2014 World Riichi Championship

2014 World Riichi Championship

WRC logo
Location	Puteaux, France
Host	Tri Nitro Tiles
Date	July 16-20, 2014
Type	World championship
Player count	120 players
Finalists
Champion	Hiroshi Yamai
Runner up	Kazuhiko Nishijima
Third	Jun Nishikawa
Fourth	Noriyuki Kiriyama

The 2014 World Riichi Championship was a Japanese mahjong tournament, held during July 16-20, 2014 in Puteaux, France at the Puteaux City Hall. The tournament features invites from various nations across the globe. It is the first World Riichi Championship held. The winner of the event, and the first World Champion is Hiroshi Yamai.

The vast majority of the competition consisted of players from the European Mahjong Association and those from Japan. Invites were sent to other countries, namely the United States, Canada, China, and Korea. Spots were reserved for "rest of the world" as well; four players from Singapore and Australia (two each) took the opportunity to participate. In total, the tournament featured a field of 120 players.

The concept of a world championship was presented by Martin Rep. The French riichi club Tri Nitro Tiles (TNT) offered to hold the tournament in Puteaux, near Paris, France. This proposal was accepted by the EMA, JPML, USPML and FFMJ.

Rule modifications

A special World Riichi Rules rulebook was created for the championship. It attempts to strike a balance between the EMA rules and contemporary Japanese rules. Rules different to at least one of those include

• Kuitan ari
• Akadora nashi
• Atamahane ari
• 30000 point start, tobi nashi
• Oka nashi ("30000 point return")
• Negative score does not end the game
• 15/5 Uma
• Kuikae nashi
• Tochuu ryuukyoku nashi
• Agari yame nashi
• Nagashi mangan nashi
• Kazoe yakuman nashi
• Multiple yakuman nashi
• False pon/kan/chi call results in dead hand
• Chombo is 20 points deducted from the overall score of the player. It does not effect the current game, other than forcing a reshuffle and redealing of the tiles.
• 1000 point penalties for use of alternative terminology, such as Chinese terms.
• 90 minute time limit applied

Tournament format

Preliminaries	Round of 32	Quarterfinal	Semifinal	Final
Prelim All players 8 hanchan Top 32 qualify to the knockout rounds	Rank 1-32 2 hanchan	Rank 1-16 2 hanchan	Rank 1-8 2 hanchan	Rank 1-4 2 hanchan
			Rank 9-16 2 hanchan
		17-32 2 hanchan	Rank 17-24 2 hanchan
			Rank 25-32 2 hanchan
	Rank 33-120 6 hanchan

The tournament consists of 14 hanchan played by every participant, plus a 2 hanchan final played by the top 4. The first 8 hanchan are held in a standard cumulative score tournament format, with every player playing a total of 24 different opponents. After the initial 8 hanchan, the top 32 scorers advance to the playoff bracket. The remaining 88 continued to play another 6 cumulative score hanchan to decide their final placements in the 88-120 range. These scores do not reset from the initial 8 hanchan.

In the playoffs, the players are seeded into tables of 4 based on their previous round performance. Progressing into the knockout brackets, previous scores aren't taken into account otherwise. Each table plays 2 hanchan together, and the two best players advance to the upper playoff group, while the bottom two fall to the lower group. This is repeated for the quarterfinals and semifinals. After the semifinals, players are ranked from 5 to 31 based on their semifinal round results. Placements are shared; for example, the two players ranked 21st are those who placed 3rd in the 17-24 group of the semifinal round. Those who placed 1st or 2nd in the uppermost semifinal group will play two final hanchan to decide their exact placement and the championship.

