Why play slower when losing?

Nice try

I generally play sporadically from the time after work until I sleep, and in the event that I get into a losing position I usually stop playing for the night because I don't want dig a deeper grave with some retarded half-asleep move. If the position is particularly complicated I will use the entire time limit to analyze the game. So yeah, I definitely slow down when I'm losing; and I feel it's for a good reason.

Not so -- I did say spite.

I have a few of those...and I always seem to.  I assume they have their odd reasons whatever they are and I assume they've nothing to do with me.  But I guess many have valid reasons for slowing down, which I assumed. 

Perhaps I should learn to slow down, myself, and make a little more effort in losing situations.

When I play turn-based I enjoy making notes as I go, and working out lines several moves ahead (I compare them after the game with the computer analysis).  When a game is going well for me, I already know what my response will be to the one or two or maybe three most likely moves by my opponent, so my response is fast.  But when my game isn't going well and I don't have the initiative, I often have to re-plan after each move.  Sometimes if I can't see something good but I think there's still a chance I might be missing something, I'll put that game aside for a day or so and then look at it again.

So the bottom line is, yes, I probably do play more slowly when I'm losing.  But let me contrast that with a game where I know for sure I'm lost.  In that instance, I'll either resign or let the person run out their checkmate of me quickly.

--Cystem

Playing slower when one is in a loosing position may be for a number of reasons-

1. Lost of interest.

2. Taking more time to avoid an even worst position.

3. Time constraints may allow easier, quicker moves on other games, but not allow one to dedicate enough time in your game.

4. Sometimes you feel so let down after the "blunder", you avoid the problem by allocating less time too it.

5. Done intentionally to drive you nuts...maybe you'll get fed up and abandon the game?

6. You may just have so many games going on at the time.

7. To manipulate you rating (as your winning opponent's rating increases...the less points you will loose when this game is completed...so string it along as best you can).

So there are many reasons...some we can relate to, and others may be doing so for the wrong reasons, but let's not lump everyone into the negative category.

Best of Luck on this one.

When you are winning, the adrenaline is pumping within you to waste your opponent, so therefore you play quicker

Well... "cute", yes :P But you can think (and be quite sure) that you enjoy chess much more than your opponent (and enjoying it not because you win).

People who enjoy chess only when they win will always exist.

Yeah, it's not all about you... did you actually see the words "I" and "many"... not "all". Chill out and get off my back now, had a belly full of you and your self-righteous nit-picking. Find some children to scare or whatever it is you do when not here.

perhaps some stall in order to achieve their highest rating (waiting on another opponent to resign before resigning).

I find myself playing slower on bad positions mainly because finding a good move (= the move that gives you some drawing chances) takes a lot of time to be found ( if there is one, ofc :P), which means i may not play this particular game until my next login. But i will resign in desperate positions (evident forced mate in 3 or being a rook down for example). On the other hand, in winning positions, things are simple: Don't blunder material, exchange a piece or two, put your rook behind a passed pawn and you'll eventually win. So finding a move that ends up in a similar or greater advantage is easier: Thus I end up playing winning positions faster.

This seems a little disproportionate -- I didn't realize I was on your back.  Are you sure I'm the one who needs to "chill out"?

I take much, much longer when the position is dead level or when I think there's a really cool tactic that I can't quite see just yet. I might revisit the game several times before moving (apologies to all my long-suffering opponents!).

When I'm clearly winning I play fast (especially for 'play-to-the-end' games).

When I'm clearly losing I'll resign.

Losing postion needs more thinking time.

If my opponent gets a material advantage that doesn't have any sort of immediate positional advantage, the first thing I decide to do is to try and frustrate the opponent, I don't mean by taking lots of time to make moves. However, this is a by-product due to the fact I'm trying to find the best way of doing this. 

I can see why people might use time as an annoying tactic but it doesn't work on me so I wouldn't try it. 

This is a good question, one even I've been thinking about for sometime. I tried to observe this topic a few months back in a chess tournament.

Well, when you are losing, there are not much options on the chess board. The losing side will need some thinking time.

Most of the time, the  opponent feels  down when losing- no motivation left to carry on and they will start to just drag the game.

jonab

The ones that bother me are the ones that wait until the last hour to make EVERY play

Seems to me that when in a clearly losing position you have nothing more to lose by greatly speeding up your moves. Opponent may actually slow down to think about how they will convert to a win, and could then also become rattled when they see themselves at a time disadvantage.