Mahjong needs no introduction. It is filled with rich cultural history, and has seen many enthusiasts over the years, including some famous players.
Although the game is not as heavily publicized as other competitive games like chess or poker, it has made its way into some of the most popular entertainments. Follow along as we gather a list of some of the most famous players *In real life as well as the virtual world!
About Famous Mahjong Players
As it turns out, international chess organizations such as the International Chess Federation (FIDE) grants players the title of grandmaster (GM), international national master (NM) or FIDE Master for the top rankers.
In the same way, for Mahjong, certain organizations provide a rating for players to gauge their standing in a tournament or game. For example the European Mahjong Association ranks a player a base ranking of 0 to 1000 depending on how many games he/she has won. This base ranking can differ depending on weights or the averaging calculation.
However, despite such forms of calculations, it is harder to pin down on a single popular mahjong player as there are a variation of mahjong styles:
Chinese Mahjong
Riichi Mahjong
Hong Kong Mahjong
American Mahjong
Taiwanese
Singapore Mahjong
And so on…
Due to this widely varied nature of mahjong, a search term for “popular” mahjong players would almost always present a wide range of results. Therefore, this article will gather some of the famous players from the widest player base which are, Chinese Mahjong, Riichi Mahjong, Hong Kong Mahjong and American/European Mahjong!
Famous Chinese Mahjong Player
Li Li
Historically, following the establishment of the World Mahjong Organisation(WMO) in 2006, the first world champion was won in 2007 by Li Li, a Chinese student of Tsinghua University. Little is known about the once world champion, but the event continues to be hosted in different countries yearly.
(For the year of 2024, the 7th World Mahjong Championship is to be held in Toronto, Canada.)
Famous Mahjong Players (Richii)
Masayuki Katayama
Famous For: Katayama is a professional Mahjong player in Japan, known for his tactical prowess and for winning several professional Mahjong tournaments. He is considered one of the top players in Japan and has a significant following in the competitive Mahjong scene. You might be surprised to find out that Masayuki is also a comic artist and the author of “No Mark Bakuhaitou” (No Mark Bomb-tile Clan). The comic focuses on the adventures of mahjong player Bakuoka Danjyuurou and that was also turned into a Mahjong Game in 1995.
Hisa Takei (竹井久)
On the topic of comic and anime, Hisa Takei is a character from the manga and anime series Saki, which revolves around competitive Mahjong. While she is a fictional player, her character has popularized the game among younger audiences, particularly in Japan, and has drawn more attention to competitive Mahjong.
Akagi Shigeru (赤木 しげる)
Another fictional character from the manga Akagi: Yami ni Oritatta Tensai, Akagi is considered one of the most iconic characters associated with Mahjong. The series depicts his rise in the underground Mahjong scene in Japan and has become a cult favorite, inspiring many to take up the game.
Other Famous Mahjong Players
Kee Chung Low
Winning the 2nd place in the open European Mahjong Championship 2023, Mr Low is a Singaporean that practiced his skills through online games and MCR enthusiasts. He has attributed his success to “grit, adapting to his opponents' play style, and constant practice.”.
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