Preliminaries and round robin

AUS	AUT	CAN	CHN	CZE	DEN	FIN	FRA	GER	ITA	JPN	NED	POL	RUS	SIN	SVK	KOR	ESP	SWE	SUI	UK	UKR	USA
2	4	1	5	2	6	3	7	5	1	45	6	3	4	2	3	1	1	2	1	7	1	9

Player list					Preliminary results									Round robin results
#	Last name	First name	Club	Country	H1	H2	H3	H4	H5	H6	H7	H8	Rank H8	RRFinal	End Rank
107	Adams	Ryan	Panhandle Mahjong	USA		-14.0		-36.8		-6.7		-31.8	73	-29.2	72
67	Andersen	Morten		DEN		42.5		99.6		94.7		55.7	30		To QF
12	Aoi	Yurika	JPML	JPN		-4.2		3.4		-4.2		-18.4	66	19.4	60
2	Ara	Masayoshi	JPML	JPN		57.7		112.3		78.5		77.3	19		To QF
110	Ayllon	Antonio		ESP		-34.1		-28.1		63.2		5.1	53	41.1	53
103	Barr	Jenn	JPML	USA		-66.3		-78.8		-102.0		-124.0	112	-153.3	103
96	Bielby	Philip		UK		-77.7		-72.6		-95.1		-130.0	113	13.7	62
59	Bogdanov	Vladimir		RUS		-22.5		-100.0		13.8		-38.7	77	-34.3	73
105	Bresnick	David	USPML	USA		18.6		-22.5		-24.9		-35.9	76	29.0	58
89	Broers	Eveline		NED		38.1		61.7		26.1		-14.0	62	-69.8	84
111	Campina	Nicolas		FRA		36.5		44.7		34.5		15.6	50	193.9	33
48	Cesarini	Daniele		ITA		-9.8		30.3		-28.2		-58.9	89	-98.2	82
43	Cheo	Kae jer		SIN		-26		-97.6		-108.0		-85.5	99	-116.3	97
38	Cho	Toshimasa	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		49.9		38.0		156.4		191.9	3		To QF
39	Cho	Yoon-jeong		KOR		28.9		17.8		37.5		-30.6	72	-1.7	67
82	Christensen	Tina		DEN		-32.7		-42.9		-63.3		-67.0	94	-102.1	94
113	Collinge	Gemma	JPML	UK		-84.3		-78.1		-104.0		-93.3	103	-290.1	114
119	Clarke	David		UK		-41.4		-115.0		-150		-112.0	110	-180.8	107
108	Dedieu	Jean-marc		FRA		-6.5		-4.7		-39.1		-79.0	96	-10	68
58	Dedikov	Sergey		RUS		35.4		37.1		10.8		29.5	41	12.3	64
116	Divis	Martin		CZE		-5.5		-11.3		-47.8		-61.3	91	-54.4	79
118	Duckworth	John		UK		18.7		21.4		3.0		54.4	32		To QF
54	Duhaut	Senechal	Club Riichi de Montréal	CAN		-46.0		-41.3		-138.0		-133.0	114	-97.1	90
73	Ea	Anthony		FRA		27.5		20.7		-9.5		48.3	35	-119.5	99
36	Erentsov	Oleg		RUS		-13.2		-13.8		-49.1		-40.7	79	-94.0	88
78	Eschenburg	Axel		GER		-22.2		26.5		79.6		58.4	28		To QF
93	Francks	Zachary	Seattle Riichi Mahjong Club	USA		-7.1		29.6		87.2		87.6	18		To QF
