The etiquette of resigning

As a 'newbie' I was wondering if someone would (seriously) give me some idea of when it is proper to resign.  I have just started trying "on line " chess.  Having fallen badly behind after some 23 moves, my position was hopeless.  Is that enough 'cause' to resign? or should I have played the game out to the end? I realize that the question is subjective, but if the community could give some guidance I would be grateful.  Besides my opponent had labored on with a novice for several weeks and I was grateful for the opportunity.

Thank

Hello,

When I was new to Chess.com I posted a similar topic. I got hundreds of responses. (Some of them were pretty rude.) People have different views on the subject. I resign when I feel there is a really good chance I can't win. So, if I'm behind in material, in a bad position, and I know my opponent is a pretty strong player, I'll resign. If I think there is a possiblity of a stalemate, I might play the game out. In your current situation, I would resign. I think your opponent will understand. At the end of the game you can say "Good game." or send a trophy to show that you enjoyed the game.

If you are a complete and total novice, it's not a terrible idea to play out almost everything just so you can see how your opponent wins (i.e. how to mate with queen vs. nothing, how to take advantage of a large material advantage. etc.)

When you're a complete beginner and playing a complete beginner, it's reasonble to continue on until you both know that the game is definitely going to end with a win for one side without any possibility of error. As you get better, the point where it's reasonable to resign gets put back a bit. If you're in a lost king-and-pawn endgame and you know how to win it and your opponent is rated high enough to know how to win it and there just isn't much chance of a draw, it's reasonable to resign - playing on just wastes your time because you're not going to change the result and you're not going to learn anything. If I drop a piece in the middlegame, I'm probably going to resign if I'm playing a reasonable opponent because I'm just not going to have any fun grinding the game out for 3 hours, nor am I going to learn anything, nor am I going to change the result. However, at your level, it's probably worthwhile because your opponent might drop the piece and you will probably learn something from the game.

I recently got a draw when I had been about to resign, though. It was a dead lost pawn endgame but there were a couple spots where he could slip up, so I decided to resign in a couple moves as soon as he demonstrated that he would not slip up. He slipped up! So I got the draw.

Anyway, resign when you feel like it's an insult to your opponents' intelligence and a waste of time to play on. Otherwise, you paid your money and it's your prerogative to get a full game of chess.

You can always insist on your right to be checkmated.  I don't like to play on if I can see that I have no chance of drawing.  It's no fun.  I don't take the rating into account.  I always assume my opponent will find the basic moves, and will not blunder away his advantage.  But you may not have enough experience to be  confident you are correct in your opinion of no real chance to even split the point.  If you can see how your opponent can win with a simple plan and normal moves, give it up.  If you can't see his method for winning, let him teach you.   

 I think that's a good way of stating it. If your opponent can win with a simple plan and normal moves, give up. If you can't see the win, might as well play on and learn something.

A player's irritation with a refusal to resign may reflect their uncertainty about being able to finish off the game.  If their position is really crushing, they should enjoy playing it out to mate.  Some people don't know the techniques of even simple endgames, and want to avoid the work.  So don't let someone's attitude influence you.  Decide for yourself when you hear the fat lady singing.

when your opponent knows what hes  doingin the  advantages  of his  position and you  are completely dominatedor have  seen  an inevitable  mate. it is better  to  resignwhy prolong the agony of losingeventually.for  me sometimes i sacrifice my pieces by  checking  the king before  i resign, to his  surprise and  relieves  me of my bad moves  for the day.

I once beat a very strong player (guessing 2200 or so) from a terrible position, several pieces behind and with perhaps 20 secs left on the clock.  He was obviously irritated that I hadn't already resigned and fell into a mating trap he should have spotted easily.  Never give up as long as you have a couple of useful pieces left.

I am guessing this was blitz, remember blitz doesn't have the same rules as online. In blitz, if you have enough pieces for traps and tricks, go ahead! But, if the chances of you mating with a subtle trap are low, don't bother. THink about it this way, if he can pre-move half of the line, it's probably a good time to give up.

Good rule of thumb at low level: If you know how you'd finish off the win if the positions were reversed, then it's time to resign.

Because if you don't know how your opponent can finish you off, then even if it's hopeless, you can learn from his technique. So play it out.

Resign when the weakest of you two knows it's totally over.

If you are stronger than your opponent, there is a chance he will not find a win. If you are weaker and don't see the win, let him show it to you and thus teach you a lesson.

This precisely bears out N-P's point: how would the stronger of the two know that the weaker of the two knows that's it's totally over (for one of them)? He wouldn't ... unless the weaker tells him!

yes, do not  give up  when  the  enemy is  is  time  trouble

ha. OMG, if i think about it, thats actually true