3 Reasons why I offer a draw

1.) It is either move 15 or 16(in any opening you choose), and I have no idea what to do next.  My middlegame needs a lot of work.

2.) We have reached endgame with relatively equal postions (i.e equal material, same color bishops, etc).

3.)  I just want to see how you will react to a draw proposition and perhaps get into your head.

Draws should not be offered idly.  Here is a personal blitz game (10 minute time limit) in which I offered a draw one time, got in my opponents head, and subsequently won by checkmate.  

At what move did you offer a draw? Because since 20.Ne5?? he is lost.

Conditions under which I'd accept a draw

1). I believe that the game can't be anything but a draw without an unlikely mistake from myself or my opponent.

2). I'm losing (or think I am) and my opponent has offered a draw for some reason.

3). The endgame is difficult (for me) and I don't think that I would learn anything from playing it out - if I thought I'd learn something it would be worth risking a loss.

4). There may be other cases, but I can't think of them at the moment.

I offered the draw on move 17 in this game, after I castled.

Looks like White got the edge first in getting a few pawns ahead.

Black could have gotten a decent middlegame with 11......d5 first, before .....Be7  and White's Q  would no longer be breathing down the diagonal on the a8 Rook.

I generally do not take "early Draws" preferring to play the game out, unless I feel I am worse off.

I remember reading years ago, when Soviet Grandmasters played exhibitions of 20+ opponents, I remember they used to say their amateur opponents had to have confidence to play out favorable positions and try to win -- rather than accept Draws -- that regardless if the amateur could connect for the win, the experience would be valuable.

Just another dead draw thread here.

I once on a blitz game here playing with white pieces tried to castle king side, but because I was playing fast slipped and put my king on f1 instead of g1. My opponent realized that it was a mouse-slip and offered me a draw and offered a re-match. I gladly accepted both offers. That's one of the situations where I would offer a draw or accept one.