# Chess, sports, and resigning **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game, chess\ **Created:** [March 14, 2021, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872 "2021-03-14T12:37:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/1 "2021-03-14T12:37:11Z")
Beyond the beginner level, if a chess game isn’t a draw, one player usually “resigns” if he feels his position is hopeless. There may actually be slim winning chances, but it’s ethical and sportsmanlike to “resign” (especially to a stronger opponent) rather than playing on to checkmate. It’s a sort of voluntary “mercy rule”. Are there any other sport/games in which the player/team at a disadvantage can (and do) “resign” ? Obviously - there are some (e.g. billiards) - in which the loser gives up because there is zero chance of winning (not enough points left on the table). All the major team sports (and individual sports like tennis) play games to a completion - no matter how one-sided it may be. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/2 "2021-03-14T13:07:47Z")
Cricket (I presume you accept this as a “major team sports”) In limited over games they always play the games out but long form matches can be ended when the captains agree a result is not possible. This usually results in a draw but sometimes a drawn result is equates to a win. Happened to us today playing an elimination final. Our mob were the higher ranked team and therefor will progress to the semifinal unless beaten. Today was Day2 (Sun), they were dismissed on Day1 (Sat) for 160 and we were 3/81 in reply at stumps. Today was intermittent drizzle after heavy overnight rain. Play was due to start @ 10:30am but was delayed until 2:30pm. We only got 6 overs in (score now 3/89) when play was stopped again for rain. After another hour waiting passed and with another 20 overs possible if weather and light permitted the opposition accepted there was insufficient time to get the 7 wickets they needed to win, conceded the game and were eliminated. In theory, in a monumental batting collapse, we could have been dismissed and lost in a couple of overs. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/3 "2021-03-14T13:13:49Z")
I think billiards / snooker _does_ count as an example, because fouls also score points. So it is never the case that there is _zero_ chance of winning, and therefore no obligation to concede a frame. Not only do players try a moon shot every now and then – genuinely trying to get some large number of snookers – but there are even times where a player plays on just to get some table time. Because just sitting watching for a long time can be detrimental to a player’s focus and touch. It would be considered unsportsmanly for a player to _frequently_ do this, but I am not aware of a specific rule on this. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/4 "2021-03-14T14:18:20Z")
Isn’t there some formula that applies when there’s a rain delay? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/5 "2021-03-14T14:38:06Z")
I’ve seen it plenty of times in tic tac toe, both with a likely draw ending and a likely win/lose ending, even though it is technically possible for the outcome to go otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/6 "2021-03-14T15:58:41Z")
It’s considered acceptable to concede a game in curling. It’s a sport where etiquette is taken seriously. E.g. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Curling/comments/7ynbpf/why\_did\_sweden\_concede\_yesterday/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Curling/comments/7ynbpf/why_did_sweden_concede_yesterday/) ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/7 "2021-03-14T16:09:20Z")
While there is no official way to concede in Battlebots, I have seen one side informally concede, requesting the other side to stop destroying the shit our of their bot, and allow it to be counted out, ending the match. Sometimes the other side accepts and other times it continues to kick the shit out of the other bot. The motivation is a bit different here, it’s to save what’s left of the bot which is both time & money consuming to fix. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/8 "2021-03-14T17:12:11Z")
The Duckworth-Lewis formula > **[Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duckworth%E2%80%93Lewis_method)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > The Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method (DLS) is a mathematical formulation designed to calculate the target score (number of runs needed to win) for the team batting second in a limited overs cricket match interrupted by weather or other circumstances. The method was devised by two English statisticians, Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis (not to be confused with former cricketer Tony Lewis), and was formerly known as the Duckworth–Lewis method (D/L). It... This is aimed at limited overs cricket though, I don’t think it’s used in multi-day games. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/9 "2021-03-14T20:34:34Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Isn’t there some formula that applies when there’s a rain delay? Yes. So in our competition we were playing finals with min 96 over days and play is reduced by 1 overs for every 3.75mins lost. A normal days play is 80 overs. The time taken to bowl an over (6 deliveries/pitches) depends on the type of bowler esp. how long their run ups are. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/10 "2021-03-14T20:41:13Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > This is aimed at limited overs cricket though Correct. DLS is used in limited over fixtures to set targets when the amount of play available (due to conditions eg rain, light, heat etc) is asymmetric between the two sides. For long form cricket the consideration is how much play remains. There is no consideration of sharing that time evenly. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/11 "2021-03-14T22:15:46Z")
