Mahjong solitaire tips

Good Mahjong Solitaire strategy comes down to one question before every match: which pair frees the most tiles? Work on the top of the pile and the ends of the long rows first, keep track of where all four copies of a tile are before you pair two of them, and never leave the last two copies of a tile stacked on top of each other. These eight tips use the classic turtle layout from the free Mahjong Solitaire game.

If you need the basics first, Mahjong Solitaire rules explains free tiles and matching.

1. Don't match just because you can

The most common way to get stuck is to take every pair as soon as you see it. Early in the game there are usually several free pairs. Some of them unlock new tiles; others just remove two tiles that weren't blocking anything. Prefer the ones that open something up, and leave "harmless" pairs for later, when you might need a move.

2. Clear the top of the pile early

On the turtle, the single tile on top sits on four tiles below it, and each upper layer covers the layer under it. Tiles in the middle of the pile can't be reached until the layers above are gone, so a game that leaves the tall centre till last often runs out of options there. Work downwards from the top whenever a match is available.

3. Open the long rows from the ends

The bottom layer has long rows of 12 tiles. A tile in the middle of a row is blocked on both sides until its neighbours go, so these rows can only be eaten from the ends inwards. The longest rows are also blocked by the end tiles that stick out: one on the left and two on the right of the middle rows. Removing those end tiles early opens two rows at once. Where you have a choice, take pairs that shorten the longest rows.

4. Track all four copies of a tile

Every ordinary tile (the dots, bamboo, characters, winds and dragons) comes in fours. Before you pair two copies, find the other two:

• All four free: take both pairs. There's no risk.
• Three free: pick the two whose removal frees the most tiles, and keep the third as the partner for the fourth copy. Check that the fourth isn't trapped somewhere it can only be reached by removing the third.
• Two free, two buried: ask whether you need these two now. If the buried pair can only come out in an awkward order, it can be better to wait.

The game shades tiles that aren't free yet, which makes copies that are still buried easy to spot.

5. Avoid the stacked-pair dead end

The classic way to make a game unwinnable is to leave the last two copies of a tile with one lying on top of the other. You can't free the lower tile without removing the upper one, and the upper one has no partner left except the tile underneath. When a tile has a copy sitting directly under it, pair one of them with a copy elsewhere early, while you still have a choice.

6. Use flowers and seasons as wild cards

Each flower and season appears only once, but any flower matches any flower, and any season any season. That makes them flexible. If two flowers are free and one of them is blocking something important, match them now. If they're not blocking anything, they're a handy "spare move" to keep for later.

7. Use Undo before Shuffle

When the game says No more matching pairs, you have two ways out:

• Undo takes back your last pair (press it several times to go further back). Use it to find the choice that led to the dead end, and try another pair. You learn more this way.
• Shuffle re-deals the remaining tiles over the same spaces, arranged so the rest can still be cleared. It's quicker, and the game counts how many times you shuffled, so you can try for a no-shuffle game next time.

Hint shows a free matching pair in pink. It's a good way to spot a pair you've missed, but it doesn't choose the best pair, so still apply tips 1 to 5.

8. For speed, scan by group

Your Best time is saved in the browser, and the clock starts on your first click. To get faster:

• Scan one group at a time (all the dots, then all the bamboo), rather than searching tile by tile.
• Learn the honour tiles (winds and dragons) by sight; they're easy to confuse on small screens.
• On a phone held upright, the turtle stands on end, so the open sides are its left and right as you see it. Check both ends of each row before committing. Small tiles hide good pairs.

Every deal in our game is built backwards from a finished game, so there's always at least one way to clear it without shuffling.

A Mahjong Solitaire strategy for the opening

1. Find the free pairs at the very top of the pile and the free end tiles.
2. Of those, take the ones that uncover the most tiles.
3. Before each match, count the copies of that tile: how many are free, and where are the others?
4. Keep flowers and seasons in reserve unless they're in the way.
5. When stuck, Undo a few moves and look for a different pair.

If you enjoy matching games that test memory rather than planning, try the free memory game, where the cards are face down. For other quiet puzzle games, see memory games for adults.

Clear a turtle now

Try a full game with no shuffles using these tips. The free Mahjong Solitaire game runs in your browser with no sign-up, and your best time stays on your device.