Chi
By Kenji Tanaka · Updated
Definition
Chii claims the discard of the player on your left to complete a sequence, the only call that is position-restricted. It opens your hand, forfeiting riichi, menzen tsumo, and closed fu, so the standing advice is: no chii without a yaku plan, usually tanyao. Because only one seat can feed you, chii chances are scarcer than pon, and every one telegraphs part of your hand.
Chi
Chi (チー) is a call in mahjong that claims the immediately preceding player’s discard to complete a sequence (run of three consecutive numbered tiles). Unlike pon or kan, chi can only be called from the player directly to your left, making it the most positionally restricted call in the game.
Chi, explained
How Chi Works
When the player to your left (kamisha) discards a tile, you may call “chi” if that tile completes a sequence with two tiles in your hand. For example, if you hold 4-5 bamboo and the player to your left discards 3-bamboo or 6-bamboo, you can call chi to complete the 3-4-5 or 4-5-6 sequence.
You must declare chi immediately upon the discard, there’s no time to deliberate. Once called, you reveal the completed sequence face-up in front of you with the called tile rotated sideways to indicate it came from another player.
Positional Restriction
Chi’s unique restriction is that you can only call it from your kamisha (the player to your left). This limitation prevents chi from being overly disruptive and maintains the game’s flow. In contrast:
- Pon can be called from any player
- Kan can be called from any player
- Ron (winning call) can be called from any player
Strategic Implications
Speed vs. Value Trade-off: Chi opens your hand, making it visible to opponents and preventing certain menzen-only yaku (riichi, pinfu, ippatsu, tsumo). However, it accelerates hand completion by letting you claim needed tiles rather than waiting to draw them.
Yaku Compatibility: Some yaku lose value when opening: sanshoku and ittsu drop from 2 han to 1 han. Other yaku cannot be scored at all with an open hand. Before calling chi, consider whether the speed gain outweighs the scoring loss.
Defensive Considerations: Calling chi signals to opponents which tiles you need (and by extension, which tiles are safe to discard around you). This information leakage can be dangerous in competitive play.
Furiten and Chi
Note that furiten applies as normal after calling chi: if any tile in your final wait appears among your own discards, you cannot win by ron for as long as that wait stands.
Chi at the table
You hold 7-8 dots and are one tile away from tenpai. The player to your left discards 6-dots. You call “chi!” and reveal 6-7-8 dots face-up, with the 6 rotated sideways. Your hand is now open, and you’ve given up pinfu and riichi possibilities, but you’re one step closer to completing your hand. If you were building a low-value hand anyway, the speed trade-off is worth it.
Related Terms
Pon
ポン
Pon claims any player's discard to turn your pair into an open triplet, interrupting the turn order to do it. It is the fastest tool in the game and the easiest to misuse, since it opens your hand and kills riichi. Sound pon calls come with a purpose attached: a yakuhai tile, a toitoi plan, or a tanyao hand racing for a cheap finish.
Sequence
順子
A sequence (shuntsu) is three consecutive numbers in one suit, like 456 of bamboo. Only the numbered suits form them; honors never do. Sequences are the flexible backbone of most hands and of pinfu, sanshoku, and ittsu, completed from your own draws or by a chii from the left.
Naki
鳴き
Naki means calling: chii, pon, or kan on another player's discard. Calls buy speed and pay in value, since anything but a concealed kan opens the hand, forfeiting riichi, menzen tsumo, and closed fu. Chii comes only from your left; pon and kan from anywhere, jumping the turn order. The discipline is calling with a yaku and a plan, not just because a meld is available.