English Chess Forum

I'm not sure if anyone else here has noticed this happening in online games recently but I have started to see a trend of players resigning at the most small of disadvantages, and we are not talking a piece or a couple of pawns but in some cases simply because they have lost the opening initiative and are now in a level position.

It really makes me wonder what is up with these people, are they really such desperately aggressive hackers that know their talentless positional technique will be exposed once there are no more cheap shots?

I can't say I've noticed it much, but I suppose it's a tactic that might make sense in Arena tournaments.

IM Jack Rudd wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 2:38 am

I can't say I've noticed it much, but I suppose it's a tactic that might make sense in Arena tournaments.

I certainly resign positions in Arena tournaments which I would not resign in Online Swiss or OTB tournaments. Particularly towards the end of an Arena, I might resign a drawish position in the hope of thus having time to complete and win another game.

It depends on who my opponent is, though. If the bragging rights are important to me, I might play on in the hope of turning the tables, even though that might jeopardise my chances of obtaining a high position in the Arena.

Joey Stewart wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 1:12 am

I have started to see a trend of players resigning at the most small of disadvantages,

Can you give us some examples

Hi Joey,

You will need to supply an example or two but in these player paranoia days fed by online sites
trying to outdo each other number wise by publishing how many accounts they have closed
down due to cheating (alleged or otherwise), if anyone puts two good moves together or avoids
a basic trap then their opponent will 'know' they are cheating so resign right away and report them.

I'd not label all those that resign early as 'desperately aggressive hackers.' These types are optimists,
they will throw material at their opponent with a spirit that would have impressed a WWI Field Marshall.
They play on looking and hoping for that one trap. They will have won countless of so called lost positions
and will be fully expecting to add one more. They resign when there is nothing left to sac.

It is the pessimistic positional players who resign when they can see nothing but misery heading
their way from having even the slightest positional weakness. The have won countless games
exploiting such a weakness, no need for another lesson.
The fact that they might be able to hack their way out or trouble (real or imagined) does not
register and actually shudder at the thought of winning a game by a cheapo.

Edit: Hi Justin, our request for an example have crossed each other. Joey - show us a few of the games.

Afraid you will just have to take my word on this one, I play hundreds of games a month and don't have time to search through my entire history to find the few times it happens - it isn't common, I'll admit, but I was more interested to canvass other players and see if they ever experienced such a thing happen to them.

Joey Stewart wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 1:12 am

... I have started to see a trend ... it isn't common ...."

"Small earthquake at Joey's House. Not many dead."

I was surprised my opponent resigned here.

OK they're minus 1.7 but that's not a crisis in a blitz game especially if you want to play the Black side of a Benoni.

Of course the most likely explanation is something external and trivial like suddenly being called away. (Other explanations might be losing games in order to keep - for whatever reason - one's rating down, or even somebody just wanting to try a new opening and deciding early doors that they didn't like the look of it. But I have no reason at all to think either applies in this case.)

I teach a 10 year online by playing talk through games against him. I allow him take backs, but never indulge in them for myself.
I have noticed he quite often resigns prematurely. On Li chess, once a player resigns, there is no reviving the game. He has done this sometimes when just a pawn down.
That is not a desirable habit when he plays against other children. They will often make substantial errors.

I have also noticed this phenomenon in recent months. An extreme example from a three-minute game on Lichess last night: I was Black and the game went 1 e4 c5 2 Resigns.
However, I play almost entirely unrated anonymous 3+2 and have not noticed it all in rated games.

It's also possible that people join games and then wish (for whatever reason) that they hadn't, and simply resign so they can go on to another one or do something else. We wouldn't think this acceptable behaviour in OTB games and I'm not exactly wild about it online, but other people may have other standards.

(As a possible parallel, I'm thinking of debates I've been involved in about turning up late to OTB games. I don't like this at all, I think it's inconveniencing your opponent and messing them about: other people say no, what does it matter, you're gaining an advantage on the clock. Similarly, in relation to premature online resignations some people may say what does it matter, you won the game and you can easily start another one, whereas my view is that it's messing your opponent about and wasting their time.)

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 24, 2021 8:30 am

I have also noticed this phenomenon in recent months. An extreme example from a three-minute game on Lichess last night: I was Black and the game went 1 e4 c5 2 Resigns.

Some people just don't want to face certain openings. At my patzer level I seem to get a lot of aborted games when I play 1.Nf3 or 1.c4. But if you feel that way about the Sicilian, it might be more sensible not to play 1.e4!

Joey Stewart wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 1:12 am

I'm not sure if anyone else here has noticed this happening in online games recently but I have started to see a trend of players resigning at the most small of disadvantages...

It happens, but it's not an increasing trend in my experience.

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 24, 2021 8:30 am

I have also noticed this phenomenon in recent months. An extreme example from a three-minute game on Lichess last night: I was Black and the game went 1 e4 c5 2 Resigns.

I actually did that as White on lichess just the other day, in a rated 3+0 game. I saw 1...c5 and went.... another Sicilian.... no! And then aborted repeated games until the system gave me Black.