15	Fujisaki	Satoshi	JPML	JPN		-4.8		2.3		11.3		42.2	37	54.8	46
18	Fujiwara	Takahiro	JPML	JPN		-35.6		11.4		65.5		66.3	25		To QF
25	Furuhashi	Takashi	JPML	JPN		-25.0		-12.9		-59.3		-34.1	75		SUB
94	Germeys	Jasper		SWE		-27.7		-92.7		-80.2		-89.7	101	-117.4	98
32	Grishin	Victor		RUS		-22.6		-6.2		6.3		38.4	38	54.0	47
95	Haley	Tony		UK		2.6		-41.9		-39.3		-138.0	115	-284.1	113
74	Hanssen	Henrik		GER		20.3		5.2		-70.7		-66.8	93	-113.5	96
81	Heemskerk	Désirée		NED		-50.2		-89.5		-58.6		-81.4	98	-79.0	85
68	Humbert	Luc		SUI		-39.7		-113.0		-143.0		-173.0	118	-227.9	112
55	Ide	Kohei	JPML	JPN		-26.3		-63.7		-9.2		-54.1	88	11.1	66
28	Iga	Norio	JPML	JPN		-7.1		-19.7		-15.4		55.4	31		To QF
6	Ito	Yuko	JPML	JPN		46.3		45.2		65.2		12.7	52	17.3	61
86	Ivanov	Maksym		UKR		-25.0		-19.9		-24.8		-47.3	84	-51.1	78
69	Iversen	Kim		DEN		-49.9		-27.6		-0.5		-6.8	59	-97.6	91
16	Izumi	Yukiko	JPML	JPN		-29.7		-5.0		-28.0		45.7	36	88.1	40
79	Jergus	Juraj		SVK		-25.6		-96.3		-150.0		-78.7	95	-224.9	111
35	Kajita	Ryoichi	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		-54.0		-114.0		-94.0		-102.0	107	-63.8	82
46	Kakigi	Kentaro	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		-31.1		8.0		28.6		-11.0	60	-45.0	77
85	Kal	Harry		NED		-15.3		-55.6		-149.0		-202.0	119	-305.8	115
50	Kihara	Koichi	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		29.7		21.6		-0.6		-24.9	69	83.6	41
57	Kiriyama	Noriyuki	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		23.3		53.9		69.0		103.5	15		To QF
61	Koenig	Nadine		GER		-12.4		28.5		21.4		24.9	44	-12.1	69
7	Kojima	Takeo	JPML	JPN		12.3		-46.3		-65.5		-38.8	78	-91.4	87
87	Kolenda	Dominik	Polish League of Mahjong	POL		18.7		29.1		13.7		22.3	47	51.2	49
23	Kuroki	Masao	JPML	JPN		72.1		24.7		86.9		109.9	11		To QF
100	Lensu	Konsta		FIN		-8.8		-8.0		43.3		25.1	43	74.2	43
120	Lester	Martin		UK		12.1		10.3		-15.3		-29.4	71	-56.5	80
70	Leth	Henrik		DEN		-7.8		35.4		21.8		61.0	27		To QF
33	Li	Wenlong		CHN		-10.2		43.2		27.0		71.5	23		To QF
75	Meischel	Martin		AUT		-47.7		-81.9		-123.0		-104.0	109	-182	108
