I am playing in the "1st North American Amateur Championship", started tonight and continues through Sunday.  This is a FIDE rated tournament, and I am FIDE unrated, only having played 3 FIDE games.  By far, I am one of the lowest rated players in the tournament, comparing FIDE ratings to USCF ratings.

The TD is also playing in the tournament, and guess who he had as an opponent tonight ... yes, me.  I was white, and his FIDE rating is 1904.  Now after our game started, he was busy on every move.  Looking at boards, answering the phone, etc ... but he was busy every move of our game.  I got the better hand in the game, and decided almost instantly, to offer a draw, which he accepted.  My reason was because of his being distracted, running the tournament.  My question is, should I have offered the draw, or played what I thought to be a win for me.

BTW, he is one of the nicest tournament director's that I have met.  Here is the game.  I asked him after the game, if this was a home-cooked variation.  He said no, he just screwed up in trying to transpose the opening.

Nope, you should play the game and not offer a draw. I was a playing TD for many years. If the TD was dumb enough to play and TD and I was, then he deserves what he gets. By the way, the first round playing and TDing was always the worst and I was doing it before there were computer pairing programs. Talk about dumb, it was really dumb.

What you have here isn't a moral proposition. This is a matter of whether or not your personal values would allow you trounce an opponent who was distracted. Any decision you would have made wouldn't have been wrong or right.

mnag:  Thanks for the input.  I wonder if he played just to make sure that everyone had an opponent.  Every player, had an opponent.

s1carlson0589:  I guess that theoretically, you are right.  My personal values want even ground, and I am sure that the TD was not on even ground as he was occupied ... well, elsewhere.  This makes me think, thats for sure.

I can only say what I probably would have done, not what you should have done, in this instance. I would have tried to win the game, since it was a tournament game. The half point that he was given, could've decided the final standings. I'm sure others playing in the tournament would like everyone to play an honest game of chess, so they would have an honest chance to win. But, what you did was nice.

You should have went for the win. I wouldn't want somebody to give me a draw just because they wanted to give me a break.

trysts:  I definitely see your point, and that escaped me at the time.  I do not think that I have any chance of winning this tournament.  My goal was to make sure that I follow my thinking process on every game, which I did on this game.

There are 2 FIDE masters in this tournament, and my guess would be that one of them will win.  I am really starting to believe that I should not have offered the draw.

I think it was foolish to offer a draw from that postion.

You had a won game, all you needed to do was win that exchange and go up at least a minor piece, and from there simply trade him down piece by piece until you have a very favorable endgame.

If he was busy playing other games, or talking on the phone or some other crap and not focusing on the game that is his problem not yours.

It was nice of you to offer the guy a draw from a position he could have resigned, but in chess that is not the time to "be nice"

 True. No real competitor would want you to go easy on them because you felt sorry for them.

Dude are you out to play chess or to be a nice guy? A TD who plays in a tnmt he/she is running deserves to lose every game they play, I used to play in many OTB tnmts & as I recall it usually sucked when the TD played, but mostly for the TD. Please note: that's mostly, not totally. They're supposed to be available to direct the dam tnmt, not to direct & play in it. If they can't do both, it should be tough for them alone, not for anyone else in the tnmt, although it doesn't always work that way.

Are you also going to offer draws because your opponent is ill, they showed up late with their clock running, their kid/wife/dog/cat is ill, etc etc?

BTW a TD is under no obligation to play in a tnmt they direct for any reason whatsoever, as far as their being an odd number of players, that's what BYES are for!

Here's some quotes from that great sage Leo "The Lip" Durocher you need to know:

1. As long as I've got a chance to beat you I'm going to take it. 

2. I come to win (my emphasis)

3. Nice guys finish last.

4. Show me a good loser and I'll show you an idiot.

5. What are we out at the park for, except to win?

Another reason for the sound advice to play the board and forget the player.  Play as if every opponent were the World Champion.  Would you offer Anand a draw with this position?  I sure wouldn't!

trysts' point at #5 is well made, too.  Not only could it affect the outcome of the tournament, but also of class prizes and possibly the tiebreaks for a title.  You owe the other players your best effort if you are going to play.  If you feel like making a "grandmaster draw" in the last round because you have no chance to win anything and want to get started home early, just request a 1/2 point bye for the last round (most tournaments prescribe that byes in the last two rounds must be requested earlier, to avoid strategic use of the privilege, but if you aren't in contention for any prize and notify them immediately after the next-to-last round, most TDs will grant it).

It doesn't matter if you win or not,even in a tournament.What is important is how interesting and fun is the game for you and I think this game would've continued in a very interesting way:).Because of that,offering draw was not a good choice in my opinion.

Aren't draws like kissing your sister, anyway?

After reading and thinking about the comments, I think that I should have went for the win.  There is no guarantee that I would have won, but I have only lost 2 games when I was a piece up.  One, in 1982 OTB, and one on chess.com last year.

Now Reb's comment that the TD can not play in a FIDE event really has me concerned.  I am curious to see what the crosstables will look like because they are normally posted online when this club runs a tournament.  In fact, looking at the registered players, the TD is not listed as a registered player at:  http://www.nachess.org/tournaments/upcoming-events/eventattendees/88-1st-north-american-amateur-open

Reb:  I might follow up with you on this, if you don't mind.  The next game is at noon, and it is 8:43 here now.

All:  Thanks again for the comments.

For anyone interested, the TD is on the up and up.  He did tell me that he played the first game only because there was an odd number of players, and he knew that none of the players wanted a bye.  He also posted the result of our game here: http://www.nachess.org/component/wordpress/2011/02/1st-north-american-amateur-open-kicks-off/