What is the proper chess etiquette for resigning?

I find that I do not like resigning. I don't even really consider it until my opponent clearly shows he will mate me, at which time I feel like I should let him finish so he has the satisfaction of a mate (which is what I would prefer when the tables are turned). Is it rude to continue playing or is this just personal preference on quitting a game that you will almost assuredly lose? 

You have the right to play on - I generally resign when the game is clearly hopeless, but it isn't rude to play on to the bitter end.  Speaking only for myself, if my opponent resigns rather than be checkmated, I feel as much satisfaction as I would from completing the mate.  Actually, I prefer not to deliver the final blow, and feel some relief if the resignation allows the game to end with less force.  After all, this is intended to be a friendly game, no?

"Different people feel differently about resigning." 

Only resign if you want to, and only if you are completely sure your game is beyond hope and you have no tricks to try.  If in doubt, play on. 

you shouldnt play a game you cant finish

do whatever you want. if you want to read about other peoples opinions, just search the chess.com forums, there are innumerable identical articles.

haha i just posted something along the same lines but as i c it y cant u just wait till the other guy gets the final blow.  Resigning makes my vitory seem less and i would reather be able to say this guy is better then me then quit half way wif my tail between my legs

Well in the words of a famous grandmaster (i forgot his name)

"sit back and hope for a blunder"

these words are very true because there have been many time when i have lost a piece and then later on in the game i win his queen!

Thanks for the replies. I did a search for resignation and only saw a few other topics, none that seemed to apply. What I missed was that it was the first page of about a billion. My apologies on on duplicating the topic.

Was this the sort of thing you were looking for?

A quick guide to the rules and etiquette of tournament chess - Compiled by Steven Craig Miller  http://www.ksca.us/FAQ/Quick_Guide.pdf

Resignation

• The proper way to resign a game is to either say “I resign” or by tipping over one’s king (§13B), one may then also stop both clocks.
  
• Then one should shake hands with one’s opponent, and congratulate him or her for a won game.
  
• It is rude and unsportsmanlike to abandon a lost position without resigning so as to allow your clock to run out of time (§20H1).
  
•  It is generally considered proper chess etiquette to resign clearly lost positions. The proper time to resign should vary with one’s chess ability. Most beginners should probably play on until they are checkmated. But more advanced players should resign clearly lost positions when they are certain that if they were on the other side of the position, they could beat even a master.
  

Why waste both players' time by continuing a completely decided game, when you can have more fun and learn more by resigning early and offering a rematch?

Your chances of getting a rematch decrease greatly if you drag out a decided matter for too long.

Oops, sorry I resigned that game and denied you your full feeling of victory. Personally, I enjoy forcing the resignation more, as not only have I beaten my opponent, but I have also crushed his hope! 

I don´t like to resign, but sometimes, when I see no more counterplay at all, I resign. But: I DON´T LIKE TO RESIGN.

Let me tell you: I take chess only as a game, and a game suppose to be fun, so I always try to have fun first of all, then try to make my best move, and the outcome is welcome. One thing is for sure: nothing is better than the sweet flavor of the victory, but if you learn something losing, finally you are winning!HAVE FUN!

I never resign. Never.

I feel greater satisfaction when a "worthy" opponent resigns. It is not only good manners but the most honorable thing to do.

Although there is nothing wrong with playing on it is just a waste of good time to carry on.

When to resign? Simple when you can clearly assess beyond any reasonable doubt your position is untenable regardless of how many pieces are in the board.

Otherwise play on and let your opponent show you how classless you are hehe.

Resigning a game to your opponent shows him you got maturity to see the game through and gain his respect for future matches.

But then again JMHO

15-0, professional baseball game, 5th inning, should losing team resign? 

Funnily enough, FIFA (the controlling committee for football/soccer) is proposing to take a leaf out of FIDE's (the controlling committee for chess) book. It is proposing a rule change such that, under certain circumstances, when one side has a 9-point lead, the match is declared over.  http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/when-to-resign5

Im for resigning and I choose my opponents to resign too. Otherwise ur just wasting each others time.

The sports analogy here simply doesn't work. I'm really surprised that it is still used with such regularity on these forums.

1. It's like this, in a game of chess the game is started with equal force (pieces) on each side. As you lose pieces you lose force (obviously sometimes pieces are sacrificed and what have you, but ignore that for now), it's as though every time the other team gets a touchdown five members of your team get one of their legs chopped off. Would you have your legless football team continue to play for the entire game? Well actually you would, which brings me to my next point.

2. Unless your name is Garry Kasparov people are probably not going to be watching your chess games with much interest. Pro sports teams (and even college or amateur sports teams) draw large crowds where people pay hundreds of dollars to see their favourite teams compete. You can't simply choose to resign a game (it's also not allowed by the rules).

Most people are not interested in watching or viewing chess as entertainment. This is due to the nature of chess, as a slow paced game and also as a very complex game. Anybody can appreciate a world cup soccer match between Spain and Germany, because anybody can observe the skill of the two teams. Not so in chess where any non titled player is going to have trouble understanding any of the Grandmaster moves.