Ever wonder why chess players resign so early sometimes?
You’re in the middle of an intense match, pieces are captured left and right, the game is really heating up – then suddenly your opponent tips over their king and says ‘good game’.
What gives? Why do they resign when there’s still plenty of action left?
As an amateur player, it can seem strange. But for pros, resigning early could be a ‘strategic’ move.
Grandmasters and masters resign when they see a forced checkmate sequence that’s unavoidable, even if it’s still 10 or 15 moves away.
At their level of play, a loss is a loss, whether it happens in 5 moves or 50. By resigning early, they can save mental energy for the next game and avoid a long, drawn-out defeat.
For the rest of us, resigning early is less common since we’re playing more for fun and to learn. But for serious competitors, knowing when to resign gracefully is a skill in itself.
Reasons For Resigning Early
When chess players resign early in a game, there are a few reasons why.
They See an Inevitable Loss Coming
There may be a sequence of moves their opponent can make that guarantees checkmate or make their position utterly hopeless.
Rather than drag the game on and suffer through the defeat, they resign to conserve mental energy and time. After all, chess requires intense focus and mental exertion.
Their Position Looks Very Bad
Even if checkmate isn’t immediately threatened, their pieces may be poorly placed, their pawns weakened, and their king exposed.
Winning from such a disadvantaged position is highly unlikely, so they resign to avoid wasting effort on a probable loss.
Their Opponent Has a Large Material Advantage
Being down several pawns or pieces severely hampers a player’s chances and makes checkmate much easier to achieve.
At some point, the material deficit becomes insurmountable, and resignation is inevitable. Rather than suffer through a lengthy king hunt, it’s better to resign and start a new game.
Why It’s Probably Not a Good Idea To Resign Early
The bitter truth is that players have very little to gain and everything to lose when resigning early.
Yes, you can probably resign when you have a lost position but don’t give in too easily. Fight and exhaust all your defensive resources before doing so.
We’ve seen grandmasters have totally lost positions, and then by some miracle or luck, their opponent blunders their advantage and the game fizzles to a draw.
This is because their defensive stance can be frustrating to an opponent expecting an easy win, and that can lead to some costly mistakes that makes the other player equalize or even win!
Just like Serjey Karjakin who pulled off amazing defenses against then World Champion, Magnus Carlsen in the 2016 World Championship Match, earning the nickname of “Minister of Defense” from chess players.
In addition, resigning early can also be detrimental to your chess development. You may miss out on valuable learning opportunities by resigning too early.
It’s better to play on and try to learn from your mistakes. As a beginner, it’s important to understand that chess is a game of patience and strategy. You should not give up on your games as quickly.
We hope you got some value from this!
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