I have played several players with lower ratings or ratings similar to mine who were obviously well above their actual rating. I see this all the time in tournaments. Players with < 1000 ratings who were more like 1400-1600 players. Another example is a player with a similar rating to me who destroys me in a game and right at the end resigns for no other reason than to keep their lower rating.
Are there any rules against this? It's certainly unethical and unfair. I've quit playing chess.com on two occasions because of it, and am considering closing my account again because it unfair and frustrating. What do others do in cases such as this?
well i mean if they resign then I wouldn't be too upset =)
But yeah sandbagging isn't really ethical.
Yeah this has never happened in my local district tournaments for school, but people don't really complain about anyone resigning, regardless of how they played.
But yeah don't sandbag kids, it can put toxic metal like nickel in lead into your lungs (if you know you know)
Wait, why does it matter in normal play? Sure, if they are entering tournaments, they are sandbagging - as the rules state. "If a player has a long string of losses right before they entered a tournament, they might be a sandbagger." But normal play is just play. So what if they resign before they win, did you get to play? This is a great way for you as the lower ranked to play a higher rank. I routinely kill my score when I start makign stupid, blunderous moves. Like today. Playing lower ranked players lets me get my focus back and I generally climb a bit higher. So what, this not a cheat, I don't do tournaments and there is NO consequence to anyone. I also don't hide it, I sometimes give tips and many players are very grateful. I also often find others who do the same. So what?
I also notice the great difference in attitudes of the lower ranked players, they are more friendly, most of my friends come from <600.
So they resign, what exactly did you lose? I routinely resign double-digit points ahead at any level when I make a stupid blunder, it ruins the game for me. So I resign 27 points ahead, what did you lose again?
My blitz/bullet ratings are about 650 and I do sometimes see players like you who play quite well. I agree with you that you are helping, because when I look at these games, I see you are not using an engine, just that your moves are all sensible and in many cases something I might have found myself if I had the time. So you make a good game for me.
I especially agree with your last point about you resigning when you are way up in material:
if you used your better ability or just having a better game to get way up on me in material and you prefer to resign to save us both the time of finishing an obvious win for you, you are doing me a favor, because I generally want the game to end too. I personally see no value in fighting on other than a little try with my major pieces or two bishops to try to trap you somewhere, and once the pieces are traded down so that even if you hand me your queen I still can't win, then I prefer to get it over with too. It's not ego, I just see no learning value to me or you in playing on hoping for you to suddenly play horribly and give me the game, especially with someone like you who already showed you can play.
I have respect for players at my rating level who play on to checkmate with an endgame of my three pawns and bishop and queen against just their pawns. Maybe they are practicing flagging me or trying for stalemate, so I just view that as part of the sport at my level, but I always resign when I am that far down unless their clock is dire for them. So if you are crushing me and resign instead before I get to resigning myself, great.
But when your winning and resign, then it just unnessicarelly (excuse my bad spelling) lowers your rating and you will be playing against people of lower skill level all the time which isnt fun and you may get reported for sandbagging. I agree with your point about learning value but resigning yourself isnt a good solution