Mahjong Solitaire Tips: How to Clear More Boards

What makes a tile free

Every Mahjong Solitaire move depends on one rule. A tile is free when both are true:

• No tile on a higher layer covers it, even partly.
• Its left side or its right side is open. Tiles above and below it in the same layer do not count.

The NitroPlayer board is the classic turtle: 144 tiles in layers of 87, 36, 16 and 4, plus one tile on the peak. We counted the free tiles on a new board: 35 of 144. The other 109 are blocked, and the order in which you clear pairs decides which of them open up.

We tested 5 strategies on 5,000 boards

We dealt 5,000 boards with the game's own dealer and let a simple computer player clear each one, with no shuffles and no undo, using a different rule each time to choose among the free pairs.

Two lessons. First, looking one move ahead pays: a pair that opens new tiles is worth more than a pair that opens nothing. Second, height alone is a trap. Taking the highest tiles blindly often leaves the long base rows locked. Height is a good tie-breaker, not a rule on its own.

Every NitroPlayer deal can be solved, because it is built backwards from an empty board in free pairs. A board you cannot clear was lost by the order of the pairs, not by the deal.

Worked example: the board from the video

1. Find the free tiles. The lone tiles at each end of the turtle, one on the far left and one on the far right, are both free. The second tile of the top row is not: it has neighbors on both sides.
2. Match them. Both end tiles are Red Dragons, so they go as a pair. The left ends of the two middle rows are now open.
3. Go for the tall stack. The single tile on the peak is a 5 Circle, and another 5 Circle sits at the end of the top row. Matching them frees all four tiles that were under the peak.
4. Clear long rows from the ends. The two tiles that just lost their left neighbor are both 6 Characters. They match each other, and the next tiles in those rows open.
5. Flowers and seasons. A Plum and a Bamboo flower at the right side of the board are different tiles, but any flower matches any flower, so they pair.

The video board was arranged so each tip shows up in a few moves; on a normal board you will usually have to look for these pairs.

More Mahjong Solitaire strategy

• Four free copies: take them all. If all four copies of a design are free, clear both pairs. There is no wrong choice.
• Three free copies: choose. Leave the third one where it blocks the fewest tiles.
• Never bury a match. If the last two copies of a design sit one on top of the other, the lower one can never be freed.
• Keep edge pairs in reserve. Free tiles on the outer edges will still be free later. Use them when nothing better is open.
• Look closely at numbers. A 3 Circle and a 4 Circle look alike at a glance but will not match.

Common mistakes that lock a board

• Taking the first pair you see. Before you tap, scan for every free copy of that design. If one choice opens new tiles and the other opens nothing, the first one is free progress.
• Leaving the middle for last. The tall center holds 57 tiles above the base layer. If you only clear the edges, the base rows under the center stay blocked until the end.
• Ignoring the lone end tiles. The single tile sticking out on the left and the two on the right block the ends of the two long middle rows. Clearing them opens four row ends.
• Spending shuffles early. Shuffle only when no free pair is left, and try Undo first: a pair taken back often reveals a better order.

Hint, Undo and Shuffle on NitroPlayer

In solo play, Hint shows a free pair and Undo takes back your last pair. When no free pair is left, Shuffle re-deals only the tiles still on the board into a position that can still be cleared. You get 3 shuffles per game; once they are gone and no pair is left, the board is lost. Each pair earns 10 points, so a cleared board is worth 720, and speed decides the leaderboard.

There is also a daily board, the same for everyone and ranked by time, and duels on the same layout where Hint and Undo are off. Try the tips in free Mahjong Solitaire, with no download and no sign-up.