Playing for a draw

Today there is an interesting thread going on about an end game that, unfortunately, never happened.

I find I am the only one thinking 'play for a draw'. 

The fact that I am the only one that seems to be thinking this, it makes me wonder. How often do people actually think about playing for a draw?

Do you ever think about playing for a draw? If so, how often would you say you do this?

Off the top of my head, I can remember a few times. Twice was against much stronger players and I could not seem to get the initiative, so I decided to hold out for a draw. One of them I did draw. The other I did lose.

Edit: I don't mean from the beginning of a game, but at some point that you feel you cannot get the initiative.

I did here.

http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=83810651

I started playing for a draw after move 23

HEre is a game I recently played where, after a dissaterous move, I was fortunate enough to create a perpetual check:

In this game I had a perpetual at move 18, and I was unsure about how to continue the attack, but since the draw gave me 0 points, I just tried to win anyway.

The chess.com computer likes 18.Rac1 and says that it gives a decisive advantage.

I rarely play for a draw online unless im behind. However OTB, if my opponent is considerably higher rated and I have a choice between playing what is probably the best move leading to a bit of an advantage for me, but very complicated, and a move which leads to simplifications and a very likely draw, I will often take the draw.

OTB I never rely on my endgame abilities to draw drawish positions, I don´t try to simplify on purpose if there´s nothing to be gain from it. I always assume that my opponent knows more endgame theory than me.

And now I took a draw here despite having a queen against a rook (I don´t know if there´s a way to win this, but I was not going to find it with 30seconds against 45seconds):

Can't you walk your king up and mate?

ahhhh, sure, it looks like that now, I just didn´t think about letting black eat my pawns with his rook. Thanks Scottrf.

Might not be too easy actually because the rook can cut the b file. Perpetual at least.

Haha I play for draws way too much - I'm one of those people who hates to lose but doesn't care as much about winning

I think about winning, and not too much about drawing, but it's very unusual that I beat higher rated opponents. This does not apply too much with chess.com games. I've only beaten a high 1800 and a high 1900 (out of many uscf games I've played against people of these ratings). I often lose these games, however, but I've drawn three 2000's and a couple 1800's. My rating goes down mostly from games where I draw lower ranked players, or occasionally when I lose to slightly higher rated players. I'm fine with my rating (1680 or something), but I'm just wondering ... is anybody 'supposed' to get this many draws?

in a game between two seriously unequal players, if the weaker player happens to catch his opponent in a mistake, it might be a good idea to offer the draw from a position of strength. given the difference in skill levels the stronger player is likely to recover from his setback if the game continues.

So why bother offering a draw if the stronger player can just recover?

Because the stronger player might not know you're bluffing or might just be unwilling to risk losing to a lower-rated player.

An interesting side note: Chapter 2 of the Soviet Chess Primer has segments on forcing a stalemate and purposely drawing games before even addressing pawn promotion. Chapter 3 is on tactics and strategy. The lesson is clear. "If you can't win, then NOBODY wins."

God bless those soviets.

You don't have to.  But if you're playing for a draw you might not get a better chance.