So what is appropriate etiquette when it comes to offering draws?

I have heard you are only supposed to offer a draw when you have an advantage. Is that right?

But then, why offer a draw if you think you have an advantage?

But I get it right that you are not supposed to offer draws when you have any kind of disadvantage? That part makes sense.

well how would you know you are not over or below five points?? you could be down 4.99 for all you know or up 4.79

u can offer whenever u want. at most your opponenet will be severely annoyed

I've offered and accepted offers from clearly drawn positions. By this I mean that it is obvious to my opponent and myself that we have no intention of changing our current positions. To do so would be losing from either side, so we are stuck in limbo. Happens all of the time!

He means points in material (eg, a rook is worth 5 points, Queen 9, pawn 1 etc)

As for draw ettiquette, offer a draw whenever you want. What's with people and ettiquette lately? Just play your game and don't worry about it.

The appropriate "etiquette" here is whatever anybody says it is.     The 2nd link has FIDE rules, minus the etiquette, regarding draws.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draw_by_agreement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draw_by_agreement  See articles 5 & 9

I had mate in 2-3 moves and this guy Offers me a Draw. I started laughing then begin to move fast.

I never Offer a Draw! That is a sign of weakness saying you can not get the job done.

Offer a draw when it's equal, and your opponent doesn't have more material than you.

It's considered dubious to offer a draw in positions where your opponent has some extra material, except if it's completely blocked and your opponent has no way to go through. And even there I often wait for my opponent to offer, since he has the ¨advantage¨.

In equal positions with some play, you shouldn't offer a draw. Try to press for the win, since we play chess because we want to win, not because we want to draw.

In K+R vs K+R endgame where your opponent has 5 seconds and you have 1 minute, you should probably offer a draw. It's only nice to do so.

In positions where it's equal but you have more material (lets say Philidor Rook position), you should try to find out if your opponent knows the drawing method, if he does, play for 5-10 moves and offer a draw.

Yeah wish it were that simple here at chess.com. But opponents still continue to offer draws in losing situations.

If you have an advantage, you should play for a win.  If you think that the position is equal, and there is no play left, you can offer a draw once to see if your opponent accepts, and if they refuse, you should hold off on making a second offer until there's been some substantial change in the position.  If you think you are completely lost, and your opponent knows it, you should not offer a draw.

Blitz has its own rules of course because time left on the clock is an important consideration.  Even there though, you'll make more friends if you don't offer draws in completely lost positions.

Usually I offer a draw (and often agreed to it), when the positions keeps somewhat the same for several moves and neither player tries to attack, for example when it is closed, and both players have only a bad bishop and rook left. Neither player wanted to break it open, as it would left one in a disadvantage.

And obvious pointless endgames, for example, R + K against R + K

I offer a draw whenever i get bored with the positon, I dont care if im winning or not. If im up enough material to finish it quickly i will though.

For example, in an opposite colored bishop ending, where one side has a pawn more, the draw should be offered by the one, who has one pawn more. Because it is that player, who has to realise that he can't make any progress. He should know anyway that you are happy with a draw, because you are behind in material and have no hope of winning.

Yeah, I think that's what the original question is trying to get at.  In positions that are known draws, the side with more material should offer the draw.  They may have an 'advantage' in some abstract sense, but the position is still a draw.  Blind bishop and rook pawn or fortresses are other examples of drawn positions where one side has more material.

To my understanding tou only offer or accept a draw when the position and matiereal is equal and isn't likely to change.

Not exactly when you 'have an advantage'.  Basically, the etiquette is that the player that had the advantadge before it became drawish (maybe it was a draw then too, but it needed some good defense) is the one supposed to offer.

But usually you would not offer a draw when there is still some play in the position. For instance, take an opposite-colored endgames with a passed pawn for both sides. Maybe you are able to calculate that in the end it will be blocked, and the result will be a draw, but usually you play it until the point where it is clearly drawn before offering. ("clearly" depending on both players' strength, of course - I would offer Anand a draw in Philidor's position without "trying to see if he knows how to draw").

And oh, the material has nothing to do with the decision. The position only rules. (of course, more often than not, you have a better position when you have more material)

Huh... Wouldn't e8=Q+ prove slightly more effective at some point ?...

Right about now you must be getting a flood of challenges!

I accept draws when I realize the pieces on the board have "locked up" and we will begin to repeat moves.