Answers.Body: <p>FICS has a "<a href="http://www.freechess.org/Help/HelpFiles/takeback.html">takeback</a>" option; other sites may have something similar.</p>
  
  <p>The link gives full details but the idea is that you type <code>takeback n</code> to request undoing n half-moves. Either player can do this so, if you make a mouse-slip, you can just type <code>takeback</code> to ask your opponent to undo that move (n=1 is assumed if you don't specify); if your opponent makes a mouseslip, you can still type <code>takeback</code> to allow them the chance to undo. In the second case, you don't have to wait for your opponent to reply while your clock ticks away: if you make your move, the takeback is modified to <code>takeback 2</code> so your opponent has the offer of undoing both his mistake and your reply to it. When offered a takeback, you can either accept or decline; making a move automatically declines. Accepting a takeback also resets the clocks to what they were at the moment when the mouse-slip was made.</p>
  
  <p>On sites where this is not available, I'd recommend not making a dummy move, unless you were already in a losing position. You don't know that your opponent will behave honourably. They might exploit your generosity. I also wouldn't offer a draw unless, perhaps, a draw would have been a reasonable outcome before the mouse-slip. If your opponent was already losing, why should they gain half a point just by making a mouse-slip?</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-03-30T22:13:47.750Z
Answers.Text: Lichess has a takeback feature aswell
Answers.UserDisplayName: pulsar512b
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-01-06T09:43:43.330Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-01-06T09:43:43.330Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: David Richerby
Answers.Body: <p>Mouse slips are a result of moving too fast. </p>
  
  <p>Why should your opponent have the advantage of moving fast, without suffering the disadvantage of slipping once in a while? So in blitz I wouldn't accept any takebacks, it's just part of the game. </p>
  
  <p>Of course in longer time controls you could show more leniency ...</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-03T22:15:01.870Z
Answers.Text: In 1 minute games when people premove 1...g6 2...Bg7 I often play 3. Bh6 followed by 4.Bxg7 and 5.Bxh8. Hehehe.
Answers.UserDisplayName: magd
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-03-11T19:43:53.553Z
Answers.Text: "Mouse slips are a result of moving too fast." Often, I'm sure. Maybe even a majority of the time. However, there are other explanations: Faulty hardware (e.g. I have a mouse with a button that doesn't always work right), buggy software, etc.
Answers.UserDisplayName: GreenMatt
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-03-12T11:12:38.040Z
Answers.Text: @GreenMatt sometimes it's not even buggy or anything. I sometimes click on a piece to move it and realize I don't want to move it so I click away, this sometimes leads to me accidentally making a move. Other times I want to make a move and missclick on a wrong square. If your opponent wanted to take back on h8 with a rook, but stopped at h7. 99% chance it's a missclick, just let them. No sane player would play rh7 instead of rh8. Only time I don't allow missclicks is in bullet, makes no sense to takeback lol.
Answers.UserDisplayName: ALK003
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-03-12T18:20:50.437Z
Answers.Text: After encountering people requesting takebacks for moves which appeared as mouse slips, and then making a completely different move, I'm disabling takebacks on every chess site I'm using. In OTB chess there is the touch move rule, which isn't enforced in online play. I've won and lost games due to mouse slips, they are simply part of online chess, even on top level.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sleafar
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-01-07T11:26:27.973Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-01-07T11:26:27.973Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: BlindKungFuMaster
Answers.Body: <p>There is no 'right' answer to this. Personally, my rule is that I never give takebacks and I never ask for them. If I make a mouseslip then I'll live with it and if I come up against someone who whines or complains because I won't give a takeback then I'll add them to my no-play list.</p>
  
  <p>It's probably no accident that this attitude seems to be more common the higher up the rating lists you go.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-01-11T15:05:08.173Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-01-11T15:05:08.173Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: BarrySW19
Answers.Body: <p>This is a matter of preference- there is no hard and fast rule. Generally, if it's just like a random blitz game or something, I will just play the best move and continue. If it's a long game (and my opponent tells me it's a mouseslip) for a tournament, I'm more inclined to offer a takeback/make some dummy moves.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-03-30T22:15:49.363Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-03-30T22:15:49.363Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: pulsar512b
Answers.Body: <p>You can go either way, as many of the previous answers have suggested. If you feel like you shouldn't accept a draw (because you were winning, or because you don't feel obligated to offer a draw) that's perfectly acceptable. If you feel like offering a draw or allowing a takeback, that is your choice.</p>
  <p>If it was a real game, there would be no takebacks because of the touch-move rule, and because you &quot;accidentally&quot; dropped a piece somewhere, then you would still be forced to play that move. So, them saying you should feel obligated to take the move back is unwarranted and at odds with what the rules in a real game would be.</p>
  <p>TL;DR: Don't feel obligated to give a draw or make a dummy move because that isn't how a real game would work, but it's 100% your choice.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-03-23T21:58:56.097Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-03-23T23:09:32.857Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2021-03-23T23:09:32.857Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: vegancheese
Answers.Body: <p>I  feel like there should NOT be a takeback because that is the opponent's problem and they need to deal with it. The pros of chess can easily recover from a mistake, and so should my opponent.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-03-11T16:47:14.513Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-03-11T17:06:08.100Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2021-03-11T17:06:08.100Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: fbsadjlfbsadfsd
Answers.Body: <p>I think there should be takeback because it was not my fault the computer messsed up. I am currently outraged. Be a good sport person and offer a takeback.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-03-11T16:45:10.743Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-03-11T16:45:10.743Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: masnmkdnasdmnasjd
Body: <p>If your opponent makes an accidental move, e.g. by slipping the mouse, and it is obvious that is was accidental, how should you continue? Should you just play the best move as if your opponent's last move was intentional? Some of my opponents have suggested that I should accept a draw in such situations. Others have asked me to make a dummy move, so that they could undo their last move by moving the piece back to the square where it was before.</p>
  
