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Thread: Playing on when some people wouldn't

  1. #1
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    Default Playing on when some people wouldn't

    There is a thread on Chess.com where grandmaster Serper stirring controversy seems to claim that it is unethical to play on in a lost position for example KR vs KQ. Some people are supporting this odd idea and saying that it is at least rude to play on in such a position.

    I have drawn this position in a game played with a five second delay in USCF play against a master 2200+. I had not studied the ending before playing it but stumbled upon some of the theory over the board such as the 6th rank defense. My opponent was low on time and told me after the game that he was very close to saccing his queen for the rook to avoid a loss on time several times but instead walked into a stalemate trap trying to give checkmate.

    I have also played on where me and my lower ranked junior opponent had hgf pawns and rooks. My opponent was low on time while I had 40 minutes left on my clock also with a five second delay. The pawns wound up on h5-g6-f5 with his king on h6 and he went after my pawns instead of chasing my king which marched up the board to g8 with my rook on f7. I had pawns on h4 and f4 and my opponent had just taken my g3 pawn. To avoid mate with 94. Rh7 he pushed his g pawn missing the fact that I had a second mate pattern after 94. Rf6 mate.

  2. #2
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    I've never felt offended when an opponent has played on to the bitter end. There's nothing about it in the rules, such as that it's even unsportsmanlike to do so. Personally I think the side that is losing is doing most of the suffering, though maybe it might not be the nicest thing if the losing side knew that the other player was, say, a child that had a parent worried about their not making it home for bedtime. Even so, it's not against the rules.

    Btw, sometimes when people think they have the upper hand (or just have gained it), or even equalized from a bad position, they might smile, stare or (nowadays) crack their knuckles, it seems, though that might be just asking for an objection to the arbiter by the inferior side, if they felt offended or opportunistic enough.

    IMO, changing the rules to the effect that an arbiter can arbitrarily decide when a position is clearly and easily lost (along with judging clock times and the relative strength of the players), and then declare the game to be over, would go against the relative purity and spirit of the game. That's not even taking into account the guesswork involved in assuming the superior side wouldn't make significant error(s) if the game were to continue instead.
    Last edited by Kevin Pacey; 08-03-2018 at 01:27 PM. Reason: Adding content
    There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
    Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio.

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