Translation of post #1:
I like to humiliate my opponents by beating them while berserking but I don't have the necessary skills to win that many games; so I rather my opponents berserk too so that I can maintain the same ratio of won-to-lost games and still feel good about a berserk win.
But alas, now I can only find comfort in pretending that my opponents are cowards.
Also it must be noted that the icon and the sound of the berserk button irrationally influence my views on this topic.
I was not aware that not going berserk might be considered as cowardice. I do not see the point of that, though. If I do not go berserk, I cannot win as many tournament points - so it is my own disadvantage I have to cope with.
I think decisions in chess - wether it be accepting gambits, playing otherwise risky moves or going berserk - should not be a question of honour, just of deliberation of risk and safety.
The only thing I consider as unsportsmanlike in a tournament is when an opponent in a lost position stops to move and lets the time run down - so he is gaining nothing and takes my time away to continue the tournament.
I don´ t want to troll around here...but you said it you win more tournament points when you go berserk.So in 90 % a Berserker will win the tournament. So why joining a tournament if not trying to win? Just to suck out a few points of someone who tries to win?
To me thats coward chess.
Well, I did win tournaments or was among the top three, and I did go berserk often. But I do not consider my opponent dishonourable if he doesn't.
You are not trooling around, I can see your point. But for me chess is still not a matter of winning in the first place.
Well I completly dissagree with that.
I'm not too high rated player (from 1600-1850 depending on my form of a day, as I play super-crazy chess and basicly I can be beat by anybody, but anybody also can be beat by me. Even some guys 2400+ ) With such a low ranking, i already finished more than 10% of my turnaments in top 3 - with berserk rate =0. So I'm serious competitor (especialy in crazyhouse), no matter that i never berserk and no matter what my ranking says.
To be honest, in my opinion berserker proves to be a person too much confident and he simply says: I neglect you. That what is a lack of honor to me. He doesn't respect me - so i'm gonna try to prove him he made a mistake. But on my own rules.
The other thing - berserker basicly want to play super fast, with much lower quality of game, and that is why i hate to berserk. Let's play chess - not a stupid "lets prove who have faster hands or more memorized lines."I believe the best for chess and for all of us would be to remove the option of berserking in all turnaments.