102	Moreno	Daniel	Texas Mahjong	USA		-50.2		-86.6		-59.8		-47.8	85	-43.5	76
8	Maehara	Yudai	JPML	JPN		-36.9		102.0		147.7		221.0	2		To QF
63	Marko	Michal		SVK		-35.0		-30.0		-64.5		-50.2	86	-43.3	75
13	Mito	Ryosuke	JPML	JPN		51.8		67.0		59.4		22.9	46	11.7	65
11	Miyauchi	Kozue	JPML	JPN		70.1		35.3		63.4		136.9	5		To QF
1	Moriyama	Shigekazu	JPML	JPN		-42.3		-47.3		-54.8		-13.9	61	50.8	50
56	Nah	Joseph		SIN		-16.6		-28.5		-0.7		30.2	40	72.5	44
4	Nakamura	Tsuyoshi	JPML	JPN		-25.7		35.7		46.9		-15.6	64	29.5	56
106	Nelson	Garthe	JPML	USA		111.6		88.5		48.4		50.7	33	161.6	34
34	Nikaido	Aki	JPML	JPN		7.9		53.3		79.8		68.4	24		To QF
47	Nikaido	Rumi	JPML	JPN		25.4		53.3		87.8		102.2	16		To QF
14	Nishijima	Kazuhiko	JPML	JPN		63.7		77.9		125.5		128.8	6		To QF
31	Nishikawa	Jun	JPML	JPN		43.4		97.0		139.6		123.8	9		To QF
84	Nøhr	Jesper		DEN		64.9		119.0		85.3		119.6	10		To QF
9	Ogasahara	Nao	JPML	JPN		7.0		-5.5		-54.2		-15.3	63		SUB
77	Oorschot van	Gerda		NED		-48.6		-98.9		-92.1		-60.7	90	-128.9	101
49	Osaki	Hatsune	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		-19.3		36.4		53.1		57.1	29		To QF
92	Osipov	Kirill		FIN		-55.5		-20.0		-72.2		-100.0	105	-164.5	105
109	Pernicova	Radka		CZE		-9.0		18.7		-33.2		-63.4	92	-194.9	109
117	Poilleux	Nicolas		FRA		53.3		-13.4		47.5		24.5	45	-69.3	83
91	Porcherot	Quentin		FRA		37.7		20.2		-25.8		4.4	54	-27	71
45	Qiu	Charles	The ChomBro's	AUS		-14.5		-46.2		-42.7		-21.3	68	-81.1	86
99	Raittila	Anne-mari		FIN		35.6		51.1		58.9		62.3	26		To QF
65	Reisinger	Manuel		AUT		-21.8		-22.2		-49.9		-93.0	102	-101.3	93
90	Rep	Martin		NED		0.1		-63.9		-90.9		-148.0	116	-218.9	110
115	Robison	Aidan		UK		21.3		65.3		111.2		124.6	8		To QF
88	Rostved	Frank		DEN		-59.7		-111.0		-118		-41.6	80	44.5	52
98	Rossard	Antoine		FRA		-11.9		-8.7		-10.2		37.1	39	121.8	36
30	Sarukawa	Masatoshi	JPML	JPN		-36.4		-16.7		-8.4		-20.2	67	52.5	48
22	Sasaki	Hisato	JPML	JPN		13.3		34.6		122.6		128.0	7		To QF
20	Sawazaki	Makoto	JPML	JPN		12.3		10.3		57.2		18.1	48	34.2	55
112	Scheyer	Allon	USPML	USA		70.9		58.1		62.7		105.6	13		To QF
