Expert: Chuck Kinzie - 8/5/2007

Question
Hi,
Ive been playing about 3 years online only. Generally people are quite nice, but occasionally a person's behavior or comments can be unsettling. My question is this, a game in which I have King,Queen and one pawn vs. his King, Queen only. In this situation I have always resigned if in his position. He has offered a draw only. I feel that because I have one pawn left, I do have the advantage. He is a more seasoned and advanced level player than I and stands to lose points if he resigns. What is the correct play for me if we are considering good chess etiquette? Should I resign, even though I have a potential advantage.
Thanks!

Answer
Hi, Amanda!
Thanks for the interesting question.  Since it is almost impossible to lose if you're the one with the extra pawn, then you should try as hard as you can to win the game, even if your opponent is the World's Champion!  

If you're the player without the pawn, keep playing until it is obvious that your opponent is going to turn his pawn into a Queen.

Grandmaster Larry Evans once said that in chess "if it's legal, then it's ethical."  About the only exception to this rule is if you're just dead lost and you're wasting everybody's time playing out a lost cause.  If you're not sure if you're "dead lost" or not, then keep playing!

Hope you found my answer helpful!