When to Resign?

This is an oft debated topic. I know some people hate my polls (mean and discouraging comments can be made after this post), but I thought it would be an interesting to take a quick survey on some common situations where players might be tempted to resign.

I have a theory for each position and how each will turn out. If you got a few minutes to kill, please take the survey.

http://blueeyedrook.blogspot.com/

(Feel free to curse my name, my posts, and anything else!)

I almost forgot about your blog, thanks for the reminder. Anyway, I cast my votes.

I did your survey, not too bad. I'm interested in the results.

Originally posted by BlueEyedRook
This is an oft debated topic. I know some people hate my polls (mean and discouraging comments can be made after this post), but I thought it would be an interesting to take a quick survey on some common situations where players might be tempted to resign.

I have a theory for each position and how each will turn out. If you got a few minutes to kil ...[text shortened]...
http://blueeyedrook.blogspot.com/

(Feel free to curse my name, my posts, and anything else!)

When to resign? When I feel like it, and not a moment before.

i'm surprised someone would resign in position 5 (a dead draw)
yet no one would resign in position 6 (a forced win)

However, i think the poll is missing some key elements.
The question of whether or not to resign depends a lot on your own ability and your opponents ability. In large part whether i resign depends on the game itself and simply dropping into a position with no context doesn't show how i would react in a real game. Futhermore there are plenty of times when i know i should resign but i don't because i'm frustrated that i'm losing.

But its not endgame positions that are really the issue, in the middlegame if i'm up a piece or more i expect my opponent to resign.
with a few exceptions i will do the same. once it hits two pieces with no compensation i get offended if my opponent doesn't resign and i only play on if i see a possible crazy-rook draw or draw by perpetual check in the next 3-5 moves. I never simply force my opponent to actually go through the process of mating if he is up that much.The final very important issue is that i won't drag the game out, if i'm losing i play fast and if my opponent blunders good if not, not It is dragging out a game that moves once a day that drives me nuts.

I thought each of the postions were obvious as to whether resignation was correct or not, assuming you're playing someone who knows the game and doesn't blunder away the win.

Found that quite intresting.Nice blog 🙂

If I merely dropped a pawn against Kasparov I would probably resign, But i may drop a whole Knight before I resign in another game against someone my level or lower.....


the simple reason is, comebacks are very possible against weaker players...

Originally posted by aginis
i'm surprised someone would resign in position 5 (a dead draw)
yet no one would resign in position 6 (a forced win)

However, i think the poll is missing some key elements.
The question of whether or not to resign depends a lot on your own ability and your opponents ability. In large part whether i resign depends on the game itself and simply dropping int ...[text shortened]... s good if not, not It is dragging out a game that moves once a day that drives me nuts.

Agreed.

Originally posted by cmsMaster
Agreed.

well i'll be damned looks like we can agree on somethings.

Originally posted by BlueEyedRook

(Feel free to curse my name, my posts, and anything else!)

Sorry,I forgot.
Cursed be thy name and thy siblings 😛

Originally posted by aginis
i'm surprised someone would resign in position 5 (a dead draw)
yet no one would resign in position 6 (a forced win)

However, i think the poll is missing some key elements.
The question of whether or not to resign depends a lot on your own ability and your opponents ability. In large part whether i resign depends on the game itself and simply dropping int ...[text shortened]... s good if not, not It is dragging out a game that moves once a day that drives me nuts.

Yes, position 6 can be forced, but I am sure there are many who could not pull it off.

The survey tries to setup a hypothetical situation where your opponents strength is not known. I guess we have to pretend a lot because in each of these cases we have most of a game already played and if our opponent has outplayed us to the extent shown, we do have a lot of basis on which to judge his or her ability. I only said I would resign on three of the ten, but in real life I'd probably have enough respect for my opponent to resign a lot more of those (of course not position 5, and not position 6 until after the key move has been made).

I consider myself under no obligation to resign at any time, and only resign when I fail to see any line of play to be pursued that might eek out a draw. I play on more than some, but I still have not been checkmated on RHP. I even have a few comebacks after dropping a piece to a pawn, in some cases pulling out a win.

I've been surprised in some cases where people have resigned against me. In some cases I'm left thinking "I wouldn't have resigned then". Other cases I've been surprised by folks playing all the way until I checkmate them, even though the result was not in doubt. I even checked their other games and found that they do sometimes resign.

In any case, surprise or not, as long as someone doesn't intentionally delay moves, I have no problem whether someone resigns or not.

Originally posted by aginis
i'm surprised someone would resign in position 5 (a dead draw)
yet no one would resign in position 6 (a forced win)

However, i think the poll is missing some key elements.
The question of whether or not to resign depends a lot on your own ability and your opponents ability. In large part whether i resign depends on the game itself and simply dropping int ...[text shortened]... s good if not, not It is dragging out a game that moves once a day that drives me nuts.

The best way to win a lost position against a weaker opponent is to play fast hoping he will do likewise and blunder.

Dragging it out only guarantees he has move time to think and will ensure the win is found.

Of course if it is obvious your opponent knows how to win and has a decisive winning advantage with no counter play then resignation is only polite.

But if it is not obvious or you suspect he doesn't know how. why resign. I have won many lost games where I was a piece or more down due to a careless blunder against a vastly weaker opponent and played on.

Originally posted by aginis
well i'll be damned looks like we can agree on somethings.

Mm, I don't agree with that.

Originally posted by Dragon Fire
The best way to win a lost position against a weaker opponent is to play fast hoping he will do likewise and blunder.

Dragging it out only guarantees he has move time to think and will ensure the win is found.

Of course if it is obvious your opponent knows how to win and has a decisive winning advantage with no counter play then resignation is only ...[text shortened]... a piece or more down due to a careless blunder against a vastly weaker opponent and played on.

A couple of days ago I went through a game in "The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal" he dropped a piece, but calmly continued and won the game. Made me think twice about resigning when a piece down. Oh, btw he was 12 at the time 😀.