51	Setokuma	Naoki	JPML	JPN		-33.4		-3.8		-39.1		-42.5	82	28.0	59
52	Sherry	Darryn	The ChomBro's	AUS		-36.4		-29.1		-40.9		-79.5	97	-162.0	104
60	Song	Panjing		CHN		59.2		28.5		-67.9		-42.2	81	-146.5	102
72	Stummeyer	Ilka		GER		-20.3		-67.0		-86.7		-104.0	108	-106.0	95
26	Sugiura	Kansuke	JPML	JPN		32.9		74.2		69.8		26.0	42	142.1	35
5	Takamiya	Mari	JPML	JPN		45.3		26.3		89.3		74.1	22		To QF
27	Takizawa	Kazunori	JPML	JPN		-0.6		-25.0		10.0		15.9	49	40.9	54
3	Tezuka	Sakiku	JPML	JPN		-4.1		-51.8		-5.7		2.8	55	29.5	57
29	Tokuda	Kenneth	JPML	JPN		-31.2		-39.0		-26.7		-50.3	87		SUB
41	Tomotake	Masaharu	JPML	JPN		26.9		54.1		13.2		76.8	20		To QF
42	Tomozoe	Toshiyuki	JPML	JPN		-16.9		-9.5		-12.4		-4.6	58	46.2	51
104	Tranvouez	Gwenael		FRA		-16.1		34.4		17.3		-32.9	74	-34.6	74
10	Tsukie	Ikuko	JPML	JPN		-52.1		-55.2		-111.0		-166.0	117		SUB
17	Uotani	Yumi	JPML	JPN		87.0		98.3		91.2		104.7	14		To QF
62	Van der Linden	Pauline		NED		22.8		-22.9		37.3		-16.9	65	12.4	63
114	Vuyou	Joe	USPML	USA		-60.0		-120.0	DQ	DQ	DQ	DQ	120		SUB
19	Wang	Zhengfang	JPML	JPN		12.5		-30.4		-46.3		-95.0	104	62.4	45
76	Wankmuller	Alexander		AUT		-25.8		-56.3		-85.5		-101.0	106	-95.1	89
53	Wei	Wei		CHN		-16.4		-2.0		33.1		-1.2	56	93.0	39
64	Weinguny	Lena		AUT		-15.0		-34.9		-78.9		-117.0	111	-57.8	81
80	Woźniak	Mateusz	Polish League of Mahjong	POL		-4.1		1.5		16.2		48.8	34	82.0	42
37	Wu	Huan		CHN		-12.2		25.5		0.1		15.0	51	101.4	37
21	Yamada	Hiroyuki	JPML	JPN		85.8		107.8		141.5		106.6	12		To QF
44	Yamai	Hiroshi	JPML	JPN		44.9		69.7		113.9		179.9	4		To QF
97	Ye	Anders		SWE		27.5		-16.4		-80.4		-86.8	100	-120	100
40	Yonesaki	Nagi	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		21.9		40.5		18.6		-1.9	57	96.8	38
24	Yoshida	Yukio	JPML	JPN		7.9		53.3		67.2		96.7	17		To QF
83	Zahradnik	Michael		GER		24.6		20.7		26.5		75.2	21		To QF
101	Zamora	Shane	Seattle Riichi Mahjong Club	USA		-43.4		-77.2		-65.7		-46.3	83	-25.0	70
71	Široň	Tomáš		SVK		-0.1		7.4		-48.9		-28.6	70	-164.5	105
66	Żuk	Bartosz	Polish League of Mahjong	POL		67.6		124.7		201.4		252.9	1		To QF

