Waterloo Chess Set Ideas

[Ithoriel]

From my teens to my 30s I played a huge amount of Chess, Go, Shogi and Mahjong but as time went on work/ family/ changing interests meant the circle of willing victims opponents dwindled and vanished.

I inherited my 1920's-era Mahjong set from my maternal grandfather and was gifted my Lewis Chess set and matching wooden board by my parents, as part of my university graduation present. There's something rather nice about playing with sets that have a special significance.

I like the idea of the resin and map for a board.

                                                                                                                   

[mmcv]

From my teens to my 30s I played a huge amount of Chess, Go, Shogi and Mahjong but as time went on work/ family/ changing interests meant the circle of willing victims opponents dwindled and vanished.

I inherited my 1920's-era Mahjong set from my maternal grandfather and was gifted my Lewis Chess set and matching wooden board by my parents, as part of my university graduation present. There's something rather nice about playing with sets that have a special significance.

I like the idea of the resin and map for a board.

                                                                                                                   

Yeah for sure, I'm mostly left playing digitally as physical opponents are rare, but there's something to be said for the tactile play of an actual set, even more so when there's some significance attached to it. I've only ever played the solitare Mahjong (again digitally), sounds like you had a broad exposure on such games growing up. I only really encountered chess (mostly through my dad) and drafts (through my grandad) and only really got into things like Backgammon and Go when I was older and found digital versions to learn from.

[FierceKitty]

Real mahjong has as much to do with the computer game as bridge does with patience. Misleading comparison, however, since bridge is a noble game of science and art hand-in-hand, while mahjong is like rummy, only for higher stakes and always noisier...oh, and with much more satisfying "cards". I have a local aunt-in-law who lost so much money at it a while ago she had to go into hiding for a year or two, and stole and popped quite a lot of the family resources.

Ithoriel: piccie of your set?

[Last Hussar]

Depends on the mah jong programme.  You can get proper games, but the AI tends to be weak.

[Techno II]

That's reminded me that I've got my parents' Mah Jong set.....In the attic ?...In one of the cupboards ?

I can remember playing it a handful of times, when I was young,  but not much more than it felt like playing 'Happy Families' ! (Well, the way I used to play it, it did......'Cos I'd always try and collect the dragons (?)......Or the winds (?).

...And we never seemed to use those 'money sticks'...Which I'm sure are really an integral part of the game.

Cheers - Phil

[Ithoriel]

Ithoriel: piccie of your set?

As requested

[mmcv]

That's lovely!

[FierceKitty]

That kind rattles most gratifyingly when you mix the tiles up.

[jimduncanuk]

That kind rattles most gratifyingly when you mix the tiles up.

The name Mah Jongg refers to the chittering of sparrows when you mix the tiles together.

[jimduncanuk]

As requested

Is that a full set Mike?

Looks like gaps in the trays.

[Ithoriel]

Is that a full set Mike?

Looks like gaps in the trays.

Yes Jim, it's a full set. The tiles, tray/box and rulebook all came from different sources.

The tiles are from an ex-China Station US marine who stayed with my grandparents in the late 1930's. He offered to pay for his stay. Knowing he was broke they said it was fine and his company was payment enough. He insisted they take the tiles as a thank you for their hospitality.

Grandad was a joiner (chippy) in the naval dockyard, at either Devonport or Chatham, at the time and working with a British-born lascar and mentioned the tiles and his complete lack of knowledge about the game. A few days later the lascar turned up with the rulebook and gave it to my grandfather.

The leather case and trays are intended for jewellery and were picked up second-hand after Grandad was transferred to Rosyth during WW2.

Such is the family story, anyway. But as my Grandfather said, more then once,"Family History, often a mystery!"

[paulr]

More than just family history embodied by those tiles

I've learnt a new word today, lascar

[Ithoriel]

More than just family history embodied by those tiles :-

I've learnt a new word today, lascar

Here's another then Paul, mistree, a lascar joiner/ carpenter.

Imagine my teenage confusion when my grandfather told me the rules were a gift from a mystery

On the gambling aspect, as a student I used to eat in a Chinese restaurant off Leith Walk where Chinese guys used to play Mahjong "No Limit." Not unusual to see cars, houses, restaurants and even a laundrette change hands!

[jimduncanuk]

I also heard that losing Mah Jongg gamblers who didn't pay their debts had a finger chopped off starting with a pinkie.