my idea on resigning is more mental focused: it doesn't matter what helps you win this game it only matters what helps you blunder less. I find there is an effect that if I play through a blundered position I am more likely to blunder next game because my mental state is blundering is okay. I think this might depend on the person though. that said in your position I didn't see the mate but I did see knight to h6 check and if the king goes to h file alternate the knight for the draw and if the king goes to f mate 1. needless to say black had options
Yes! And to be clear: Total respect to my opponent, who had me beat this game, though it was a crazy back and forth.
That would have been an awesome mate too. Nice example and good luck with your chess!
I've won being 14 points down recently. The real key is understanding the position and your counterplay chances. Also a lot of under 1500 players will stalemate. I was in a tournament last Friday and the player couldn't figure out a checkmate with a queen, and 3 minor peices and walked into a stalemate
On his defense, spotting the knight mate isn't really easy unless you actually already studied it previously. Although the perpetual checks possibility is quite obvious
I also never resign. I've learned my lesson in a game which I resigned although I had a strong feeling that I was winning, just couldn't figure out how - I was down A LOT of material, but my position was really good and my pieces were active. Later i've analyzed with the engine just to see that I was, in fact, completely winning - and it wasn't even that hard to spot, I just figured that with all the material I lost I couldn't win anymore... lol
I've won being 14 points down recently. The real key is understandig the position and your counterplay cbances. Also a lot of under 1500 players will stalemate. I was in a tournament last Friday and the player could figure out a checkmate with a queen, and 3 minor peices and walked into a stalemate
I remember when I was below 1500 in a rapid game. I was hopelessly lost, but I saw a stalemate trick! Desperate, I played it, and he fell for it!
true
I also pull out victories in blitz games because of it.
just enjoy the game. without much thinking. life is life, ladies and gentlemen!
How did he miss the smothered mate??
1. ..Nh3++ 2. Kh1 Qg1+ 3. Rxg1 Nf2# seems obvious to me.
https://www.chess.com/a/2hX1b276NshiW
Indeed I had a game that ignoring the reflex to resign after a blunder ended up working out for me. After I went and blundered my queen (at least it was a complicated blunder - not a simple immediate capture - but a position where I found my queen attacked and all the escape options would lead to her capture). I played on - my opponent's pieces were surprisingly passive at that point and I found an attacking idea. Although I missed a mate in 1 within that attack, I was able to play to clear advantage and my opponent resigned (they were also behind on clock and position and material at the end). I was down a whopping 15 points of material after my queen blunder.
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How did he miss the smothered mate??
1. ..Nh3++ 2. Kh1 Qg1+ 3. Rxg1 Nf2# seems obvious to me.
The obviousness of a thing like that depends a lot on having memorized the pattern. My opponent spent about two out of four minutes available calculating, but time pressure, seeing that I was so close to a mate, myself, and our overall low rating (he's at about 900 and I'm at about 800) added up to not seeing his own options. Since I've had a couple of club-level players say "Oh yeah, I wouldn't have seen that," it seems to me it's not obvious to everyone!
I wouldn't have seen it either, but I saw the first move, and it seems to me that spending those couple of minutes playing it out couldn't be any worse than a resignation (and would likely have given him a win.) He would have hit upon it just moving pieces and keeping me in check, most likely.
It's a pattern mate that's usually in the first chapter of any beginner's chess book. I show it to beginners at my local club fairly often, because it showcases the importance of the double-check.
Wait until the clock drops or the checkmate is delivered.
How did he miss the smothered mate??
1. ..Nh3++ 2. Kh1 Qg1+ 3. Rxg1 Nf2# seems obvious to me.
The obviousness of a thing like that depends a lot on having memorized the pattern. My opponent spent about two out of four minutes available calculating, but time pressure, seeing that I was so close to a mate, myself, and our overall low rating (he's at about 900 and I'm at about 800) added up to not seeing his own options. Since I've had a couple of club-level players say "Oh yeah, I wouldn't have seen that," it seems to me it's not obvious to everyone!
I wouldn't have seen it either, but I saw the first move, and it seems to me that spending those couple of minutes playing it out couldn't be any worse than a resignation (and would likely have given him a win.) He would have hit upon it just moving pieces and keeping me in check, most likely.
Since he did not even go for a perpetual, I'd think he did not even realize that he had a discovered check.
How did he miss the smothered mate??
1. ..Nh3++ 2. Kh1 Qg1+ 3. Rxg1 Nf2# seems obvious to me.
guess its a low rated game, else i cant explain it. but sometimes you miss the easiest mates because you are just blind. happens ot all of us
Edit: as op is 800 rating i gues it was a low rated game. 800s usually dont see it unless they have seen it in the chess.com lesson guides already. but i think i have seen it first time at arround 900-1000
Yep. I play blind games once in a while with my friends and it becomes a simple but common mistake. 
yep, i see it
It's a pattern mate that's usually in the first chapter of any beginner's chess book. I show it to beginners at my local club fairly often, because it showcases the importance of the double-check.
Actually no - I saw it the first time while looking at puzzles at some other site many years ago. I never learnt it when I had a rating of 1200+ at the time on yet another site. I never used a single chess book at all during that period of time.
