Hey guys, 

I've been playing chess for about two weeks. I've know HOW to play for some time, but I've only really started playing recently.

And my question is this:

Is it possible to win without your opponent making a mistake?

Allow me to elaborate. In all the games I've played, I'm always waiting. Waiting for my opponent to do something that allows me to gain advantage and push forward.

A lot of times it's subtle. I'm sure about half the games I play, my opponent makes a fatal mistake that I don't even notice. It's almost never as obvious as leaving a queen in front of a pawn. It's always something along the lines of something as simple as not castleing, or leaving a pawn unprotected, or a channel for me to slip into.

But is it possible to win without making your opponent making an error? Can you set up the game in such a manner that your opponent can't win? 

Thanks in advance.  

People throw chairs over this subject. But in practical terms you should not just wait around until your opponent creates a weakness.

Everybody makes mistakes, though some are more subtle than others, I think every game has them. Noticing them and using them to your advantage wins the game.
They don't necessarily have to mean hanging a piece, a positional error can be as fatal.
Playing in a way your opponen't can't win is impossible, but I think Capablanca did a great job trying to do so

Theoretically it's a draw, and although computers make mistakes too, it's especially true that when humans play there are mistakes being made which make it possible for one of them to win in the end.

It's not possible to conduct an entire game in such a way that your opponent can't win, but there are what's called fortresses where basically all your pieces defend eachother.  This is usually done by a side with less material as a way to avoid losing.  You can't undertake anything active, but as the name suggests your opponent can't do anything to you so it's just a draw.

An opening example of this sort of defensive crouch would be the hedgehog.  Black accepts a cramped position that is nonetheless free of any weaknesses.  This sounds great but it has some very difficult positions to play because white's space allows him to maneuver for several different strategic ideas all of which black has to be prepared to meet.

My experience, white normally is in the driver seat if everything is played to book, atleast to not lose. The opening is the key. You have to realize this ideolgy is a matter of perspective.

If it is all going book and you are aware that the odds favor your opponent to keep playing it, he hasn't made a mistake, and doesn't look like he is going to,why not try another strategy. Make a move that forces your opponent to not be able to play the opening book lines' continuation, that he might have memorized.

So, to some degree, after a certain level of play, especially at a key point in the middle game, when the calculations necessary to know the best continuation, that even make a computer think for a long time,cause you to decide while playing in person, to do something that isn't according to book for the position,it isn't necessarily wrong in the eyes of some, while it still will be to others.

Young man, make sure that your opponent's first mistake is sitting down to play you.