The psychological impact of a well-timed draw offer from a stronger player..

Hi guys/girls. When playing OTB against a stronger player (200-400) Elo points higher, you find yourself with a better position but nothing concrete, for example, better pawns, better peices. Then you get a middle-game draw offer. You know there is still a lot of play in the position, what do you do? Do you accept? In the past I have played on and lost the advantage. In doing so I find the added weight of missing out on the chance to draw (which against someone a few hundred points above you is a good result) makes it very difficult to play on. I chastise myself and rarely, if ever, go on to outplay my opponent. What do you do OTB when you get a tactical draw offer? How do you ignore it and retain focus?

I dont play otb, but here I would accept the draw if I'm just slightly ahead. As generally those players have a much better end game than me.

Fair point, that's often a reason why players will take a draw. I'm okay with balanced endgames, such as bishop and rook vs bishop and rook, but stuff like rook and pawn against two minor peices, or two rooks aginst queen, I struggle. If I can see an endgame coming that I'm not comfortable with, I will bear this in mind. 

Seriously why ? It is a good chance to improve against a stronger player. Yes there is a good chance you will still loose, but why not learn something ? Just don't overpush and try slowly to improve your position.

For me personal these were the games i learned the most from and there is a good chance you will see your own weaknesses trying to win the game, so you can improve.

And how do you push the draw offer out of your mind if your opponent equalizes 15 moves later and starts to look for victory? Some draw offers are very well timed, they are not so easily ignored.

In my first OTB tourney, I accepted a draw at move 10 from guy rated 1500 or so. We were playing the advance French, and he screwed up and let me shatter his pawns. I had the advantage, but didn't figure I could convert it.

He then pwned me three times in a row in the skittles room. I think he regretted offering me a draw after that. 

If I'm low on time, I'd probably accept (against my better judgement as I have a chance to learn something win or lose).   Otherwise no, and don't start thinking they're afraid to play on either, that's part of some tactical draw offers, to make you over-press or otherwise make you think they don't want to play on.

What you should do: it depends on whether you're playing to win or playing to learn. Well, you're always playing to win on some level, but sometimes you're in a position where it's a really good idea to get as many points as you possibly can. Sometimes that means a do-or-die-ignore-the-offer-and-play-to-win or sometimes it means accepting the half point instead of trying to convert. I don't think you're really in that sort of position as a non-master all that often (and even then, it's not terribly often). So, usually, it's in your best interest to play on, because you'll never learn to convert an advantage if you don't try and fail against stronger players, and you're not in a desperate position that requires victory. You paid your money, you might as well play the whole game. You'll never learn if you don't play on.

Possible exception: last round of the tournament and you just want to go home. You have my blessing to take the draw. Though, in the last round of a tournament last night, if my higher rated (by 400 points) opponent had offered a draw, I would have taken it. However, she played it out and I won.

Well you are missing the point :) Maybe i am a bit arrogant, but you are just afraid to loose and happy with a draw vs a stronger player. Maybe you respect stronger players too much? (This is a weakness too).

Just take the draw if you want, but why ask us what to do? you already decided you gonna take the draw anyway so.

"You know there is still a lot of play in the position, what do you do?"

I mean if it would be a dead draw with a (useless)pawn up, it is useless to continue. However you just said yourself there is still a lot of play in the position ?

My advice just ignore you are playing a stronger player and do whatever you would do normally and just say a clear "no" directly. You might upset him/her ;)

Unless I see something concrete in my favor, I take the draw. Too many times in the past, I played on and regretted the decision.

Same here.

It plays on my mind too much. 

If I have an advantage on the board I would never take the draw.

Why should I? The most awfull thing that could happen is that I lose to a player against whom I would expect to lose.

Also you deprive yourself from the change off winning against a higher rated opponent. So your result can only be  draw/lose.

Well people who take the draw so easily will never get any stronger(passing 1800-1900+ otb). Why ? You never learned how to convert a game with a small advantage against a stronger player. I bet you win most of the games by an error from your opponent and that is fine, but those errors get less and less when playing stronger players.

Seriously take risc and learn from it ? Also not only chesswise, but it is good practice to play under pressure. Most +1800-2000 club players aren't that good in theory, but they also excell in playing the better/right moves under pressure and this is something you also need to practice(you cannot learn this from inet play for example).

and offcourse I can understand that there are situations I which it is more logical to take the draw, for example when you just need half a point to win the tournament or to get a norm.

But believe me that taking the draw out off fear is never a good thing, the only way to overcome this fear is to face it (if you can, just accept that you allready lost, it works for many).

In fact I once had an advantage versus a stronger opponent (+ 300 elo), then totally messed it up, giving him a slight edge instead. However he was so relieved to get out off that position that he immediatly offered a draw when he got the edge.

Good points.

depending on how well i was already doing in the tournament, i'd consider taking it.  he's saying he's entering a position that either bores him or he's uncomfortable with, but if you decline the draw offer and go on to lose... well, lol.  you get the idea.  .5 is better than nothing and if you are close to moving up a class (ie class c to class b) it can't hurt.  being outplayed after refusing a draw can be downright embarassing.  yea, you can learn from the loss, of course, but man... haha.

I personally have a policy of always declining unless the position is utterly drawn or I'm lost.  Draws don't give me any real satisfaction.  If I'm playing someone 200-300 points higher, then I expect to be playing at that level eventually.  I'm not going to get there unless I learn to beat them!  Above all, it's a learning experience.  You're not going to learn anything from a quick draw but you could learn a lot from finishing, whether you win or lose.  Tournament position and team matches may come into consideration but in my experience not that often.

I also like to play on in a drawn/equal position a bit longer than most people.  The reason is, if it is completely drawn, I can't lose.  But maybe my opponent can.  

If its a team match and your opponent offers a draw doesnt your team captain tell you what to do ? 

What if I'm the captain?