To continue the thought, if a good chess players is losing, he will often lash out at his opponent's king and sacrifice additional pieces in order to complicate matters. Doing so may offer him a small chance of getting back into the game. This is potentally better than simply defending, which gives him almost no chance to win or draw if the winning technique is clear. Most of the time, this just means a quicker loss, but it's the difference between a 10% chance of avoiding loss and a 1% chance.

As with a poker tournament, it's much better to pick a hand earlier to make a stand with if you're getting blinded to death. If you bust out, you bust out...but the chance of doubling up with a bigger stack makes it worth it.

ScottieK