Let's talk about flagging opponents

Hello Everyone,

I just want to talk about the ethics behind flagging opponents in various time controls and wanted to get everyone's opinion on when it is acceptable or not.

Here's my standing: I think it's completely acceptable to flag in bullet, especially if it's 1+0 (I flag opponents myself in 1+0). But when it comes to any form of blitz, whether it's 5+0 or 3+0, do you think flagging is ethical? I'm not saying no one should do it, but when is it good to resign in a blitz game? Personally, I do not feel that it's respectable to flag in a blitz game, especially when a player is losing out of the opening, but defends well but then loses on time.

What's your thoughts on flagging? Let's have a civil discussion about it :)

P.S. I'm sorry to my blitz opponent I just played, and I'm sorry about cursing in the chat. I was very tilted because I was down 2 pawns out of the opening, but I still defended, and even created a checkmating pattern that was unavoidable, yet I lost on time because you didn't resign when it was very clearly lost.

It depends on how much time you’re opinent has, and how much their winning by. Plus, it’s sometimes good to not resing to practice your endgames.

Or you could just play with increment.

@FishNotADish2 That is true. The position I just had where I lost on time was I had 2 rooks and a king versus my opponent's king and 2 connected passed pawns.

@veryfunnyjokes That is also true

@FishNotADish2 For more context, I was down 2 pawns right out of the opening, which I had to defend and create my own counterplay chances. I do exactly that and I set up a nearly unavoidable checkmate, but lost on time because my opponent sacked everything, leaving them with 2 pawns.

It's almost as disgusting as leaving in lost position without resigning. Fortunately, I quit playing bullet a few years ago.

Time and how you manage it is part of the game. As #3 said play with increment if you dont like it.



I felt pretty dirty about this one. lol.

In my opinion time in chess is a resource just like material or a good position is.
If you play Blitz (especially without increment), you sign up for that. Don't blame the player but play another format.

I've once had this one position though, when I thought my opponent is just a piece of sh*t:
Both of us had like 20 seconds on the clock and only a king and a rook each on the board. A drawn position in which you can't play for anything but avoiding placing your rook and king on one line. I offered a draw, he waited and played on, making random moves which wouldn't lead to anything on the board but in the end he flagged me.
I think that was not okay. But this is an exception.
If I lose a winning position on time, I need to work on my time management.

you were 25 seconds AHEAD on move 37, then spent 2:01 on 3 moves!!!!!!!!

then when your opponent tries to flag you because you've wasted all your time, he blunders a few pieces and now you are complaining because you think you played well???

lol

@tzsche_f Yeah that's a completely valid point. In hindsight, I was definitely being mean to my opponent by cursing in chat and I definitely deserved the warning from Lichess I got after 5 minutes.

But my next question would be, at what point is flagging considered acceptable? Or worded differently, at what point does it become unacceptable? Your example about the theoretically drawn position is a great example of where flagging is not right. Do you think that if an opponent plays exceptionally well or if an opponent is losing but then overturns the game to winning is a position where flagging is not acceptable? Just wanted your thoughts on it.

Another question I have is, is it the player's responsibility to uphold the idea of respect for the opponent? With the increasing use of online chess, anonymity has allowed for flagging to be acceptable. But in an OTB tournament, flagging would obviously not be ethical in a blitz game.