Mahjong Solitaire guide: free tiles and useful pairs
Matching faces are only half the decision. Both tiles must be free, and the best pair is often the one that opens access to more of the layered board.
Back to the game →Check both conditions for a free tile
A tile is free if no tile overlaps it from above and at least one horizontal side is open. Both left and right sides do not need to be open. A visible face can still be covered or blocked.
Remove two free matching tiles to clear the board. This is layered Mahjong Solitaire, so there is no two-turn connecting-path rule. A route drawn between two faces does not make a blocked tile playable.
Know which faces form a pair
Most tiles must match the same face. Flowers are a family: any flower can pair with another flower. Seasons also match within their family. A flower does not pair with a season simply because both are special tiles.
Before committing, inspect all free copies of that face. If three or four are available, compare the tiles each possible pair would uncover. Two pairs that look identical by face may have very different effects on access.
Worked example: the middle tile is blocked
The diagram shows three adjacent tiles at the same height with nothing above them. The left tile has an open left side; the right tile has an open right side. The middle tile has neighbors on both sides and is blocked.
If the two outer tiles match, removing them opens the middle tile. If a tile were placed on top of that middle tile, clearing its sides alone would not free it. Check the upper layers and horizontal neighbors separately.
Same height, no tiles above
Prefer pairs that release bottlenecks
Compare a pair on an exposed edge with a pair blocking a long row or covering other tiles. Removing the latter may create more choices. High stacks and narrow passages deserve attention because a single blocked tile can hide several future matches.
Avoid removing an accessible pair automatically when one copy is needed to free a matching tile underneath a different stack. Look at the dependencies you can see. You cannot infer every hidden face, so treat this as planning rather than a guarantee that every deal will be solved.
Use help to understand the next choice
A hint identifies a playable pair; it does not necessarily establish a complete winning sequence. Before taking it, check what the pair opens. If a move leaves you with fewer useful options, undo can help compare the alternatives.
Shuffle rearranges remaining faces and changes the position you are analyzing. Use it when needed, then scan the board again rather than following your old plan. For a steady routine, check covers, open sides, matching families and finally the access gained by removal.