Iishanten

Iishanten is the state of the hand, where one tile is needed to achieve tenpai. This is the closest state of a hand to tenpai.

Main four types

The four types are based on the possible configurations regarding complete and incomplete tile groups.

Yojouhai

Kanzen iishanten

Kanzen iishanten or complete iishanten describes when all tiles in the hand are contributing to the iishanten (as opposed to Yojouhai iishanten above, which has a floating tile). A perfect iishanten is a special type of complete iishanten that guarantees a ryanmen wait.

Atamanai

Atamanai or headless is a shape, where the hand lacks a pair. Ideal shapes would involve four tiles forming two ryanmen each. If either of the ryanmen completes, then the hand becomes tenpai with a tanki. Otherwise, any of the four tiles can pair up.

With an ankou in the hand, the above shape becomes even more advantageous. The completion of either of the ryanmen can bring about pinfu by discarding one tile from the ankou and use the remaining two as the pair.

Kutsuki

Chiitoitsu

Main article: Chiitoitsu

Chiitoitsu achieves 1-shanten, when the developing hand is at five pairs. That potentially leaves three individual tiles waiting to be paired. At least one of the tiles could be occupied as part of a triplet, which actually reduces possible pairing tiles down to two.

Kokushi musou

Main article: Kokushi musou

External links

• 【麻雀】上がりを増やす！イーシャンテンの秘密【初心者向け講座】 (YouTube)

Video covering iishanten shapes