Changing outcome of games ..

I'd like to make a suggestion. It would be great if we could be able to
take off a move, or to go back to a particular move in a game and
restart from there, if the opponent agrees. There might be something
around to do this, but I haven't seen it. I have two reasons for
suggesting this:

1) You might be playing a good/equal opponent, and it be a really
good challenging game from both sides. And you or your opponent
make a really stupid foobar move. From that perspective, a win
doesn't mean so much, it would be a lot more stimulating game to let
that move pass. Not to be used too often in this situation though --
you got to take your lumps sometimes!

2) You're playing a young opponent, someone learning the game.
They have to take their lumps too, to learn the game. Sometimes
though it might be more instructive to let the game continue, less the
bad move, and let them continue on/develop that same strategy they
were using while it is still fresh.

There's a fine line here. I'm not suggesting something to go back
and erase every bad move or to be used indescriminately. That
cheapens the game, and maybe this site, IMO. Just something to be
used once in a great while. I'm not sure how that could be configured
or enforced though ...

Just a suggestion ...

I've had similar thoughts except it might be a problem to administer
as you say. My thoughts were along the lines of . OK, a bad
move/mistake is made and the game is then lost. However, a facility
to go into an 'archived' game and to resume it from a certain point
would be a great, provided that both parties wanted to. The 're-
commenced' game would have no affect on rating etc.
Just my humble thoughts.

Good ideas MartinS,

Maybe the thing to do is:

The "OK" to allow this is defaulted to "NO" on a new game, and both
parties have to expressly change it at the start of a game to be
effective. If the challenger offers it in the challenge, the other person
can agree or not agree. If the challenger doesn't offer it, then it is
not a option to the other person. Then, if the game is a public game,
by accepting to continue less the move, you resign the game for
ratings, and the game from that point on turns into a private game.

As i see it there's nothing to agree. It would be just like starting a
fresh game but using an archived game from a certain point; either
player could say "look that was a dumb-ass move, do you want to
reply fromt he archive when this is done?". Seeing as the fen for each
archived game is available I don't see any technical difficulties.

All it needs is for the ability for players to choose to start a game from
any point in any archived game.

just my tuppence ;-)

Well, with the exception though that if it was a "button" you could
push while still in the game, it would be a little different though. The
strategy you were using would be fresh in your mind VS replaying the
game afterwards, and seeing {{possibly}} other moves you would do
different this time.