Selfdraw

Selfdraw is a term used in tile-based games, most notably Mahjong, to describe a win achieved by drawing the winning tile from the wall rather than claiming a discarded tile. The concept is often called tsumo in Japanese rule sets and zimo in Chinese contexts. A selfdraw win completes the hand with a tile drawn by the player themselves.

In practice, a selfdraw win typically results in the winner receiving points from all opponents, though the exact scoring depends on the variant and ruleset being used. Selfdraw interacts with the hand’s yaku (scoring patterns) and fu (miniplus scoring units) in ways that vary between versions of the game. Some rules emphasize the advantage of a selfdraw as a demonstration of tenacity, while others treat it as simply another legitimate path to victory.

Strategically, players weigh the option of pursuing a selfdraw against the risk of exposing their hand to opponents’ discards. Chasing a selfdraw can be lucrative if the hand already has sufficient yaku, or when defensive play makes discards risky for opponents. Conversely, aiming for a selfdraw can increase the chance of opponent pressure on the table, depending on the tile pool and discard flow.

Beyond Mahjong, the term selfdraw is rarely used outside gaming contexts. In general language, similar expressions such as “self-drawn artwork” describe drawings created by the artist themselves, distinct from collaborations or commissions.