From 15–17 May 2026, players from across Europe gathered in Copenhagen for the MCR Danish Championship 2026, a three-day Mahjong Competition Rules (MCR) tournament that attracted 56 competitors representing ten countries. Hosted in Denmark’s capital under Mahjong Competition Rules, the event combined a strong international field with a warm Scandinavian atmosphere, producing one of the most competitive Nordic tournaments of the season and an excellent warm-up for the upcoming Open European Mahjong Championship.
At the end of the weekend, it was Italy’s Ombretta Tassinari who emerged victorious, claiming the Danish championship title with 32 points and a final mahjong score of 838. This marked her second championship title since 2019 and made her the first non-Danish player to win the tournament more than once.
The fight for the podium remained open until the final rounds. Switzerland's Thibaut Arnold finished in second place with 30 points and the tournament’s highest mahjong total of 1071, while Sweden's Ksenia Trishina secured third place, also on 30 points, thanks to a solid and consistent performance throughout the event.
The final top five standings were:
🥇 Ombretta Tassinari (Italy) – 32 points
🥈 Thibaut Arnold (Switzerland) – 30 points
🥉 Ksenia Trishina (Sweden) – 30 points
4. Eskild Middelboe (Denmark) – 28 points
5. Bibbi Zhang (Sweden) – 27 points
Denmark's own Eskild Middelboe delivered the strongest Danish result of the tournament with an impressive fourth-place finish, narrowly missing the podium after staying in contention throughout the weekend. He can now call himself Danish Champion.
The team competion was very close and exciting throughout the tournament. In the end the victorious team featured two podium players.
🥇 Lone Rangers: Thibaut Arnold (CH), Ksenia Trishina (SE), Henrik Leth (DK), Bernard Ang (SG).
🥈 The Pungtastic Four: Oliver Hölscher (DE), Katarzyna Chabelska (PL), Vasile Gherman (FR), Michał Łepik (PL) after a very solid permance on the last day of the tournament bringing them from 6th position to 2nd .
🥉 Wu Tong Clan: Eskild Middelboe (DK), Simon Yuan (CH), Jack Main (NL), Lili Li (SE) who advanced from a 7th position all the way to the podium during the last day of the tournament.
The championship welcomed players from ten represented countries: Sweden, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Russia.
Sweden brought the largest delegation with 22 players, followed by Denmark with 8 and France with 7. The diversity of the field highlighted the continued growth of competitive mahjong communities across Europe and beyond.
The referees of the tournament, Jeppe Stig Nielsen and Sebastian Lavallée reported only minor incidents and very few referees calls apart from broken pens or check of the scoreboard.
The MCR Danish Championship 2026 demonstrated the strength and attraction of the Danish mahjong scene. Copenhagen once again proved to be an excellent host city for international competition, attracting experienced European players while also giving local competitors the opportunity to test themselves against top-level opposition.
With a MERS value of 4.5 and a highly international player base, the tournament further strengthened Denmark’s position on the European Mahjong Association calendar.
For many participants, the weekend was about more than rankings and trophies. The event showcased the social side of mahjong: long evenings of social play, international friendships, and the shared passion that continues to drive the European tournament scene forward.
As the 2026 season continues, the performances in Copenhagen are likely to influence both EMA rankings and expectations for upcoming championships across Europe.
Next year Copenhagen will again host a 3-day tournament with 11 MCR sessions in the Ascension Day weekend.