When you lose a game of chess, what do you usually consider the reason to be?

Created on Thu, 03/26/2009.

When you lose a game of chess, what do you usually consider the reason to be?

Comments:

by callmeaspade - 7 months ago
Moscow Russia
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 471

And where's the "I played well but my oponent cheated" option? It is a popular reasoning nowadays.

by permana - 7 months ago
bogor Indonesia
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 20

1st option is just 4 sportive player.....2nd for an arrogant player...and the 3rd???? you are playing chess not dice)

by DaPharaoh - 7 months ago
Gaithersburg, MD United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 1360

how is the second for an arrogant player? I would say it's for a player that understands he made mistakes

by Avecya - 7 months ago
Middlesbrough England
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 3

"Up on the top tables they outplay each other. Down here it's about who makes the first mistake."

- fellow novice player in the Cleveland Chess Congress, Jan '09.

by Ritik10 - 7 months ago
United States
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 5

Money mouthMoney mouthMoney mouth


by MsCloyescapade - 7 months ago
California United States
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 558

...how bout this ritik10

by brandonQDSH - 7 months ago
Honolulu, HI United States
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 996

I wonder how people would have voted if they changed with wording a little:

A. I played well, but my opponent was able to capitalize on my mistakes.

B. I didn't play well and my opponent played better/outplayed me.

C. I'm confusing chess with poker =/

How would people vote?

by Komoliddin07 - 7 months ago
Toshkent Uzbekistan
Member Since: Jul 2007
Member Points: 20413

It depends, every game is different.....

there should be option "all of above"...

by rich - 7 months ago
My Home United Kingdom
Member Since: Jul 2007
Member Points: 22443

I go for B, if I lose it's just because I got a bad one, and my opponent made me pay for the mistakes.

by wormrose - 7 months ago
Lake Tahoe, NV United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 2272

According to a recent forum [ I played great but my opponent cheated ] should be the number one responce, since cheating is rampant and the vast majority of players rated over 2000 cheat in live chess (according to the participants in said forum).

by BigOto - 7 months ago
Kirkland, WA United States
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 5597

I voted "I was just unlucky." I think it should be the popular vote, and that there are some wrong opinions here.

by polosportply - 7 months ago
Canada
Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 92

Well, atleast I came in second...Cool

by oinquarki - 7 months ago
The Finest City In The United States
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 3432

What?? No option for I never lose!

lol Just kidding, I always lose.

by likesforests - 7 months ago
United States
Member Since: May 2007
Member Points: 4407

I'm curious how, "I played well, but my opponent didn't play fair." would score. I bet 2 out of 4 of my OTB opponents this weekend would pick that one. It seems common to want to blame something outside our control for our losses.

"I didn't play well and my opponent took advantage of my mistakes (78%)"

by oinquarki - 7 months ago
The Finest City In The United States
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 3432

When you lose a game of chess, what do you usually consider the reason to be?

  • I played well but my opponent played even better than I did (20%)
  • I didn't play well and my opponent took advantage of my mistakes (77%)
  • I was just unlucky (2%)
Thank you! 1137 votes cast.
add up the percents...
by JohnPaladin - 7 months ago
Phoenix Ireland
Member Since: Nov 2008
Member Points: 128

Sometimes it's I played the best game that I am able, but my opponent simply outclassed me. And then other times it's I'm as good as my opponent is, but I made mistakes that they were able to take advantage of.

by Hydroxide - 7 months ago
British Columbia Canada
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 284

Usually it's because of really dumb blunders that I definetly could have seen.. If I didn't blunder I bet my rating could easily be 1500 :p

by Nelso_125 - 7 months ago
Victoria Australia
Member Since: Sep 2008
Member Points: 418

Well, we are all human (except for those chess-playing bots, you know who you are Tongue out) and humans make mistakes.

by DaPharaoh - 7 months ago
Gaithersburg, MD United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 1360

even kasparov admits he makes mistakes in EVERY game, according to him it's impossible to play the perfect game. there are always mistakes..

by brandonQDSH - 7 months ago
Honolulu, HI United States
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 996

There will always be mistakes for sure. That's why the computer is the reigning chess champion.

But does the opponent capitalizing on your mistakes = you didn't play well?

I like JohnPaladin's comment, "Sometimes I play the best game I'm able, but my opponent simply outclassed me."

