Menorah Mahjong Solitaire
About the Menorah Layout
The Menorah board is built around symmetry: a central vertical stem rising from a flat, stable base, with curved branches arcing up and outward on each side to form a row of candle holders across the top. The arms mirror each other left and right, sweeping out and then up so the holders line up in an even row at the crown, just like a traditional Hanukkah lamp. The result is a tall, balanced, architectural silhouette with a strong spine and graceful sweeping curves.
At four out of five this is the hardest board in the batch and the most structurally demanding. The thin curved branches mean tiles are strung along narrow arcs where each one tends to support the next, so the order you clear them in really matters. The central stem and the base stack deep where everything converges. The board has a stately, ceremonial feel, but it rewards planning over speed, asking you to keep both mirrored sides moving in step.
Difficulty: Expert (4/5) | Tiles: 64
How to Clear the Menorah Layout
Start at the candle holders along the top. The row of holders at the crown are the highest, most exposed tiles on the board, with open sides and nothing resting above them. Picking off the tops of the arms first is the safest way to begin loosening the curved branches.
Work the branches downward and in matched pairs across the symmetry. Each arm is a slim arc where tiles chain into one another, so clear from the outer tip of a branch back toward the stem, and try to mirror your moves on the opposite arm. Keeping the two sides balanced prevents one arc from locking while the other is wide open, which is the most common way this board stalls.
The crux is the junction where every branch meets the central stem. That convergence point is the deepest, most boxed-in part of the layout because all the arms plus the spine pile up there. Do not drive into the stem until the branches feeding it are mostly gone, or you will strand tiles at the join. Treat the branch tips as the keys that unlock the center.
For the endgame, the stem and base are last. Clear top-down so the final tiles end up on the broad, open base rather than pinned under the converging arms. Given the tight curves, a lockup is more likely here than on rounder boards, so use Shuffle without hesitation if a branch jams; it re-deals the remaining tiles into a fresh solvable arrangement.
The Story Behind the Menorah Layout
The menorah is among the oldest symbols in continuous use, described in the Hebrew Bible as a seven-branched lampstand and later adapted for Hanukkah as the nine-branched hanukkiah, lit one additional flame each night to mark the festival of lights. Its balanced, branching form has been carved, minted, and painted for over two thousand years.
That perfect bilateral symmetry is exactly what makes it such a rewarding Mahjong shape. The mirrored arms invite you to play both sides in tandem, the curved branches create genuinely tricky support chains, and the converging stem gives the board a real puzzle at its heart. It turns a symbol of light and patience into a layout that asks for both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Menorah rated four out of five?
Its tiles run along thin curved branches where each one tends to prop up the next, so clearing order matters far more than on a solid shape. The arms all converge on a deep central stem, creating a tight, easily blocked junction that demands planning.
What is the best way to handle the symmetric arms?
Mirror your moves. Clear each branch from its outer tip back toward the stem, and keep both sides progressing together. If you empty one arc while the other stays full, the board is much more likely to lock at the join.
Where do tiles get stuck on this board?
At the junction where the branches meet the central stem. Everything converges and stacks there, so it is the most boxed-in spot. Clear the branches that feed into it first, then break into the stem, and finish on the open base.
If I deadlock on the Menorah, is the game lost?
No. Every deal is generated backwards from a solved board, so a full solution always exists. Because the curved branches make lockups more common here than on rounder shapes, use the Shuffle button freely to re-deal the remaining tiles into another solvable layout.
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