Mahjong Bird Tiles

The definition of a free tile is spelled out unusually plainly in Mahjong Bird Tiles: nothing covering it, and at least one side open. Both conditions, not either. That is the classic solitaire rule stated without ambiguity, and it is what makes these layered boards readable. The whole list is kept in the full Best New list.

Pairs are identical bird tiles, and the whole layer stack has to come down before a board counts as cleared. Because the frame is a wide 800 by 450, layouts lean sideways rather than towering, so the covering condition bites less often than the open-side one — most of the time a tile is stuck because a neighbour is pressed against both flanks. For one more pile of the same kind, see the Domino Solitare board.

Lof Games keeps the pace unhurried, and the choice of which of several identical birds to spend is the real decision on any board. A second stacked layout here is the Express pile.

1. Look over the layers for tiles with nothing stacked on top of them.
2. Of those, keep the ones with a free left or right side — both conditions must hold.
3. Match two identical birds to lift them off and expose what they were covering.
4. Bring every layer down until the board is empty, then move to the next arrangement.

• Check both conditions — an uncovered tile is still stuck if it is pinned on the left and the right.
• Take covers before flanks — a tile lying on top blocks one tile, while an end tile blocks a whole row.
• Look before spending a triple — with three identical birds free, one pairing usually opens more than the other.
• Use the width — the 800 by 450 layout puts much of the board on the outer edges, which is where the first easy pairs live.