I agree that the second option IS more for the arrogant bunch. Like likesforests said, #3 wants to blame external sources for one's loss. Option #2  seems to want to say, "Normally, when I play, I play really, really good, and that's why I win: because of my skill and masterful play." When I lose, it's just because I had an off day and my opponent was just able to see the OBVIOUS MISTAKES in my game, which I couldn't see at the time . . . for some reason . . . maybe because my glasses were in the shop . . . but now it's 100% obvious that I just made a dumb mistake, and anyone with eyes could just pick up on that and win by default. It's like thinking you win because of skill and everyone else wins because sometimes you just make mistakes.

I believe option #1 takes the most ownership of not only your own skill and human tendencies to err, but acknowledges that your opponent had to play well to beat you. Be a man: choose option #1 :)

by jerry2468 - 7 months ago
United States
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 762

how about "I resigned from disgust of his lack of skills"?

by jacoblcl - 7 months ago
Tacoma, WA United States
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 33

I never lose. Look at my game history so far. Yell

by GetsugaTenshou24 - 7 months ago
San Antonio, TX United States
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 13

If you made mistakes (pretty way of saying that you didn't play well), then you cannot say that your opponent didn't play better than you regardless if you knew better or not. However, if you were to play him or her best out of 3 or 5, then that is a different story.

by socket2me - 7 months ago
Ft. Collins, Colorado United States
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 528

Every response to a loss is different, but for every game you lose a piece and lose against an opponent, another opponent did the same thing against you.

The person who taught chess to me always said that chess is the perfect game.  There is no luck involved, mind versus mind.  Poker, cards, gambling are all imperfected games, which luck is involved.  In chess, you error, it's your own fault.  No valid excuses in this game. 

by cosmin - 7 months ago
Berlin Germany
Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 90

Chess is a game of luck, if you are paired with a worse opponent :P

by chawil - 7 months ago
Lowestoft, Suffolk United Kingdom
Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 445

Actually there are lots of reasons that I lose. I often get bored when I have an overwhelming position against a weaker player (I was 2 rooks, a bishop and a pawn to the good with queens off the board! no hint of resignation, luckily there was an interesting mate in four so I won but geeze, try a little courtesy once in awhile!). I always try to play as well as I can but anyone who doesn't understand that there are stronger players or that you can have a bad day shouldn't play chess as they will inevibably be disappointed sooner or later.

by lizard1 - 7 months ago
Alamos Mexico
Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 16

1.contemplate suicide.

2. Consider joining the foreign legend.

3. Go on a three day drunk.

4. Say good game and try not to be beaten again the same way.

by KGP - 7 months ago
ENGLAND Great Britain
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 65

My mistake is always the same, Even before I started I loose, So if I did not start I would be ok, O hell! I forgot the timer is going lost again,I wonder if I could glue my opponents men to the boardWink

by WordWarrior - 7 months ago
Groningen Netherlands
Member Since: Sep 2008
Member Points: 159

It's usually a combination of mistakes made by both sides, and which player can capitalise the best on his opponent's mistakes. The basic reason somebody loses is always because he/she has made a mistake. But everybody also makes mistakes and gets away with them sometimes. To win, simply do the following: (1) minimise mistakes (2) capitalise on your opponent's mistakes (3) defend as well as possible if the need arises. To lose, simply do the following: (1) maximise mistakes (2) fail to capitalise on your opponent's mistakes (3) defend poorly. 8)

by kirkland - 7 months ago
martinez Ga. United States
Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 220

well when i lose a game i look at them and see why i lost i mean if im playing someone on here with a rating 1700 and up chances are im going to lose however i try to learn from the better players ny rating is kind of high right now for my playing like because of timed out games which happens so anyway. ive played games on here that i was winning than oops but thats chess

by onosson - 7 months ago
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 723

I picked number two, not because I'm arrogant at all.  In fact, I usually do not think that I play well at all, so it's just par for the course!

by rook_battery - 7 months ago
Ohio United States
Member Since: Mar 2009
Member Points: 70

I agree with depharoah....second choice is for those who realize they made mistakes playing. It's not necessarily arrogant----the arrogant player would be one who thinks he should have won regardless of how he or she played and therefore thinks they are never making any mistakes. Which we all know is very wrong. We all make mistakes--otherwise we would never lose at all. Even the chess greats make mistakes---theirs are just far fewer and farther between than a great deal of us.

by ANJANASATHYAN - 7 months ago
kerala India
Member Since: Mar 2009
Member Points: 38

ACTUALLY NO NEED OF ARGUMENTS............

