Resigning in a Winning Position

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Chris Rice
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Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Chris Rice » Wed Jul 31, 2019 11:04 am

I'm sure we will all have one or two examples of this. It's a horrible thing to happen if you're on the wrong side of it. So feeling a bit sorry for Mr Odendahl when he resigned in the following position in Round 6 of the Dutch Open only to find out later that resigning was not his best option.

Mick Norris
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Mick Norris » Wed Jul 31, 2019 11:59 am

Well, I did it once, I'm pretty certain that I haven't done it in the last 30 years!
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:02 pm

Have to admit it looks at first glance resigns is a sound choice.

Before Black played 36...Qg3+ (White then resigned) 36...Rg8 just mates easily.



Both players were caught with the same mirage of i't must be mate.'

Matthew Turner
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Matthew Turner » Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:10 pm

The last move was Qxg3 so Rg8 isn’t an immediate win and Black still has work to do

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JustinHorton
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by JustinHorton » Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:27 pm

Also see
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Richard Bates
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Richard Bates » Wed Jul 31, 2019 1:11 pm

My personal contribution. I was in blissful ignorance of this for almost 20 years.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1283811

Tim Spanton
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Tim Spanton » Wed Jul 31, 2019 1:52 pm

Here is one where I was on the receiving end of a mistaken resignation:
https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2017/09/ ... ition.html

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Joey Stewart
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Joey Stewart » Wed Jul 31, 2019 1:57 pm

I remember years ago in my old league seeing a player set up a smothered mate with queen and knight (you know the sort like Nf7+ Kg8, Nh6+, Kh8, Qg8+, Rxg8 Nf7mate ... if you dont know it then it is worth learning, but I digress) .

Anyway. Instead of playing the correct sequence of knight checks the white player just dumps his queen onto g8 and makes some comment like "oh thats it now" whereupon the black player obligingly resigns, only to have it almost immediately pointed out that he could have played Kxg8 and been a queen up .... as you can imagine, there were pretty major eruptions that took place!
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed Jul 31, 2019 3:27 pm

Ahhh...now it makes sense. It must have been this.



It was not clear something had been taken on g3 from the link.

Thanks Mathew and congratulations for winning the Scottish Title.
(and for kicking off a heated yet interesting debate in which is usually a sedate forum.)

https://www.chessscotland.com/forum/sho ... 9#pid19419

Your comment about Edinburgh being an interesting place; nothing is cheap. is on
the ball in the area where you strolled about. It's one big massive tourist trap.
It is expensive and everything has just gone up 10% because of the Fringe and Festival.

The locals know where to go for good cheap meals and shopping. Follow one of them.
For instance yesterday, roast beef, Yorkshire pud, roast spuds, sprouts, - followed by apple crumble/custard - £4.10.
Whereas a stale sandwich on the Royal Mile will cost you £4.50... and if you look like a tourists you will get short-changed!
That is why at this time of year I always wear my 'I'm Not a Tourist Badge.'

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Tim Spanton
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Tim Spanton » Sun Sep 01, 2019 12:04 pm

A classic example from today's 'Paignton' premier:
https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2019/09/ ... ition.html

Chris Rice
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Chris Rice » Sat Sep 21, 2019 6:38 pm

Round 10 of the women's GP in Skolkovo featured Cramling - Kosteniuk. Not a winning position but Pia Cramling would have been equal if she had spotted 35 b4 instead of resigning believing she had lost a piece.

AndrewBanks
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by AndrewBanks » Mon Oct 21, 2019 2:42 pm

My eldest was playing in a rapid-play last weekend...

Although in a strong position, she was getting short on time, and made a poor choice of move, inadvertently leaving her opponent mate-in-one!

She later said she was about to resign, but her opponent, clearly missing the obvious, promptly offered a draw! Which she accepted, before showing her opponent the available move...

Chris Rice
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Chris Rice » Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:33 pm

Rarely gets these things caught on a video but here is Vallejo - Santos 2018. Its an 18 minute video but its the last few seconds that is the theme. After 68.Rh8+?? Black has only one legal move, and it’s a winning one, but he still managed to go wrong… by resigning! After 68…Kxh8 69.Kxg6 Black can simply capture the bishop with Rxe5, controlling e8.

Nick Burrows
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by Nick Burrows » Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:45 pm

Therefore 68.Rh8+!! was the best move in the position. Very clever

David Blower
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Re: Resigning in a Winning Position

Post by David Blower » Sun Jan 19, 2020 10:55 pm



Here is one for me then. I am black in this game, my opponent resigned it is his turn to move.

He later told me that after the exchange of queens, that he thought my pawn on d4 would easily queen. It can be stopped by the king on h3.