SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

By Tom Sloper (湯姆斯洛珀)
November 2, The Year Of The Horse 馬
Column #622

A beautiful new book is coming this month: "Mah Jongg, The Art Of The Game," by Ann M. Israel and Gregg Swain. The book gives a rare accurate accounting of the history of mah-jongg (thanks to Michael Stanwick and yours truly), and some gorgeous photographs of exquisite collectible mah-jongg sets, taken by Michel Arnaud.

Renowned mah-jongg historian and scholar Michael Stanwick wrote the text for the first chapter, "A Brief History of Mah Jongg." I wrote the text for the second chapter, "Mr. Babcock Invents Mah-Jongg™." I put together facts from an interview with Lisa Lethin (the granddaughter of Babcock's partner, Anton Lethin) on mahjongmuseum.nl, and facts from Philip Orbanes' book on the history of board games company Parker Brothers ("The Game Makers"), Milton C. Work's 1924 book "Mah-Jongg Up-To-Date," and even patent filings from the nineteen twenties. My chapter thus puts the Babcock story together in a more complete way than has ever been seen in print before.

But enough about me, and my small part of the book. The photos are simply stunning. The authors contacted numerous collectors and obtained photos of some beautiful sets and amazing rare sets, including some historically significant sets that Michael Stanwick has described in his excellent scholarly pieces in the journal of the International Playing Card Society, "The Playing Card." There are also photos from the early days of mah-jongg. History and stories and spectacular imagery - what more could you want?

The book is hardcover, 8.5"x8.5" (or if you prefer, 215x215mm). It's published by Tuttle Publishing, ISBN: 9784805313237. It's slated to be released on November 18 - just in time for Christmas! It would be a great gift for a mah-jongg enthusiast or collector.

麻雀

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Photos of the 2007 WMJC in E Mei Shan, China.
Photos of the 2007 OEMC in Copenhagen.
Photos of the Fourth China Majiang Championship and Forum in Tianjin, 2006.
Photos of the Third China Majiang Championship and Forum in Beijing, 2005.
Photos of the 2005 OEMC
Photos of the 2003 CMOC.
Photos of the 2002 WCMJ.

FAQ 22 answers the most frequently asked questions about Chinese Official scoring.
Download the official English translation of the Majiang Competition Rules for free at http://www.chinamajiang.com/ssxx20.html.
And be sure to download the MCR Errata/Addenda HERE. And you should also download Per Starbäck's "Beyond the Green Book" at http://starback.se/mj/beyond/.
Competition Mahjong Official International Rulebook ("OIRB"). Takeshobo, 2002. ISBN 4-8124-0944-6. Condensed and now somewhat outdated English translation of the official Chinese rules, still useful as a reference. Translator: Ryan Morris. You can download it HERE.
World Champion Mai Hatsune and fellow Japanese champion player Takunori Kajimoto have written the definitive strategy guide to Mahjong Competition Rules. It's been translated into English and is available for free at http://museum.takeshobo.co.jp/kokusai/index.html.
For more help with your MCR strategy, see www.tilehog.net.
Another useful MCR strategy tool is at http://www.mahjong-o-matic.com.