Bad egg?

I'm in a game where my opponent has a significant piece advantage, however I am in a position where I can keep his king in perpetual check. Also, if I don't play this low-down, dirty move he will instantly checkmate me.

What do I do? Do I continue the checking and ask for a draw (which makes me feel like a bad person), or do I do the honourable thing and submit defeat?

absolutely go for the draw, it's perfectly acceptable and shows your opponent has miscalculated in allowing you to use such a tactic.

There is no honour in losing a drawn position.
Perpetual check is not a dirty trick!It is a nice tactic to draw a game when you're in trouble.Nothing to feel bad about.

What game number? Let us all enjoy your tactics!

P

Ha ha, and I thought chess was all penny-whistles and pleasantries. I didn't realise it had a darker side. Maybe that's where I've been going wrong all this time.

Here's the game...

Game 298030

Originally posted by SirLoseALot

Originally posted by LivingLegend
"It is a nice tactic to draw a game when you're in trouble."

Spoke the man with experience in these kind of situations...😉

I personally have had to resort to this tactic a few times in the past and once since joining RHP (grabbed a draw from the jaws of defeat). Opponents hate it, and it can be frustrating if an opponent in a hopeless situation wont give in, but I see chess as similar to my beloved football, you both start with the same amount of pieces on the same pitch, theres just endless ways of playing the game. If I cant win, I sure as hell aint gonna lose. 😲

Grandmasters, even World Champions force draws sometimes. It's not low, it's not dark, it's nothing for your opponent to complain about. If he or she was actually winning, you wouldn't have a draw. If you have a draw you can force, you're not cheating your way out of defeat. You're finishing a drawn game, just like checkmate and resignation finish won games (and lost games).

thats whats fun about chess, it's ok to kick a man when he's down and the sneakier and meaner the trick the more fun it is!

Indeed, echoing what the others have said, perpetual check is as an essential part of chess tactics as a mating sequence, or stalemate.

If your opponent has allowed you the opportunity of forcing a draw by perpetual check, then no matter how pretty checkmate he had in mind, after no matter how pretty tactical sequence, he's actually made a blunder.

For you not to capitalize on that blunder would be, well... a blunder!

-Jarno

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I can now add 'annoying perpetual check' to my tactical armoury. Never really considered it as an option when the going is getting tough. Like it a lot.