Tags: <online-chess><etiquette>
Title: Accidental moves in online chess
ThreadText: # Accidental moves in online chess
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-06)
  
  If your opponent makes an accidental move, e.g. by slipping the mouse, and it is obvious that is was accidental, how should you continue? Should you just play the best move as if your opponent's last move was intentional? Some of my opponents have suggested that I should accept a draw in such situations. Others have asked me to make a dummy move, so that they could undo their last move by moving the piece back to the square where it was before.
  
  **Tags:** online-chess, etiquette
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 7 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2015-01-06. Score: 13
  
  FICS has a "[takeback](http://www.freechess.org/Help/HelpFiles/takeback.html)" option; other sites may have something similar.
  
  The link gives full details but the idea is that you type `takeback n` to request undoing n half-moves. Either player can do this so, if you make a mouse-slip, you can just type `takeback` to ask your opponent to undo that move (n=1 is assumed if you don't specify); if your opponent makes a mouseslip, you can still type `takeback` to allow them the chance to undo. In the second case, you don't have to wait for your opponent to reply while your clock ticks away: if you make your move, the takeback is modified to `takeback 2` so your opponent has the offer of undoing both his mistake and your reply to it. When offered a takeback, you can either accept or decline; making a move automatically declines. Accepting a takeback also resets the clocks to what they were at the moment when the mouse-slip was made.
  
  On sites where this is not available, I'd recommend not making a dummy move, unless you were already in a losing position. You don't know that your opponent will behave honourably. They might exploit your generosity. I also wouldn't offer a draw unless, perhaps, a draw would have been a reasonable outcome before the mouse-slip. If your opponent was already losing, why should they gain half a point just by making a mouse-slip?
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Lichess has a takeback feature aswell  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2015-01-07. Score: 12
  
  Mouse slips are a result of moving too fast.
  
  Why should your opponent have the advantage of moving fast, without suffering the disadvantage of slipping once in a while? So in blitz I wouldn't accept any takebacks, it's just part of the game.
  
  Of course in longer time controls you could show more leniency ...
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: In 1 minute games when people premove 1...g6 2...Bg7 I often play 3. Bh6 followed by 4.Bxg7 and 5.Bxh8. Hehehe.  
  > **username_5**: "Mouse slips are a result of moving too fast." Often, I'm sure. Maybe even a majority of the time. However, there are other explanations: Faulty hardware (e.g. I have a mouse with a button that doesn't always work right), buggy software, etc.  
  > **username_6**: @username_5 sometimes it's not even buggy or anything. I sometimes click on a piece to move it and realize I don't want to move it so I click away, this sometimes leads to me accidentally making a move. Other times I want to make a move and missclick on a wrong square. If your opponent wanted to take back on h8 with a rook, but stopped at h7. 99% chance it's a missclick, just let them. No sane player would play rh7 instead of rh8. Only time I don't allow missclicks is in bullet, makes no sense to takeback lol.  
  > **username_7**: After encountering people requesting takebacks for moves which appeared as mouse slips, and then making a completely different move, I'm disabling takebacks on every chess site I'm using. In OTB chess there is the touch move rule, which isn't enforced in online play. I've won and lost games due to mouse slips, they are simply part of online chess, even on top level.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_8 on 2015-01-11. Score: 6
  
  There is no 'right' answer to this. Personally, my rule is that I never give takebacks and I never ask for them. If I make a mouseslip then I'll live with it and if I come up against someone who whines or complains because I won't give a takeback then I'll add them to my no-play list.
  
  It's probably no accident that this attitude seems to be more common the higher up the rating lists you go.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2021-03-30. Score: 1
  
  This is a matter of preference- there is no hard and fast rule. Generally, if it's just like a random blitz game or something, I will just play the best move and continue. If it's a long game (and my opponent tells me it's a mouseslip) for a tournament, I'm more inclined to offer a takeback/make some dummy moves.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_9 on 2021-03-23. Score: 1
  
  You can go either way, as many of the previous answers have suggested. If you feel like you shouldn't accept a draw (because you were winning, or because you don't feel obligated to offer a draw) that's perfectly acceptable. If you feel like offering a draw or allowing a takeback, that is your choice.
  
  If it was a real game, there would be no takebacks because of the touch-move rule, and because you "accidentally" dropped a piece somewhere, then you would still be forced to play that move. So, them saying you should feel obligated to take the move back is unwarranted and at odds with what the rules in a real game would be.
  
  TL;DR: Don't feel obligated to give a draw or make a dummy move because that isn't how a real game would work, but it's 100% your choice.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_10 on 2021-03-11. Score: 0
  
  I feel like there should NOT be a takeback because that is the opponent's problem and they need to deal with it. The pros of chess can easily recover from a mistake, and so should my opponent.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_11 on 2021-03-11. Score: -1
  
  I think there should be takeback because it was not my fault the computer messsed up. I am currently outraged. Be a good sport person and offer a takeback.
  
  
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