'' TO ERR IS MAN ''(Tongue outIF U LIKE IT GIVE ME A TROPHY)

by ANJANASATHYAN - 7 months ago
kerala India
Member Since: Mar 2009
Member Points: 38

PIS.........I BEG A TROPHY I 'LL RETURN THE SAME KIND(S) FOR U

by MisterCutie - 7 months ago
Russia
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 54

If I lose, it's usually because I'm not in the right mood.

by simonbob13 - 5 months ago
land-o-lakes, Florida United States
Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 8

how 'bout, i lost 'cuz i was playing a 30 year old when i'm only 10?

by brianb42 - 5 months ago
Dayton, OH United States
Member Since: Aug 2008
Member Points: 79

More than once I have lost a game from being over-confident. Then I end up losing a winning position.

by littleAlekhine - 4 months ago
Stuttgart Germany
Member Since: Jun 2009
Member Points: 203

I didnt play well ENOUGH

by Matt32 - 4 months ago
Medford United States
Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 42

none of the above, they could have made that an option.

i found the first move of this puzzle, it is the only easy move.

by Qwertyuiop135 - 4 months ago
Brisbane Australia
Member Since: Jun 2009
Member Points: 100
I played well but my opponent played even better than I did (22%) I didn't play well and my opponent took advantage of my mistakes (75%) I was just unlucky (3%)

That's a great survey. Note the percentage. 101% all up.

by UncleChessy - 4 months ago
Ft. Lauderdale United States
Member Since: Mar 2009
Member Points: 14

I usually blame the homeless.

by Rolo57 - 3 months ago
Frisco, Texas United States
Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 80

IM A REALLY BAD PLAYER AND BLUNDER ALL THE TIME

by salmanmustafa72 - 3 months ago
Karachi Pakistan
Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 2

I thinkk there should be another option called- i made mistakes due to impatience

coz i make most oof my mistakes coz i wanna finish games quickly.

by Arv123 - 2 months ago
New York City United States
Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 443

When you lose a game of chess, what do you usually consider the reason to be?

  • I played well but my opponent played even better than I did (22%)
  • I didn't play well and my opponent took advantage of my mistakes (75%)
  • I was just unlucky (3%)
Thank you! 3647 votes cast.
by kunduk - 54 days ago
kolkata India
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 751

it is for my analysis problem..

by NQChien - 50 days ago
Hanoi Vietnam
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 40

Just because we are all aware of the impact made by our own blunders ... [2] is the popular choice.

by DylanAM - 39 days ago
Conway, AR United States
Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 94

The answer is: D) it depends on the loss.  To pick Choice 1 assumes that we always play well.  To choose Choice 2 means that we don't play well as a matter of course.  Choice 3 doesn't make sense because losing is a matter of cause and effect, not luck.  You make a mistake, and it causes you to lose.  You play well, but are outplayed, this causes you to lose.  It isn't a matter of random occurence.

I submit this poll was conducted as a case study of attitudes -- and is not a true poll as it "appears" to be.  None of the options are "right", but people will still choose based on their attitude, or what happens most of the time in their own personal experiece.

by Angela04 - 29 days ago
Pampanga Philippines
Member Since: Oct 2009
Member Points: 3

I let him win the game so he can have points...HAHAHA....LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by NrthrnKnght - 10 days ago
Lewiston Idaho United States
Member Since: Jun 2009
Member Points: 82

I lose because I blow it in the opening. trying dumb stuff that I should know better.I have weaknesses.My knowledge is narrow but what I know I know well.

by IsolatedDpawn - 9 days ago
Arizona United States
Member Since: Jul 2009
Member Points: 93

there in the board in front of us are all the mistakes waiting to be made

by gimmewuchagot - 3 days ago
Millburn-Short Hills, New Jersey United States
Member Since: May 2009
Member Points: 3587

of course B

by RayDuqueIII - 6 hours ago
New York City, NY United States
Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 1293

Maybe the reason is I'm weak playing chess because I just play chess for fun, friendship, brain exercise. I don't care if I will win or lose the game as long as I have those three. And besides, my hobby is ballroom and latin dancing.

Ray Duque, III (GMBD), New York City


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