-          Winning the Red Fives tournament

-          My 13 orphans in Hannover

-          The Austrian and Hungarian open

-          Some MJ-time chats

My MJ-Dreams for 2011:

-          Making a good result in Italy

-          Playing the Swiss-open

-          The St. Petersburg tournament

-          500 members for the Dutch Mahjong Association (now we have some 300).

Janco

‘Very happy for being in a High-Class social event’

Martin Rep is the editor of MahjongNews.Com.

“For me, the greatest mahjong happening of the past year was the UK Riichi Open at Guildford. Mahjong as it ought to be played: fanatically but yet quite kind for the other players so that, eventually, all players had the feeling that they had played in a nice tournament, whether they ended in the top-ten or not. Besides, I had never been in an all-England golf club before. Thanks to the cooperation with the Guildford Golf Club, this turned out to be a high-class social event indeed. The coming year, the event will take place on June 25th, and I hope I will be able to go to England again.

“But being present at the World Mahjong Championship 2010 in my own country also made me very happy. I wasn't there as a player, but as a reporter for Mahjong News. For three days, I made many interviews with players and officials, I could permanently update the latest rankings, so that mahjong lovers from anywhere could witness the championship as if they were on the spot. ” 

In 2011…

“In 2011, I want to organize the Washizu in Holland Tournament for the second time. Last year, this event, which should not be taken too serious though, was quite fun. I hope the next edition will be an even greater success.”

Martin Rep

(Picture of Mahjong X-Mas Tree courtesy of Christmas Tree Mahjong Solitaire)

And now - you can add your own wish!

Just use the comment function below to let the world know your special mahjong thought. Or to share your expectations for the new year with the world!