Win on time vs draw

I just started playing chess seriously back in March so I have an immense amoount to learn. Happily my anemic rating is climbing (around 920). I mostly play 30/0 matches and I have won a few matches that, without the time constraint, I probably would have lost. When I know my opponent is going to run out of time is it better form for me to offer a draw or is it proper etiquette to take the win reasoning that if they did not manage their time, so be it?

Eric aka "CaptJackAubrey"

In such a position, will you accept a draw, if your time-losing opponent offered you?

In situations like this I always ask myself, what would Anand do? He would take the win.

A win on time is as valid as any other win. Your opponent not only has to demonstrate that he can out-think you in the game, he has to demonstrate that he can do it in the allotted time.

In a more practical sense, too, if your opponents ever got wind of your draw-offering tendencies, they would just stall and you would never win a single game :-)

This was not an obvious draw. I had well over 4 mins left but given time I probably would have lost the game. I don't think my opponent would have accepted a draw and I have had people request a draw who were clearly behind or even on material, in poor position and I had tempo. That seems rather self serving to request a draw under such circumstances. This is why I just let his clock run out with no draw offer.

I really don't think he was even watching his clock.