Sichuan vs Taiwanese
Sichuan and Taiwanese sit at opposite ends of casual Chinese mahjong. Sichuan strips the game down: no honors, no chi calls, smaller hand, fast rounds. Taiwanese goes the other way: bigger hand (17 tiles), all tile types in play, more strategic options.
Pung-only, no honors, mandatory missing-suit. The fastest variant in widespread play.
5 melds plus a pair instead of 4 — bigger hands, faster draws.
Sichuan vs Taiwanese — every axis
| Axis | Sichuan | Taiwanese |
|---|---|---|
| Hand size | 14 tiles | 17 tiles (5 melds + pair) |
| Chi call (claim chow from discard)? | Not allowed — but in-hand chows still legal | Allowed |
| Honor tiles | Removed | Full set |
| Missing-suit rule | Mandatory | None |
| Scoring math | Exponential (2^fan) | Linear tai × table rate |
| Pattern count | ~20 patterns | ~13 tai |
| Round speed | 5-10 minutes | 15-20 minutes |
| Flowers | Not used | Central scoring element |
| Where played | Sichuan/Chongqing, mainland CN mobile | Taiwan, Fujian, Hokkien diaspora |
Strengths
- •Tightest constraint set in mahjong — strategy is razor-sharp
- •Fast rounds suit short attention spans / mobile play
- •Easy to teach to beginners (fewer rules)
- •Massive Chinese mobile app ecosystem
- •Largest hand size makes for richer hand-building puzzles
- •Flowers add a strategic layer Sichuan ignores
- •Tai scoring converts directly to fixed-rate money
- •Standard at Taiwanese family tables
Which should you play?
Pick Sichuan if you want fast, tight, mobile-friendly mahjong. Pick Taiwanese if you grew up with the 17-tile hand structure, or you want a more leisurely strategic experience with flowers in play.
Common questions
Why are the hand sizes so different?+
Taiwanese added a 5th meld at some point in its evolution — a regional rule that stuck. Sichuan kept the standard 14-tile structure but added other constraints (no chi calls, missing suit) to differentiate. Neither is the 'original' size — both are evolutions of older Chinese mahjong.
Can someone who plays Taiwanese pick up Sichuan?+
The no-chi-calls constraint is the biggest jump — Taiwanese players are used to claiming chows from discards. Most players adapt within a few games (in-hand chows are still legal, just slower to build). The missing-suit rule takes a bit longer to internalize.