Mahjong Solitaire Strategy: 7 Tips to Clear the Board

Every deal on kawu can be cleared, so when you get stuck, a different order would have worked. These seven habits help you choose that order the first time. New to the game? Read the rules first.

1. Clear the top of tall stacks first

A tile on a high stack covers every tile beneath it. When you can choose between two pairs, take the one from the higher layer. In the Turtle layout, the single top tile and the 2×2 below it hold up the centre of the board.

2. Open long rows from the ends

A tile in the middle of a long row stays blocked until the row is opened from one end. Rows of 12 or 14 tiles are the slowest part of a game. Remove end tiles of long rows whenever it doesn't cost you anything elsewhere.

3. When all four are free, take them all

If you can see all four tiles of a kind, or both tiles of the last pair, remove them. Nothing can go wrong with them later, and they no longer get in the way.

4. With three free, choose carefully

When three tiles of a kind are free and the fourth is still buried, which two you take decides whether the last one can be matched. Leave free the tile that's easiest to reach later, usually the one that blocks nothing. Take the two that are holding other tiles up.

5. Watch for tiles that block their own partner

The classic dead end: a tile sits on top of its only remaining partner. It can't move until its partner is free, and its partner can't be free while it's there. If you see two of a kind in the same stack, free the lower one's partner from somewhere else first.

The same happens in a row: with "A B A B" left, only the two ends are free and they don't match. Avoid leaving matching pairs interleaved like that in one row.

6. Keep your options open

Before removing a pair, count how many new tiles it frees. A pair that frees two or three tiles is usually better than one that frees nothing. kawu's hint prefers pairs that lead to a full clear, and otherwise the pair that frees the most tiles.

7. Use undo and shuffles wisely

Undo has no limit and no penalty. When you get stuck, go back a few moves and try another pair from the same group. Save your three shuffles for when you really are stuck. Each shuffle shows up in your result.

Practise

Start with Garden: it's low, so you can see most of the tiles at once. Then try Turtle, the classic, and the daily board. Move on to Fortress when you can clear Turtle without hints. Learn the tiles in the tile guide and you'll spot matches much faster.

Last updated 2026-10-17