In the gold medal game at the last Olympics, Sweden resigned when they still had a theoretical chance to win. It would have required the U.S. to miss two wide-open hits, though. Instead, the Swedish skip did a spinning delivery, then shook hands to concede the game. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2021, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/12 "2021-03-15T02:47:55Z")
The etiquette of the sport was a plot point in [the Murdoch Mysteries episode “Friday the 13th, 1901”](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3499226/). ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2021, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/13 "2021-03-15T06:58:01Z")
Matchplay golf has this. A player will often concede a hole, and this can cause the end of a match. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2021, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/14 "2021-03-15T12:19:54Z")
You get this somewhat in gridiron football, at least in the NFL, when a game gets really lopsided late and a comeback is pretty much impossible. A team will sit their starters rather than risk injuring them without a reason and are effectively conceding the game by fielding the backups. The game is still played to completion, and it can’t just be ended because the game is effectively over, but it’s clear that the loser has resigned. Also, there are people who will always criticize a team for giving up but most of the time it’s acceptable to do this when you have zero chance. Baseball has recently adopted a “mercy rule” along these lines: > **[Spring Game #2: A’s hit so well that Reds invoke mercy rule twice](https://www.athleticsnation.com/2021/3/1/22308137/oakland-as-cincinnati-reds-score-result-cactus-league)** > > A’s win 13-5 It doesn’t really fit the OP because it only applies to Spring training games and you are only ending an inning early, not the entire game. But unlike what happens in the NFL this is an actual rule, not just a custom. Wikipedia has an article on various “mercy rules” in different sports at certain levels: > **[Mercy rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercy_rule)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > A mercy rule, slaughter rule, knockout rule, or skunk rule ends a two-competitor sports competition earlier than the scheduled endpoint if one competitor has a very large and presumably insurmountable scoring lead over the other. It is called the mercy rule because it spares further humiliation for the loser. It is common in youth sports in North America, where running up the score is considered unsporting. It is especially common in baseball an... ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/15 "2021-03-15T17:01:03Z")
I’m surprised no one has mentioned boxing, the sport that originated the term “throw in the towel.” Roberto Duran quits against Sugar Ray Leonard. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/U_gmZn9YlXs/hqdefault.jpg "Ray Sugar Leonard humiliates Roberto Duran") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_gmZn9YlXs) Sonny Liston doesn’t come out of his corner vs. Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asBK0D-POmI) ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-sports-and-resigning/937872/16 "2021-03-20T05:33:50Z")
I’m not a big chess fan, but at any competition level, I’m fairly certain that the main advantage of resigning is conserving one’s energy and focus. Remember that a match in chess consists of a series of games, often in succession. If the situation is truly hopeless (a “lost position”, to use their terminology), it simply makes sense to not waste any more time and start fresh. Quitting in boxing is permitted but _extremely_ rare because for some reason it’s the single most despised action a boxer can take. That infamous “no mas” _destroyed_ Duran’s reputation, and Tyson quitting in the 6th round against Kevin McBride ended his career. It’s far more common for him to just turtle up and wait for the ref to end it. I’m iffy about a surrender option in Battlebots. I understand the desire to reduce repair costs, but “playing to spend as little money as possible” is completely the wrong mentality for this contest, and I guarantee that the fans are going to hate it. A “flash KO” option, doing away with the count when it’s clear that the bot can’t continue, makes more sense. I also think the ref should have the discretion to declare a “technical knockout” when one bot is obviously disabled at the end of the match, even if time has run out.