IORMC: Facts and Figures
What is the IORMC?
The International Online Riichi Mahjong Championship (IORMC) is an online competition organized by the Korean Mahjong League (KML) since 2012, with one precursor event in 2011. Originally held between East Asian countries (Korea, Japan, China, Russia), it has grown over the years to now encompass 21 countries in 2018.
How is the IORMC run?
The IORMC allows every country that applies to send one team of 4 players (along with some substitutes) to compete with players from other countries. Each country applying has the freedom to set its own criteria and processes for selecting their national representatives, a process that should nominally be done by the end of September or the beginning of October.
Where is the IORMC held?
The IORMC is held on the internet, in the Tenhou Championship lobbies (accessible on tenhou.net by specially inputting the tournament lobby code in the login page). The tournament is held at one specific time despite the difference in world time zones (11:00 UTC is before daybreak in western North America, and after sunset in East Asia). More information on the specific lobbies can be found on the websites of the KML and other participating nations.
When is it?
The main team event will be held on November 3rd, with the individual event showcasing the best individuals two weeks later on November 17th.
Why is the IORMC important to our readers?
This event is often a great way to showcase skills by participants from foreign countries to compete against other countries with a more developed player base. Some countries barely form a team, some have a very small selection taken, others have various methods for qualifying. Very few events have global intercontinental appeal, so it’s important to keep an eye on every single one out there. Qualifying competitions are also exciting to follow as well.
For more information, check out the IORMC website or stay tuned for future articles.