What is the Worst Thing Which Ever Happened To You In a Chess Game or Tournamen

I was playing in the 1973 U S Open. My opponent was the former Illinois Champion and USCF master, Dr. Steve Tennant.

He and I had played before in city vs city teams and I had gotten somewhat the better of it.

This was my 8th game in that US Open and I was dead tired from working during the day and traveling to Chicago and then back to Kankakee.

I played the white side of the Smith Morra Gambit and quickly got an advantage.  We later were in a rook and pawn end game where I was up two pawns.  But I was so tired that my head was swimming and I could not think.

Soon the game ended in a draw.  And I will never forget what my friend, Steve, said:  "You were up two pawns and couldnt win!  You were up two pawns and couldn't win!"

He kept repeating this.  

Here is a more recent incident. I was playing 15 minute chess and after the game my opponent accused me of cheating by using a chess engine/

He decided to make me his enemy.  He was a strong player and we broke about even.

The very last game we played it was a gambit but I defended well and we got to an end game when he had 3 pawns but his king was in the corner and he was one move away from being check mated. However It was a tough game and I was nervous and my hand slipped and I had to start my check mate move again.  I started to move my queen--But I lost on time.

He won!  This was the position:

You were up a queen and you couldn't win!

You were up a queen and you couldn't win!

i reached 2188 USCF level 40 years ago in 1973. Then I played in two USCF tournaments and won both with perfect scores.  Despite this my USCF rating has been 2188 for 40 years.  So winning those two tournaments did not have a good result. 

krushnoi the tournament director should have banned Mr. magnun but maybe he was afraid to do so?

What would have been your decision as the tournament director ponz111?

If I were tournament director, I would ban Mr. Magnum for threatening another player.

Then when Mr. Magnum comes to complain about my decision--I would run like hell.  [if I could run] 

I can assure you dear ponz11- a bullet is faster than a man...

OTB (unrated) tournament, as white I played a 2000+ player. Although it was unrated there was still honour to be had (individual tournament, but also inter-school/university) and it was serious. All the way through I held perfect equality, a draw was enough for me to be tied for 3rd (I think. Can't really remember here.) Got into a perfectly drawn pawn endgame up about 20 minutes on time (he was down to 3.) Saw a perfectly drawing move with my king to blockade the position.

Played my king backwards, allowing a pawn sac and a perfect loss. I have no idea what the heck I was thinking there. Those would've been my first points against a 2000+ rated player (in the first time I faced one in a tournament I think.)

Hahahahahahaha lol 

edit: ponz i ain't loughing at you.. :D

Actually, being up a queen and less than one half a second from check mating your opponent and then losing on time is kind of funny and I am sure this has happened to other players.

I played in my first and only local tournament several years ago while still in high school.  Our chess club was very informal and we never used chess clocks, played with time controls, or any of that stuff.  The club advisor explained how tournaments work but omitted one thing (read on).

I showed up for my first game against some kid about 13 years old.  He tied me in knots and I had a knight blocking him from some variation on scholar's mate.  I went to move a piece and accidentally knocked over the knight.  I picked it up and put it back, then went to move another piece.  The exchange went something like this:

Him:  I insist you move that knight.

Me:  But I was just putting it back.

Him:  Did you say "I adjust"?

Me:  What???

Him:  If you don't say "I adjust" you have to move it.

Me:  Get outta here.

I moved a pawn, at which point he went to get a tournament director.

TD:  Did you say "I adjust"?

Me:  What are you talking about?

TD:  Touch rules.  If you didn't say "I adjust" you have to move the piece.

At this point, I thanked him for the info, sat down, and waited for my clock to run out (I had about 30 minutes) so I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of checkmating me.  Then I went to the TD, withdrew, and went home.

Looking back, it was immature, but I was pretty upset in the heat of the moment.

Interesting stories! 

Nothing so critical happened to me. On my 1st (unrated) tournament - blitz - there was a player in the 1st round who forgot about check. I simply told him that he made an illegal move so he had to takeback the move, but I forgot to mention this to arbiter. Later I lost on time, although I could simply win my first game ever played on the tourney after just 10 moves.

like those stories!

I was playing in Chicago and won my first two games and then was playing a 2350 rated player.  This was about 1966.  I had the Black side of a Gruenfeld.  On about move 12 he offered a draw.  Naturally I followed one of my own ideas and thought: "Why does he think he is losing?"  I actually could tell I had a rather slight advantage.

So, I refused his offer of a draw.

About 10 moves later I was losing and had to resign...

Not a "worst thing" but an amusing thing. Another time I was playing... OTB 20|0 I think? I was losing horribly (cramped position, near-forced material loss for several moves but not actually down yet.) But naturally, both sides were in severe time trouble, like 2 minutes apiece in that tense and unresolved middlegame. I was white, obviously losing and right-handed.

That last bit did me in. My opponent played accurately and hit the clock far faster than I could (I used 2 minutes, she used like 20 seconds tops? Analog clocks.) Thus I scored a double loss: resigned just as I flagged. Moral of the story? Now I'm right-handed as black and a southpaw with white. ;-)

I lost....

I agreed a draw when I had mate in 6

I was playing in the South African Junior Championships, and I lost the game because I had resigned. I went outside and fell down and wept. When I really really should have won or drew.

(That was just my summary, now here's my story):

I was 3 Pawns and a whole Rook up, but I was still notating my game even with 2 minutes left (not knowing that I should stop notating when the is 5 minutes left in my clock and only play quick without notating etc.)

I stopped notating when I had 1 minute and 35 seconds left, and my evil opponent raised his hand to complian of why did I stop notating, and the arbiter said, "It's fine, there is no problem with that, infact your opponent should have stopped notating atleast 3 minutes ago..." and I had 1.5 minutes left and played quick but not quick enough and I was really pissed of at my opponent (and he also had a lucifer look in his face).

I endep up crowning and I had a Queen, a Rook, 1 pawn in the 7th rank and my Opponent "only" had a King left. (I was mudering the guy bra...). I only needed 1 minute nor 30 seconds to mate the guy but I only had a feeeeew seconds left:-( ...and when I had 2 seconds left, (instead of claiming a draw by force, by the the 5.2 rule)

"I resigned!"

After (few seconds) I signed the notation pad of my opponent's in utter shame and dissapointment, The abiter told me that I should have stopped the clock and cliam a draw by (force), the 5.2 rule.

I went down outside dissapointed bigtime and hurt and wept.

i played against a player who played who waited for 19 minutes in a 20 minute game to then beat me in one minute rofl...

that was embarassing.