The recent surge in mahjong players holds promise for brain health, socialization
Fact checked by Derick Wilder
Click-clack. Click-clack. Click.
Five dot,” says one of four women sitting around a table at the South Barrington Club in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. She puts down a white mahjong tile.
“Eight dot,” says another, placing her own tile. Click.
These women, all retired, stare intensely at their mahjong game, as they do every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning after their water aerobics class.
After about 20 minutes, Ruth Abbate exclaims, “Mahjong!” She shows a winning line of tiles.
“Good for you!” Connie Vanni says. Across from her, Ruth Stennett reacts with surprise: “Already?”
The women put all 152 mahjong tiles back in the center to mix them for another game.
Mahjong originated in China in the 19th century, and playing regularly offers the kind of activity Erika Hutz, DO, a geriatrician with Endeavor Health, likes to see among older adults.
“It’s not just a game; it’s a full cognitive workout,” says Hutz, who picked up mahjong after learning that several of her patients played. “You’re using memory. You’re using pattern recognition. You have to use strategic thinking all at once.”
She says both Chinese and American versions of mahjong, which use similar tiles to build winning hands but differ in their rules and winning combinations, also have significant social benefits.
“Social isolation for older adults is as risky as smoking, and mahjong is [an] antidote,” Hutz says, adding that it builds routine and community. “You’re one of four people, so it also creates purpose because there’s a reason to show up. That group is counting on you.”
The Pepper Pot in Barrington regularly holds mahjong classes and open play sessions. Owner Crystal Pepper grew up hearing the click-clack of tiles every Friday night as family and friends gathered to play.
Pepper, who is Vietnamese but first learned a Filipino version of mahjong, says she’s taught the game to everyone from 4-year-olds to adults in their 80s.
She points out that mahjong gives people a chance to talk without the distraction of screens. They’re bonding over strategy and the tiles’ tactile beauty.
“It’s really cool to see how this game has tied so many people together who would never have met otherwise,” Pepper says. “When you have people who go through a journey to learn something a little more complex, that camaraderie is what keeps them coming back.”
Above photo from left: Ruth Stennett, Connie Vanni, Ruth Abbate and Sandy Heinze play mahjong three times a week at the South Barrington Club after their water aerobics classes. Photos by Erin Chan Ding
Originally published in the Fall 2026/Winter 2027 print issue.
Erin Chan Ding is a Chicago-area journalist and editor who writes about travel, fitness, trends, tech, and the intersection of race and identity.
