Some people don't resign because its still good endgame practice.  And in the instance of a figurative 'king against an army' you might have a better chance of stalemate :)

Some people are quitters...and others fight to the bitter end...(in hope of a draw)

I respect people who fight to the end, who never surrenders, like a pitbull. It's all I want to say.

Thanks.

its a game with pretty clear rules, anyone can resign whenever they feel like it, even if the game is more than lost.

Should you ever resign? Masters do, IMs do, GMs do, World Champions do. So what do you think?

I think people who don't resign is more of a problem in Correspondence Chess and much less of a problem in Live Chess or OTB. There are a lot of people here, who maybe because they think someone would be offended if they quit, would not resign a position like the following (I had to fight this one out to the bitter end and yes, it was very, very boring:

But consider this following position:

In OTB, this game will be won in a matter of minutes, so it's not such a big deal if someone decides to resign or play it out. But in Online Chess, this game could drag on for weeks and months before you get credit for the win (and the other side has absolutely 0% of a win or draw) so it's really kind of pointless and boring.

It is up to each player when they want to resign.  The best way to handle this problem in a correspondence game is just to deal with it.

i dont resign if im playing a lower rated player, theres always the chance that they make a fatal blunder. It happens all the time :-)

quiters never win. (?)

I had a game with my army against my opponents king..and i was careless enough to go to stalemate..

There are subtleties in chess; it is a difficult game. Many students are slow in grasping the concepts surrounding resigning, bless em. Let them play on, say nothing about it; everyone can't be a grandmaster.

there is not a rule in chess that says you have to resign nor should there be, the game is on until the game reaches draw or checkmate or until somebody resigns. If they want to play on, even if you know they are far past any chance at winning, just let them it is their right, and you will win the game albeit much later if that's the case. I personally am not a fan of losing, when playing chess I know it happens a lot so I accept it and I'm fine with it, but I'm not going to play til the bitter end when I don't think I have any chance at all. However, like ayllonchess said, I think sometimes I respect my opponents that aren't willing to give up when I know I would have long ago.

well there's my 2 cents worth.........

Well I have won a few games by stalemate and on time by not using the resign button.

i always look at it this way:

do i see a way to put myself checkmate or at great losses (from the opponents view), if yes and there is nothing i can do about it then i resign (since it is a lost battle anyway then) and if not i fight to the bitter end :)

just always assume that your opponent is smarter or equally smart as you.

Perhaps you guys should consider this.....

Many including myself use correspondence / internet chess as a learning tool, not a competitive one. Thus, as a beginner seeing why a position is lost by playing it out is of benefit to that process. This is not true of more advanced players who are perfectly aware of why the position is lost. Hence.......if I were ranked 2000 and somebody didn't resign I would think much differently about it than what I do as a 1200 ranked player now.

Secondly, if I was in an OTB tourney (ie competition) rather than a learning forum then I would also think it a little silly to play on.

Finally, reasonable communication in the chat box can solve most issues. If you want to play on then point that out whether you are winning or losing with your reasons and most folk will accomodate.

Never resign! If I am stupid enough to hang my queen to a two move tactic, certainly my opponent can be guilty of such a gaff. Tie your foot to the boat and hang on, who cares if it is sinking.

A side note to all the 'fighters' out there. If you choose to 'learn' from the scraps of the remaining game, please try and make your moves in a timely manner, instead of within a hairs breadth of time control, which is what I think irks most of the people who get to play teacher to the hangers-on. Chess is not a cow, so stop trying to milk it. Get on with it.

I think Chessroshi puts it quite well..... if you want to play on then make sure it is not unreasonable or irritating to your opponents. Respect your time and your opponents time, as well as all the others out there in the tournament.

Or if you really want to learn from the lost game then why not use an analysis board with that player when both of you are concurrently online and try have discussions on the board. i think that is a sensible thing to do especially if as one claims, the objective is to "learn" from the position?!

it's completely up to the individual.  I've read at least two books for novices that say it's never good for a beginner to resign.  my personal opinion is that it is very proper to resign in a lost position.  rather than hope for a miracle, I prefer going on to another game.  but that's just me.

resigning is ok cause there is no use continuing a lost game but not when you 3 or 4 points less.in such cases there is still a big chance