You can't really force a draw, besides 3 moves repetition and stalemate. You basically have to reach an endgame or late middlegame where material is equal, and there are no strengths and weaknesses on both sides. (ie, passed pawns, 1 pawn chain, etc)
For the 1600 player, we have a completely closed position, and I had no more pawns to make pawn breaks. Material was equal, but we couldn't checkmate each other. Nothing special against the 1400. For the 1800, I had a strong attack, but he seemed to make a solid defense. I knew if my attack failed, the opponent could easily beat me, so we settled to a draw.
Sure, sorry for being a little inactive Shah, I had a pretty big tournament this weekend. I'm not good with matches, but I'll definetely invite and take care of members.