Knockout rounds

Round of 32 matchups

The top 3.

Table 1	Table 2	Table 3	Table 4	Table 5	Table 6	Table 7	Table 8
E,S,W,N	E,S,W,N	E,S,W,N	E,S,W,N	E,S,W,N	E,S,W,N	E,S,W,N	E,S,W,N
Hanchan 1
66,31,44,17	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example
Hanchan 2
Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example	Example

Results

	Champion
	Runnerup
	Third place
	Fourth place
	Semifinalist
	Quarterfinalist

Player list					Knockout rounds
#	Last name	First name	Club	Country	Ro32-1	Ro32-2	QF1	QF2	SF1	SF2	Final1	Final2	Round	Rank
67	Andersen	Morten		DEN		-16.7		-41.3					32	31
2	Ara	Masayoshi	JPML	JPN		57.2		22.9					SF	7
38	Cho	Toshimasa	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		-31.9		44.9					32	17
118	Duckworth	John		UK		27.3		22.1					SF	5
78	Eschenburg	Axel		GER		-13.6		22.3					32	23
93	Francks	Zachary	Seattle Mahjong	USA		-24.6		-41.9					32	29
18	Fujiwara	Takahiro		JPN		5.4		29.6					32	17
28	Iga	Norio	JPML	JPN		24.4		27.4					SF	7
57	Kiriyama	Noriyuki	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		20.4		4.0					F	4
23	Kuroki	Masao	JPML	JPN		3.0		-51.9					QF	13
70	Leth	Henrik		DEN		0.0		53.2					32	21
33	Li	Wenlong		CHN		26.4		-22.6					QF	11
8	Maehara	Yudai	JPML	JPN		-40.2		70.9					32	23
11	Miyauchi	Kozue	JPML	JPN		4.5		-23.5					QF	13
34	Nikaido	Aki	JPML	JPN		9.5		-19.3					QF	15
47	Nikaido	Rumi	JPML	JPN		-55.7		-27.4					32	29
14	Nishijima	Kazuhiko	JPML	JPN		31.3		17.5					F	2
31	Nishikawa	Jun	JPML	JPN		15.0		13.9					F	3
84	Nøhr	Jesper		DEN		-5.7		20.4					32	19
49	Osaki	Hatsune	Saikouisen Nihon Pro Mahjong	JPN		-3.9		23.8					32	19
99	Raittila	Anne-mari		FIN		-57.3		29.6					32	21
115	Robison	Aidan		UK		-29.9		-13.9					32	31
22	Sasaki	Hisato	JPML	JPN		36.6		-2.2					QF	9
112	Scheyer	Allon	USPML	USA		-77.6		-84.1					32	25
5	Takamiya	Mari	JPML	JPN		-34.3		-70.5					32	25
41	Tomotake	Masaharu	JPML	JPN		41.5		18.7					SF	5
17	Uotani	Yumi	JPML	JPN		-8.6		-17					QF	11
21	Yamada	Hiroyuki	JPML	JPN		22.4		6.9					QF	9
44	Yamai	Hiroshi	JPML	JPN		40.0		23.8					F	1
24	Yoshida	Yukio	JPML	JPN		-30.5		12.2					32	27
83	Zahradnik	Michael		GER		-13.3		-20.8					32	27
66	Żuk	Bartosz	Polish League of Mahjong	POL		58.9		-20.7					QF	15

Summary of results by country

As there is no official rankings by country available, the table below is presenting the best, average, median and worst scores, as well as a composite score (the average of all four). Players placing equally with another player are ranked as a half-rank lower, in order to maintain statistical comparability. As an example, the best European player, John Duckworth, is counted as being at rank 5.5 and not 5.

WRC venue and tables.

Statistical averages based on player final rankings

Country	Best	Average	Median	Worst	Composite
Poland	15.50	35.50	42.00	49.00	35.50
Japan †	1.00	36.51	40.00	119.00	49.13
China	11.50	47.38	38.00	102.00	49.72
Denmark	19.50	49.83	41.75	94.00	51.27
Spain	53.00	53.00	53.00	53.00	53.00
Finland	21.50	56.50	43.00	105.00	56.50
Germany	23.50	62.20	69.00	96.00	62.68
United States ‡	25.50	58.50	64.00	103.00	62.75
South Korea	67.00	67.00	67.00	67.00	67.00
France	33.00	66.29	71.00	99.00	67.32
Russia	47.00	68.00	68.50	88.00	67.88
United Kingdom	5.50	73.29	80.00	114.00	68.20
Singapore	44.00	70.50	70.50	97.00	70.50
Ukraine	78.00	78.00	78.00	78.00	78.00
Italy	82.00	82.00	82.00	82.00	82.00
Canada	90.00	90.00	90.00	90.00	90.00
Netherlands	63.00	93.00	93.00	115.00	91.00
Austria	81.00	92.75	91.00	108.00	92.19
Czech Republic	79.00	94.00	94.00	109.00	94.00
Australia	86.00	95.00	95.00	104.00	95.00
Slovakia	75.00	97.00	105.00	111.00	97.00
Sweden	98.00	99.00	99.00	100.00	99.00
Switzerland	112.00	112.00	112.00	112.00	112.00

Notes: † Japan's score is counting the four pros who retired as placing 116th though 119th. ‡ The United States is counted as having 8 participants, excluding a player who was unable to attend.

External links

• Rules
• Seeding and initial table arrangements
• Stream
• Osamuko report
• Nihon Pro at WRC
• Picture archive
• Results to ranks 33-120
• Finalist groups
• Final ranking 1-32

Mondo TV

• Video 1
• Video 2