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Twenty players. One 17th-century house in the Loire Valley. Seven nights of American mahjong, played to NMJL rules, with long dinners in between.
American mahjong teacher
Linda grew up in Westchester, New York, keeping score at her mother's Tuesday-night game. She has taught American mahjong for more than twenty years, first at her local library and now at clubs from Palm Beach to Paris, and she has played in NMJL tournaments since the 1990s. She is patient with newcomers and ruthless at the table.
Retreat host
Julien was born in Saumur, twenty minutes from the chateau, and spent ten years as a sommelier before he started running house parties in the Loire. He picked up American mahjong at one of Linda's workshops in Paris. During the week he runs the tournaments, the timetable and the wine cellar.
Chateau de Jalesnes was built in the early 1600s. It still has its moat, a private chapel and a salon-library, and Dom Carlos of Portugal stayed here in 1879.
For one week the whole house is ours. Tables go up in the salons, dinner is in the dining room, and the gardens and vineyards are there between games.
Six full days of American mahjong on the new 2027 NMJL card. The three sessions of the Chateau Cup alternate with Partners, Siamese and Team tournaments, and Linda reviews the best hands along the way.
From people who learned on last year's card to those who have played weekly for decades. If you can play a hand from Charleston to mahjong, you're ready. Tables rotate, so everyone plays with everyone.
Companions share your room at the chateau and have their own programme of visits, walks and tastings.
Every room is a single by default, at no extra charge. Most guests come on their own.
Chateau Mahjong is an American mahjong retreat run by Leatherback Travel, the team behind The Classical Club. We have spent seven years running small-group trips built around a shared passion, almost 500 of them so far.
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