Taking forfeits

I've written before about playing competitively, and why I believe that it's important. Playing competitively can bring out the best in us, as well as the worst. It can also show us who we truly are, and what we are capable of. These are very good characteristics to practice regularly in my opinion.

There is a minor negative that comes with competition though, or rather, its an emotion that comes with being competitive. I'm talking about the desire to win at all costs. While this might be good during tournaments, I don't believe that it is good to foster during normal weekly matches, or even in casual games against our friends.

This mentality could result in unethical behavior against our opponents. Such as attempting to cheat when we think that we can get away with it, or even sharking our opponents so that they won't be able to play up to their normal abilities. While some of these tactics are technically legal, I would argue that they should never be used.

Taking forfeits is something that is close to being unethical, depending on the circumstances. During normal league, I would recommend avoiding it if at all possible, in the interest of letting everybody play as much as possible. This has the added benefit of everybody getting able to play, which is good practice. However I understand that when the session is coming to a close, and in tournaments the stated primary goal is to win. In this case, taking the forfeit is the only way to go. I don't believe that it is a moral or ethical choice any more.