Playing on in a hopeless situation.

Originally posted by smrex13
Just because it's within the rules doesn't mean that it's not poor sportsmanship. If an NFL team is down 36-10 with 10 second left and sitting on their own 1, it would certainly be bad sportsmanship to run three plays, calling a time out after each one. Within the rules, sure, but that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

Scott

A NFL team would run a play and let the time expire. P.S. It is against the rules of competion in the NFL too not play your best.

Originally posted by Gambitzoid
Because in chess there are only three possible scores, 1-0, 0-1, and 1/2-1/2. If you lose you lose, period. Often times, when a football team or basketball team is getting crushed, they'll take out their best players and put in second players so they get some playing time. But in chess there are no substitutions to make, no youth players who need to get e ...[text shortened]... ying until the last move in hopeless positions, etc. But you're still a big prick if you do.

The olympic officials monitoring the race have to stay and watch that last runner finish. By your logic, he should do the polite thing and quit so they can go home, or move on to the next event!

The comparisons you gave are way over the top. Obviously, someone who makes fun of disabled people is far more of a jerk than someone who intentionally drags out a chess game.

I don't intentionally drag out games I'm fairly certain I will lose and I don't resign unless the other player gives the ok. I do ask first. If you are winning, if you will be able to checkmate me, then maneuver your dang pieces into position to get the job done. That is, after all, the whole point.

Not comfortable with a player making you work for the win? Don't play.

I can see, though, where it would be frustrating if a losing player drags out his moves or stops moving at all.

Originally posted by Drumbo
Playing on in a dead lost position is considered bad manners among serious (good) players.
Saying "I never surrender,etc." can make you very unpopular.

Personally within the scope of this site the only thing that would bother me is if someone intentionally waited a long time between moves in a lost situation.

If the game is an easy win, then in theory it cost me nothing to keep winning. Heh, I can always start new games even before that game is done. It shouldn't be very taxing on my mind if I really have a clear win. Interestingly, there are two games on this site in which I had considered resigning (perhaps even had the mouse over the resign button) that I came back and won.

I have played some who have not resigned clearly lost situations when they seemed to be good enough players to appreciate just how lost the game was. It was perplexing, but I figure they have their own reasons. As long as they don't just quit moving, no skin off my back.

Playing over the board there is more cost for both parties to keep playing. I may be more inclined to resign a little earlier there.

Actually I am less likely to resign OTB. There, they have less time to find the correct option. Here, they have one or more days to find the move that finishes me.

A couple of tournaments ago, I quickly won an exchange in a viery wierd opening (1.h6, d5 - I was black).
After that my opponent used one hour and 15 minutes to find his next move. I literally fell asleep for a couple of minutes. I basically tried to blitz the rest of the game ( I "knew" it was over) and managed to lose the game and the 1st place prize fund.

That said, I played a foolish suicidal attack against GalaxyShield yesterday and he managed to manuvere his king out so it captured my bishop. I was ready to resign, but we had been blizting (4 games and probably a total of 80 half moves in one day). I also had a couple of minor threats left and instead of nutralizing my rook he tried to simplify with Night x Bishop, so I played Qg7+

Basically, before I resign, the game must meet the following conditions.
a. be down material or in a horendous position.
b. Respect my opponents ability to finish me off
c. have no active play left.

Never resign, you have nothing to gain from it.

Originally posted by zebano
Actually I am less likely to resign OTB. There, they have less time to find the correct option. Here, they have one or more days to find the move that finishes me.

A couple of tournaments ago, I quickly won an exchange in a viery wierd opening (1.h6, d5 - I was black).
After that my opponent used one hour and 15 minutes to find his next move. I literally ...[text shortened]... dous position.
b. Respect my opponents ability to finish me off
c. have no active play left.

75 minutes on one move woah! The most I spent was 22 minutes in OTB. In your situations, I would suggest that you get up from the board, walk around checkout the other games and then when he does move, start playing OTB and not blitz. Just relax gather your feelings and play properly. Better luck next time.

Black to move



Is the position hopeless?

(This position is from an OTB game played last week.)

Originally posted by evilpiaget
Never resign, you have nothing to gain from it.

A longer lunch

Originally posted by Wulebgr
Black to move

[fen]8/R4pp1/4pk1p/4N3/1P2nP2/4P3/6rP/4K3 b - - 0 46[/fen]

Is the position hopeless?

(This position is from an OTB game played last week.)

Hopeless for who? White is winning pretty much but OTB could go wrong

Originally posted by Kirwan
Hopeless for who? White is winning pretty much but OTB could go wrong

What should black play, or should black resign?

Originally posted by Wulebgr
What should black play, or should black resign?

Black could throw some "spite" checks in but after that its mate with Rxf7# but the right thing to do would be to resign and congradulate your opponent on a well played game.

Edit: oops! Black plays Nd6! saving the mate.

Originally posted by RahimK
Black could throw some "spite" checks in but after that its mate with Rxf7# but the right thing to do would be to resign and congradulate your opponent on a well played game.

Edit: oops! Black plays Nd6! saving the mate.

Nd6 would lose immediately to R d7. Best would be Kf5 and if Rxf7+ then Nf6. Should still lose eventually but not immediately

Originally posted by Kirwan
Nd6 would lose immediately to R d7. Best would be Kf5 and if Rxf7+ then Nf6. Should still lose eventually but not immediately

Yes your right, Rd7 is a great move.

I just saw that Nd6 holds of immediate mate and didn't look further than that.

Originally posted by evilpiaget
Never resign, you have nothing to gain from it.

not entirely true, this is the case in tournements but otherwise you can start a new game when you resign.

Example with some numbers:
A) You are down a rook after 5 moves, resign and go to B or continue for another 80 moves, lose and go directly to C
B) After resigning you start a new game, you are now probably slightly underrated because of your last loss and you play 2 (40 move) games in which you score 1.5/2
C) If you have continued your score is currently -1 (0/1)if you have resigned your score is now 0 (1.5/3)

This is merely an abstract example, but I think it sufficiently refutes the statement that you can't gain anything by resigning.