Proposing a Takeback

It takes an impressive amount of character, civility, sportsmanship, intellect, respect, love for the game, and profound fortitude, to be playing a game where you're set to break your highest score...

...where you have a losing position...

...and where your opponent then drops his/her queen a square short by mistake in an obvious slip...

...and to then offer them a takeback in that position.

The rewards to the chess world, and beyond, for offering one's opponent a takeback in this situation, are unknowable but extensive.

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A blunder is a legitimate chess move.
Mouseslips, glitches, hardware issues, software issues, muscle spasms, are not.

We invented 'Touch-Move Rule' for over the board play in order to make things work smoother.

We invented 'Takeback Rule' for internet play so that perfectly good chess games wouldn't be destroyed and time wouldn't be wasted, and where people wouldn't win/lose points that they can't keep anyway.

Of course, there are challenges with the Takeback Rule, and user discretion and best judgment are involved, but it's a very nice feature for chess enthusiasts to make good use of. It's efficient and productive.

Disable takebacks and turn on move confirmation. Move confirmation may be against ‘touch and move’ but it can help prevent misclick mistakes and other erroneous moves. If your a dumb ass like me you’ll still make bad moves though.

Our club actively discourages takebacks (hence having it turned off) because of the potential for ‘moral blackmail’ in online games.

@BorisOspasky I like this term 'moral blackmail'. This nicely frames what I mean.

You shouldn't turn off takebacks. What about misclicks? If someone obviously misclicks they can't ask for a takeback and then you are forced to play a stupid game.

Just give takebacks when you want and refuse when you don't want. It's not that difficult. Just say no.

What do you do in real life when someone asks you for something and you have to refuse?

Totally agree with Onyx_Chess. Fat fingers on a mobile screen or unintended mouse button release happen. I usually ask for a takeback under such situations so as not to spoil the game and will grant the same to others when it is clear this is what happened.

Alas there are too many players who are only interested in ratings, or who perhaps think that winning the game by any means is more important than having fun.

Chess is a game. Games should be fun. Especially when played in non-serious pairings.

I never ask for a take back but would if I mouse slip.

People have requested a few from me, and I grant them. I take it as a resignation and new game from that point. They requested the take back after I replied to their move. I take it as a compliment or them admitting I'm so much stronger than them that they need take backs. I granted 2 and still won.

I will always grant take backs if someone is rated 400 points lower than me. I take on an instructor role so they don't give up playing me.

I always accept because I feel they must really care about their rating. I'm just trying to learn/improve and really don't care that much about my official lichess rating. When (if) I get better then my rating will improve I guess a little more slowly.

I don't give them or ask for them.

@kaotic99 said in #6:
> Ever notice how you immediately see that you've blundered right after a move is made? Thats why takebacks are garbage and shouldn't be an option in rated games. YOU HEAR ME LICHESS?
Well, i sometimes use, it when i accidentally premove or smth(like playing Nf6 against e4(dunno how to play it))