"The Open File" - Draw Offers

Submitted by Zug on Fri, 03/14/2008 at 12:49pm.

THE OPEN FILE
by Mike Petersen (Zug)

"Draw Offers"

I'm sure it's happened to you. There you are, playing a guy rated at least 200 points higher than you...and you have the better game! Then, it happens. Your opponent offers you a draw. What do you do? Your first impulse, of course, is to take the 1/2-point and go to wall chart to record your coup. But, then you start to reconsider. I can hear your thoughts as if they were my own:

"What's his rating? Oh yeh, 2285...mine is 1932...about 350 points. Wow! That
would be a gain of about... umm... errr.. about 14 rating points for me. Add that to the 7 I won in the first round, and that puts me at, uh, about 1955. Gad! That's the highest my rating has ever been! But wait. If I accept a draw while I have the better game, I'll kick myself from here to Kingdom Come if I find out there is a direct win! And I remember what old Snaggletooth told me about accepting draws like this..."How you ever gonna improve if you don't have the gutts to play?" Well, let's look at the position. I have an hour and a half left.

Of course this internal dialogue takes place several times in your head. Not
only that, it muddies your thinking. Your analysis is shoddy. Hey, and let
me tell you something. The Master knows all this! These guys don't get to be
rated over 2200 for nothing. So, take a look at the guy across the board while you're feverishly analyzing. Look at his cool, calm, collected manner. He isn't worried, not one bit. Why, he probably thinks that, if you play on, you'll blunder. And, if you accept the draw, he doesn't lose! Man, that's a win-win situation however he takes it. Not only that, you notice that you have already used up 30 minutes on your clock, and you have analyzed exactly two moves. So, what do you do? Well, I'm going to tell you.

First, think back on the times Snaggletooth gave you all his advice. I mean, sure, old Snag's rating is under 2200 now (although he said he used to be a master) and he doesn't see things "the way he used to". But, he has a lot of practical experience, doesn't he? Maybe, but think about this. Did he tell you of any instances, even one will do, where HE refused the draw...and WON?

Well, I've lost my share of games because I followed that advice, myself. And, if you add a few points to old Snaggletooth's rating and change his name a little, staring back at you will be Mike Petersen, cause I've GIVEN that advice before. And guess what...I'm the guy offering those draws now.

Take the draw and run, pal.

» posted in Fun & Trivia

933 reads | 8 comments |

3 votes:

Comments:

by TimMoroney - 59 days ago
Michigan United States

Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 13

I like the immediate refusal comment. Although, my mind would tend to then stare intently at the position for all of ten seconds before thinking, "Oopf! Maybe I should have kept the drawing option open!? What if I find a problem in my position?! Ahh!" and then I would retreat to imagining what might have happened if I had kept the draw offer on the table, and proceed with the article's depicted process, except without the benefit of cowering to the score room with a half-point stamped into the tip of my pen.

by Ray_Brooks - 2 months ago
Folkestone, Kent England

Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 758

I think that a persons perspective changes with age, mine certainly did. When I was teenager/young man the idea of a draw was alien to me unless the position was played out. Now I'm a good deal more mellow about the outcome of any individual game (unless, of course, a win is required to "qualify" or "place" in the money). I accept a draw now if the position is roughly equal and the opponent has so-far demonstrated good enough play, to lead me to believe he knows the required technique to draw the position. I draw more games OTB than online....my matchplay season thus far: +5 =4 -2. I'm less inclined to accept a draw in rapid play (season +10 =3 -5). Life's too short to go playing out stale positions.

by demuxer - 2 months ago
Guatemala Guatemala

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 412

just point out a situation:

my oponent was SAME rating as me, meaning draw = 0 points more or less for everyone, but I declined the draw...... after a few moves, the game was almost impossible to win, cause he check me forever and I was only 1 move to mate... that happens for 5 days... to the end of the week, I increased +20 rating and he decreased around 25 points..... LOL I lost points for a final DRAW very sad

by camdawg7 - 2 months ago
Newcastle United Kingdom

Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 185

I dont like draws for this reason: It is an escape for a game you are unsure of. Ratings shouldnt go up because you are unsure. If anything the draw should lower both players ratings a bit or count for nothing. A draw should not be able to be offered, it should be something that happens when nothing else can happen. (i.e. K vs. K etc...)