I agree draws are a waste of space
What's the Point of Draws?
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Wilbur2357 wrote:
I agree draws are a waste of space
Yes, that's where the saying 'drawing blanks' originated from
No. Why do you want to have a draw?
macer75 wrote:
I think this is about right.
That is so cool!
PlaidPawn wrote:
No. Why do you want to have a draw?
Because you do not want to lose ?
As the saying about opening goes "it's easier to win as Black after having equalized".
When you are in a poor position, you just cannot try to win by all means, you will have to be satisfied with a draw.
It is very rare that people start the game with the objective to have a draw, and when they do, it is for extra-chess reasons : they need only a draw to win a good place in the tournament, they are facing a much stronger opponent, etc.
I'll say. One time I was in the most horrible position in an OTB tournament. I was probably going to lose, until my opponent, a queen up, got me in stalemate. I loved it, and it made me feel so much less foolish.
While on the topic of that tournament, I had good luck as black. I drew and lost as white, and won three times as black in the five tournament rounds.
I think someone already said that, so your joke is ruined. Or was it you?
Refusing a draw can lose you a friend [and since I am an oldtimer have a story about that]
If someone actually wants a draw the best way to get a draw is to actually play for a win.
Did not the 19th Century Master, I believe his surname was Bird, play for the draw? I thought I read that factoid somewhere.
If he played the Bird Opening, no wonder he would be looking for draws...
Jul 8, 2013
0
#55
defrancis7 wrote:
Did not the 19th Century Master, I believe his surname was Bird, play for the draw? I thought I read that factoid somewhere.
He doesn´t look so drawish:
Number of games in database: 472
Years covered: 1849 to 1903
Overall record: +168 -224 =69 (43.9%)*
He would have done better with all draws,
Not accepting draws can be costly. In a tournament about 40 years ago there was one round left. I was to play the leader who had 1/2 point
more than me. Before the game started he offered me a draw. I had the black pieces but turned down a draw anyway. I won the game but it cost me $200 which was a fair amount of money in those days...
also, you should be forced to resign
Jul 8, 2013
0
#59
ponz111 wrote:
Not accepting draws can be costly. In a tournament about 40 years ago there was one round left. I was to play the leader who had 1/2 point
more than me. Before the game started he offered me a draw. I had the black pieces but turned down a draw anyway. I won the game but it cost me $200 which was a fair amount of money in those days...
Why it cost you US$ 200? You didn´t won the prize of the tournament?
Once I was offered a draw during the final round in the qualification to be part of the team of my new university, I was a piece up in time trouble. He offered me a draw, I refused, since I though that I needed to win to enter the team (I didn´t know how were the standings and didn´t have time to get to check the blackboard with the table), finally I lost a piece and the ending...
I only needed 1/2 point to enter the team 
(I qualified the next year, so it was not a big deal).
Draws are fun to play out, esp if losing, same goes for Stalemates. Nothing like the joy of a forced stalemate !