Out of China came two strategy games that have gained world wide appeal. These are the games of "GO" and "Mah-Jong".
Go originated in ancient China more than 2,500 years ago, and although it is not known exactly when the game was invented, by the 3rd century BC it was already a popular pastime. Go is a strategic board game for two players, it is noted for being rich in strategic complexity despite its simple rules. The game is played by two players who alternately place black and white stones on the vacant intersections of a grid of 19×19 lines, though boards of 9×9 or 13×13 are often used for casual games. The object of the game is to control a larger portion of the board than the opponent. The rules and techniques for playing Go can be found at Pandanet or at this Interactive site. Possibly this might be a group for our U3A in the future.
Mah-Jong involves skill, strategy, and calculation, as well as a certain degree of luck (depending on the variation played, luck can be anything from a minor to a dominant factor in winning). The game originated in 19th century China and has proved hugely popular there still, but is now played all over the world and indeed online. In the game we play, with 3-4 players, the tiles are first built into a four sided wall, representing the Great Wall of China. Then 13 tiles are dealt to each player from this wall, starting at a place determined by the throw of dice. The first player, known as East Wind, gets an extra tile and starts the game by discarding an unwanted tile. On their turn, each player draws a tile and discards one, with the goal of making four or five melds (also depending on the variation) and one pair, or "head". Winning comes "on the draw" by drawing a new or discarded tile that completes the hand. Thus, a winning hand actually contains fourteen tiles. The basic game with an explanation and basic rules is very well described by the Peterborough U3A Mah-Jong group and is as set out by the British Mah-Jong Association (BMJA).