Draws

When is it appropriate to offer a draw, outside of situations where a stalemate or a forced draw seems inevitable?

if someone just told your opponent that his dog died.

1) It's not unreasonable to offer a draw in an equal position (unless your opponent is much higher rated, that would be cheeky). Only offer once though, repeat offers is definitely rude and annoying.

2) If you're lost on the board but about to win on time it's sporting to offer a draw. Although not in blitz and bullet time limits, in those cases take the win on the clock. If they don't want to lose on time they shouldn't play fast chess.

Awesome, thank you

Huh? This can't be true. I don't speak from experience, but this seems ludicrous.

I have a high percentage of draws. Except for the stalemates, I offer and take a draw when we are about equal and we are not clearly making progress. I don't give draws when I am clearly winning, especially not to opponents who have been particularly aggressive.

Well, in real life OTB chess it would very rarely occur - most tournaments have incremements (extra time added on per move) these days.

If there was a tournament without increments then it would likely be a local tournment where local rules apply, and most federations have something similar to the USCF "insufficient losing chances" rule (if a player is in serious time trouble and believes the opponent cannot realistically win on the board, then he/she can stop the clock, call the arbiter, and if the arbiter agrees there is no chance of the opponent winning then he'll award the draw).

In local leagues without arbiters, I can't say I've ever seen the situation cause a problem in over 20 years of playing. Most people are reasonable and will agree a draw rather than get into a massive row. 

I know of that rule but I don't see how it applies here. You're either attempting to cheat for all to see if you have such a position, or as is going to be the case five times as often, you have more than enough material to make a checkmate and more than a reasonable chance of that happening considering your opponent's time, in which case I would never even consider to offer a draw!

If that is what is done then that is what is done, but it seems to be very stupid to me and I would never do it. You're going to win fair and square. It makes no sense to offer a draw. However, I am now thinking that you weren't talking about such situations, and by "sporting" actually meant "not cheating".

offer draws in theoretically drawn positions, and see how many refuse the offer because they are ignorant about endgames 

ROFL. Offer me a draw in a theoretically drawn endgame, then tell me I know less about endgames than yourself when I decline! There are litterally thousands of reasons that somebody might decline the offer that aren't covered by a lack of endgame knowledge.

ROFL ? Okay give me one reason to decline the draw in a theoretically drawn K & RP vs K. 

About draw offers against higher-rated players, since madhacker rightly brought it up:

Do not offer a draw against a higher-rated player unless you have a large advantage, or you have a solid advantage but your opponent is short of time (in the second case they are very likely to decline the offer anyway). To do so is bad etiquette. If the position is equal, the higher-rated player has the "right" to offer a draw when THEY feel it is appropriate. Just keep playing as if the position is a full-blooded middlegame, don't show any annoyance or frustration: that will be spotted as weakness, and your opponent may punish you with some torture. Moreover, by playing "normally," your opponent will respect you more -- and respect is a key component in earning a draw offer. The only exception to this is if you can claim a draw by rule (triple occurence of position, 50-move rule, insufficient material).

If you have a large advantage, you shouldn't be offering a draw anyway. That's cowardly. This is your chance for a giantkilling, go for it.

@madhacker:

I was just providing the guideline, not saying if it is a good idea or not.

<DevilsAdvocate>

I will admit to having offered draws to players stronger than me (2300-2400) in the past in equal positions. Not in any hope that they would accept, but rather with the intention of winding them up and trying to make them over-extend in attempting to justify having declined... 

</DevilsAdvocate>

Prove to me you have the technique to draw every time from a given position, and I'll offer the draw. 

Regarding offering draws when the opponent is low on time but winning, you just don't see that in OTB tournaments. The clock is part of the game at EVERY time control. 

If the position is equal and there are no realistic winning chances for either side, I will offer a draw. But the idea of realistic winning chances includes calculating ratings. I've seen "C" players misplay K+R+ wrong-colored B vs K endings!

I once played a horrible game against a 14xx player. I was down FIVE pawns in a rook and pawn ending with no compensation. I ended up winning after having picked off all of her pawns! I never considered offering a draw even when the position was finally equal. 

If you're the one fighting for the draw, don't offer the draw. Your opponent earned the right to play on, and to offer the draw. Your opponent knows you want the draw.

if he doesnt know how to play this drawn ending then he deserves to blunder

Even world champions play on in theoretically drawn positions in WC matches if they think there's a chane their opponent may make a mistake.