#52 quite right. Those who don't make a move and just leave the clock to run down - that's wrong. Just resign.
Otherwise, it's your clock, your move, resign if you wish and don't if you don't.
The number of times I've been about to resign when my opponent blunders horribly :D
#51 Your thing about being a piece down and having a 5% chance of a win - that's maybe so with really good players, but we're none of us in that kind of league.
To quote Kenny Rogers, "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run."
There aren't simple rules for when to resign and when to fight on, but any half decent player should have learned to judge when it's reasonable to play on in the hope of a stalemate or suchlike, and when it's time to stop the clocks.
Once in a while people resign too soon and could have done with showing more tenacity, and once in a while someone who doesn't resign in a hopeless position is just not good at judging how hopeless it is for them.
But, let's be honest, most of the time when people don't resign in utterly lost positions, they're basically throwing a tantrum because the game didn't go their way. And they'd be embarrassed as hell to do it in real life with other people watching.
Why waste your own time, and your opponents time? Haven't you got better things to do with your life? Like maybe analyze the game or play another one?
I'll give the benefit of the doubt in borderline cases, but anyone that's being childish goes on my block list.
"But, let's be honest, most of the time when people don't resign in utterly lost positions, they're basically throwing a tantrum because the game didn't go their way. And they'd be embarrassed as hell to do it in real life with other people watching."
Nothing more to add than this...
I got really annoyed just now - someone in an obviously losing position didn't resign in my 0+1 game. I had about 5 queens and the git let the clock run down a whole 5 seconds. Not playing THEM again :D
"But, let's be honest, most of the time when people don't resign in utterly lost positions, they're basically throwing a tantrum because the game didn't go their way. And they'd be embarrassed as hell to do it in real life with other people watching."
Passive-aggression, yes.
playing the game out in an unwinnable position is just a sign of disrespect, on par with telling your opponent they can't win a position a 1000 rated player could. right up there with not moving and letting the clock run as a big f*** you; its basically the same thing
Lol, people do get their knickers in a twist, don't they? :D
They really do.
I had one guy recently run his clock down for roughly 4 minutes in a completely lost position and then make a move with about 30 seconds left on his clock to my nearly 5 minutes.
I chuckled because I was checking things on my phone and watching the window on my laptop because I had a feeling. I saw the move and simply typed "sorry buddy, I'm still here." Made a move and he resigned and disconnected. Needless to say I blocked him and noted his profile, but it's just silly the level of twisted knickers some players here get.
On the business of winning in spite of being a piece down. I'm not sure why it happens quite often (and I am not a leading player). Perhaps it is because the position's dynamic is disturbed during the loss, or the 'winning' person becomes complacent or maybe the 'losing' player has more lines opened for attack. I certainly look for attacking options after going a piece down; 'wearing down' the opponent is no longer an option.
On the subject of playing on as a perceived insult. I have sometimes been outplayed by talented people, only to discover that they did not know how to mate with Queen and King.