Resigning in a Winning Position

[JustinHorton]

Very pleased to see my opponent resign this internet rapid game this morning

[John McKenna]

I have a chess book full of diagrams that have no sign of who is to move so I am not unfamiliar with ones such as the above.

All those diagrams in the book are White at bottom black at top. Therefore since black is at the bottom I surmise that you, Justin, played black.

That means it must be white to move and resign in a winning position.

(Personally, I'd not be too pleased if my opponent did that because I'd feel just a slight twinge of a swindle coming on. Nothing wrong with losing a good game. Never mind though - it all balances out in the end.)

Hope your luck holds tonight if you are playing chess again.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"All those diagrams in the book are White at bottom black at top. Therefore since black is at the bottom I surmise that you, Justin, played black.

That means it must be white to move and resign in a winning position."

Yes - I concluded that, but mainly because I found an immediate win for white, but not black!

[John McKenna]

You may well be eagle-eyed, Kevin.

However, even the swiftest stoop is seldom, if ever, instantaneous.

The GM who wrote the book put white at the bottom in all diagrams out of convention and so as not to upset the publishers.

And, whenever he said to me... wins IMMEDIATELY!

I soon learned not to look for a mate in one.

(Conversely, in the given position, what's to stop black resigning, immediately, in a winning position if it his turn to move?)

[Nick Burrows]

(Conversely, in the given position, what's to stop black resigning, immediately, in a winning position if it his turn to move?)

Black would never resign because a beginner would see he could swap twice on f1 and remain a piece up.

Whereas if white overlooks the mate, he could well resign, as he did.

[John McKenna]

I know that this is not a philosophocal forum, Nick.

Still if there's such a thing as free will Black, to move, could - for unknown reasons of his own - resign.

No doubt you'll say that a chessical imperative will prevent any real chessplayer from doing so, though.

And, if "a beginner" - Black and to move - were to swap twice on f1 he'd be a knight AND a pawn up. A winning position, yes, but for "a beginner" not a trivial win against a much more experienced opponent.

As presented the original diag. is a bit of an optical trick question because Black seems to be winning, optically, particularly if you do not know who is to move.

[JustinHorton]

It could be a trick question (though it's not really what we mean by a trick question) but it's not an optical one.

[John McKenna]

All I can say is - it raised a tricky question, or two, in my mind.

[Simon Rogers]

That was very kind of your opponent to resign that position Justin.
When it comes to tactics, one of the first things we teach the Juniors is to look at all the checks, even if they appear to be really daft.
Whenever we reopen the junior chess club, the first position I'll show the kids on the demo board, is the one from your rapid game.

[MJMcCready]

I recall two arbiters discussing that the most confusing thing they've ever encountered was a double resignation. What I imagine would make that perplexing if not vexating is if one player has a winning position and the other a losing position. Making sense of that would be rather challenging, and most probably it has happened many times over.

[Tim Harding]

I recall two arbiters discussing that the most confusing thing they've ever encountered was a double resignation. What I imagine would make that perplexing if not vexating is if one player has a winning position and the other a losing position. Making sense of that would be rather challenging, and most probably it has happened many times over.

Also perplexing is when two players shake hands, A thinking he's agreeing a draw and B thinks that A is resigning.
I have heard of a case where (if I remember rightly) Keith Arkell was player B; can you comment, Keith?

[MJMcCready]

Yes, had that myself in Bedford. I wasn't sure at first if my opponent had thought I'd offered a draw because he had defensive resources in play, and to me they were quite obvious. I shook hands thinking I must have offered a draw so but became lost in thought and forgot, only to find out the result was recorded as a victory. It was only two seasons after we had a player we had to tell repeatedly that during rated games it is not acceptable to offer a shake of hands if you think your opponent played a good move that's caught you out. That caused the most confusion I've ever seen.

[MJMcCready]

What followed still makes me chuckle, the said player would always ask his opponent to go over his loss with him but would then change tack and ask to be shown how to beat Karpov instead. I don't recall seeing anyone retain their patience after that point and attempt to do so. Given that there's more than one member from my league on this site, I am quite sure they know exactly who is being referred to here, so I shall say no more... .

[John McKenna]

Shaking hands not a prob online.

At least one very popular online playing site has a hand symbol for the offer of a draw and a flag symbol for resigning.

When modified OTB chess returns I suggest extending a hand towards the distant opponent in the usual manner to initiate a handshake and if it is reciprocated a draw is thereby agreed. To resign just raise both hands above your head - with the palms facing towards the opponent - in an unmistakeable act of surrender.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"I recall two arbiters discussing that the most confusing thing they've ever encountered was a double resignation. What I imagine would make that perplexing if not vexating is if one player has a winning position and the other a losing position. Making sense of that would be rather challenging, and most probably it has happened many times over."

I think it's been discussed here somewhere and it was suggested that the player on the move has priority when it comes to resigning. It's a thought.

I have seen (on my board at times) positions where it is clear that both players should lose.

I have seen people hold out a hand to the opponent and then claim they were accepting a draw instead of resigning. I'm sure it happens accidentally, but you have to be wary of people trying to cheat.