If You Could Take A Draw Against A Higher Rated Player, Would You?

The reason I decided to take a draw in a better position was that hanging a pawn annoyed me and I didn't feel like making another mistake, so much for self-confidence. Here the player was only a little bit higher than me, but a draw is a draw.

Did you made this decision based on preserving rating points?

You didn't have a choice unless I am missing something.  

It looks like a perpetual check is the only way for you to survive.

I didn't hang my queen by accident. It was a rational, possibly misguided decision. Before i hung my queen the position was quite a bit better for me.

No, not at all. I do care a bit about my rating, to me it signifies my improvement, but this decision was based on a cowardly fear of losing, and satisfaction with a measly draw.

That is an honest answer that probably helps you answer your own post. If you thought you were winning (I am not qualified to judge that) you should have pressed for the win.

Fritz says I was winning, I checked to see if I missed a mate (I didn't). You're completely right, just wanted to know what others do.

You missed Ng6 and white's busted :)

Did anyone notice that on move 25. g5??? Qh5!!! (if g6, then simply gxh6 and bishop sacrifice is threatened) traps the knight and continues the attack? Then there are all sorts of threats, the most evident ones being gxh6 and Qxh5. If not then that's just sad. White had an attack, but hung the queen to go for a draw. And drawing against higher rated players isn't exactly beneficial. Let's say Levon Aronian draws Magnus Carlsen. Will it improve his rating? NO. But if he wins, his rating may go up a couple of points. Don't go for the draw, go for the win.

Thanks for the advice, but I'm not sure what you mean by Qh5, sort of an illegal move.

He probably means Qh4.