What does it mean for a tile to be free?
The single most important idea in Mahjong Solitaire is the free tile. If you understand this rule, you understand why some tiles can be picked and others cannot.
The two conditions
For a tile to be free, both of these must be true:
- Nothing on top. If any tile is resting on this one, even partly, it is covered and locked.
- One open side. Look at the left and right edges. If at least one of those sides has no tile touching it, the tile can slide out.
A tile with an open left side is free. A tile with an open right side is free. A tile open on both sides is free. Only a tile blocked on both sides (or covered) is stuck.
Top and bottom do not matter
This surprises new players: tiles directly above or below in the layers matter, but tiles touching the top or bottom edge of a tile do not block it. Only left, right, and being covered count. So a tile in the middle of a solid row is stuck, but the tile on either end of that row is free.
Freeing new tiles
Every pair you remove can open up new free tiles by uncovering what was underneath or opening a side that used to be blocked. That chain reaction is how you slowly take the whole stack apart. If a tile you need will not select, see why can't I select a tile?
Related questions
How do you play Mahjong Solitaire?
You play by removing matching pairs of free tiles from the layout. A tile is free when no tile sits on top of it and either its left or right side is open. Click one free tile, then click its match to remove both. Keep going until every tile is cleared.
Why can't I select a tile?
A tile will not select because it is not free. Either another tile is sitting on top of it, or it is wedged in with tiles touching both its left and right sides. Free up the blockers first, then the tile becomes selectable.
How do matching tiles work?
Most tiles match only another tile that looks exactly the same, such as two Bamboo 3s or two West Winds. The special case is bonus tiles: any Flower matches any other Flower, and any Season matches any other Season, even if the pictures differ.
What is a dead board in Mahjong?
A dead board is a gridlock. Tiles are still on the board, but no two free tiles match, so there is no legal move left. It usually happens after removing pairs in a bad order. On Mahjong.now you can Shuffle the tiles or Undo to escape it, since every board is solvable.