When to resign?

I find when playing online chess there are two extremes of opponent. Should I be in the happy position of having an advantage that if I were a v.good player should be turned into a win, there are those who will resign right away and those who will hold out to the bitter end come what may. Most are somewhere between the two.

Personally, I tend to the middle position. I resign only when my position appears hopeless (and occasionally when I am so depressed at not having any counter play). I feel those who resign early miss out on the chance to practice end game play which often can yield a reverse and those who play until checkmate is called (even when chances of stalemate are near xilch) are being discourteous given how such games can often drag on.

I wonder what other players think?

I was once at an OTB tournament where one of the players sat for an hour and a half without moving despite the fact that defeat was imminent.  Eventually his opponent complained to the tournament director who decided the game over.  Some people are simply sore losers. 

I would resign an obviously lost position or a position down a rook or so for nothing. Otherwise, no amount of pressure will make me resign. If you can win, go ahead, show me you can. But at my level, I still have a fighting chance if I'm down a minor piece or so.

I usually don't like to resign, if they truely have the advantage they should checkmate me.

99.9% of your focus ought to be on winning, everything else can be assigned to common sense.

I once played an OTB tournament game against a junior who is notorious for playing on in dead lost positions against players who are strong enough to know the winning technique. At one point, I called mate in 7, and he complained that I was trying to distract him. The aribter all but ignored his complaints. I then called mate in four when he avoided giving up two pieces to stave off two more moves. When it was mate in one, I sank into a deep thought, so he resigned a few minutes later and left in a huff. After the game someone asked me about the end of the game, and why I taunted my opponent. I said that my decisions were made for the same reason that he decided to play on knowing that it was forced mate. I have no sympathy for players who play on against Masters knowing that the position is dead lost.

i'd feel a right fool doing that to a junior

Always resign by eight so you have plenty of time to get to the bar.

ivandh, are you patenting this or can i use it afterwards ?

coneheadzombie: Your comment gave me a thought. With one of my opponents that fell in the camp - "won't resign even though I'm utterly lost with no chance of stalemate", I saw how I could get his king into a corner where it oscillates between two squares, play conditional moves that culminates in my having four queens before delivering the final coup de grace while watching him squirm - or am I childish?

When you think playing on isn't worth your time.

That is dependant on many factors: opponents skill, how interesting the position is, how much material you are down, how simple the win would be, if you have counterattacking chances etc.

I was at OTB tournament and one that I know was sitting without moving for more than 30 minutes and I thought he was lost but he calculated a draw and it worked out for him.

I just had a game here where a player trapped me in the opening and got a significant advantage.  He started taunting me and was very rude demanding I resign.  A few moves later while still taunting me I took his queen.  He kept saying I was dumb and he gave me the game.  When mate was imminent he let his time run down before resigning.  Moral of that story is don't let your emotions get too far out of hand if you are upset someone did not quit because it is still chess and you still have to think.  I really don't mind if people don't resign but I am not a fan of using your clock to get back at the winner.  Sometimes a loser will critique how accurately I finished.  If the game is clear, I don't bother with avoiding basic moves.  I'll promote a pawn before manuvering a king/rook ending.

I agree with jrb36=If I am unable to make a legal move I then resign

A person may play as long they want. Resign when you like. Everybody should respect everyone all the time. If anybody playing me decides to stop for whatever reason, well done for stopping by briefly. I respect every persons chess journey.

I think it would better to resign if you already are losing. Material disadvantage, mating net, etc. 

now it's just 2 guys acting up over the board.

Thats what i love to do. Mate them with 8 knights or so, hehehe. Keeps interesting for me that way.

Actually there's never a reason to resign, your opponent or yourself have the right and will always have the right to play the game to the end.
There's NOTHING to do about it.