A question about sportsmanship in chess

 Absolutely....

I also have this story:

Recently I played at the Marshall's, in NYC.  The oppenent was right on top of my move.  In other words, whenever I moved, before I could finish writing it down on the scoresheet, he would already make HIS move.  At move 14 he didn't act.  I looked at him, he started to put his hands in his face as if going into a deep thinking.  I considered my move NOT special in any way.  Something was up.  It was.  I forgot to hit the clock after move 14.

There are people like that all over, taking advantage not only the mistakes on chessboard but mistakes in procedures as well....

What can you do?

This is a good question.

Short Answer: I say nothing

Long answer: You know I think there are friendly games without a clock, friendly games with a clock, and then there are tournament games. If we're talking tournament play, I say nothing for a couple of reasons. One, I think sportsmanship goes both ways; that is, both sides showing up to play and playing by the rules. So to me, if a guy forgets his clock, I have no more inclination to remind him of this than I would to offer him a "takeback" where he just blundered and lost his queen. I don't gloat over it but I win. Then #2, if I forgot my clock; we'll I forgot my clock! I lose; I might kick myself in the @@@ but I lose. To tell you the truth, in competition, whether it's chess, poker, darts, etc, I don't want to be on the receiving end of any "gimmies". I want us both to be bound by the same rules and you win or lose. I want to clearly win or clearly lose.

Like I said, good sportsmanship works both ways. Win or lose, I shake hands (or nod) and say "Thanks". Banjoman, I think it's kinda "ballsy" to go afterwards and ask the guy why he didn't remind you  . IMHO

If he reminded you to hit the clock you would have learned nothing.

Only after losing a game because of your folly will you learn to avoid it moving forward.

There is no victory without honor.

it's your mistake

According to USCF rules, you really aren't supposed to tell your opponent.

Well I play most of my otb games at my school's chess club, where we just play for bragging rights, so I always remind my opponents there to hit the clock if they forget.  Then they can't say that the game wasn't a true demonstration of their strength.  In a more serious game, I might or might not remind my opponent -- it depends on my mood.

Come on. Burdened with managing your opponent's time??? What a bunch of hot-air rhetoric for "I'm an a##hole who will take a win anyway I can." You guys sound like blowhard politicians. It is in no way a burden to gesture to your opponent unless you are quadriplegic.

If it is a friendly game, then the aim is to improve your play and you should be talking about any truly good or bad moves, compitition play is about winning and the rules.

I may be stupid and unsporting but......

If the rules say you should not converse with your opponent and that you must not move on your opponents time.......

well surly if you inform your oponent in any way that they have forgotten to hit the clock, you break the rules and risk loosing the game.

The same if you move on their clock.

Out of courtesy I would simply wave my hand at the clock after a couple of minutes have passed, although it is not required.

2 minutes left for you and your opponent.  On the board you are losing by 2 pawns, the opponent moved but didn't hit clock

WHAT WOULD YOU DO THEN??

NO! I would not remind you to hit your clock.  My job is to make the best move possible given the board conditions and time constraints.  It is not my job to baby-sit you.  What is your point in asking this silly question?  Do you wish to demonize others because you are incompetent?

 oh boy

 If you are concentrating properly on the game, once your opponent has moved,you will not know or care whether or not your opponent has started your clock!

You will instead be contemplating your next move .

Once you have played your move,then and only then will you become aware that the opponent never started your clock.

By then,it is too late.

It will then be the opponent's move and it is highly improper to distract the opponent in any way while he or she is on the move.

I would have gestured at the clock.

too many good answers to comment

Yes, be more like this here friendly player   ;)

I can certainly understand the compunction to remind your opponent to stop his clock. It seems like the honorable, decent thing to do. And maybe, as one or two folks pointed out, in an extremely casual game, this should be condoned.  But, really, chess must be played by the rules.

Genna Sosonko wrote about this in his article "Killer Instinct":

"[bending the rules out of kindness] . . . does considerable psychological damage to the party who shows mercy, weakness or indecisiveness.  It leads to discomfort, an unpleasant aftertaste and a burning wound in a disturbed soul, as it contradicts the principles of the game itself.
   Mistakes made at the board should be punished, but so should any other 'unchesslike attitudes' . . . Caissa doesn't like it when some other goddess than she is worshipped.  Caissa doesn't like that. She likes those who enter her kingdom unconditionally and live by her laws.  Only after the game can you return to the normal world, getting to know it in the same way that a fish gets to know about water only after it has found itself on dry land."

The implication, though rather dramatically expressed, is that one absolutely must be responsible for oneself - that's part of the game and any attempt by a player to help out his opponent in any way actually violates the spirit of chess.

All is fair in War & Love

A majority of OTB players I know would point at the clock one time to remind a player about the need to press ... I know I would. But late in the game with time pressure squeezing ... that would be a different story. If I knew the player were a newbie, I'd still probably point once, but ... I might not.