UTRECHT - It’s the last session of the World Mahjong Championship. Tension in the tournament hall of the National Mind Sports Center is growing. You can almost feel it.
As I want to pass the red chord to make my usual set of pictures, I am stopped by one of the judges. Showing my press card does not help: “Special orders for the last session.”

Head referee Robert Rijnders approaches. “Sorry for not telling you earlier, but we have just decided this. We could feel that the players were getting irritated when pictures were taken.”

Fuss

In the previous session, there was some fuss at the table of Linghua Jiao, the number one player in the general ranking. She insisted that she had just scored 40 points, while all the other players said she had just 38. Although all the tiles were already everywhere on the table, face-down, she called the referee and started a long argument. “Looks as though she is stalling time”, one of the bystanders said.
Some of the players struggle for their last hope to get into the top-ten. Ton Rijnders, Dutch mahjong veteran shared the third position with French Olivier Boivin after Day 2. But in session 8, he scores just one point.
I watch Ton walking down the stairs towards the Grand Cafe when that final session is over. He shakes his head. “Zero points.” It is not likely that he will hold a position in the top-ten. Still, the ‘old man’ will probably be the best Dutch player in the General Classification.

Tiles

Within minutes, the Grand Cafe is filled with chatting mahjong players. They head for the buffet to satisfy their hunger. But it does not last long until the familiar sound of rattling mahjong tiles is heard. Why should you stop playing after nine tiring sessions, when there are still so many mahjong players around.

They have to wait anyway. The Award Ceremony, where the final results will be announced, will not start until five o’clock. Meanwhile, we listen to their stories. About the hands they made, the hands they should have made. Or about their bad luck.