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Draw offer

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So far I've made 3 draw offers on this site.All 3 were declined.The strange thing is that each of my opponents felt the need to explain,even sort of apologising,why they wanted to continue the game.Why is that?It's just a proposal,you can accept or decline both are totally fine.It makes me wonder if there has been some huge uproar in the past about people declining draws?

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yeah, I find myself doing that too.
I think part of it, is that people wish to demonstrate that the game is still live. If you only have (or want to play) a certain amount of games, then someone declining your draw will mess up your game load. This can get frustrating if the position is clearly drawn, and they are waiting for your rating to go up, or you to time out

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Originally posted by Katastroof
So far I've made 3 draw offers on this site.All 3 were declined.The strange thing is that each of my opponents felt the need to explain,even sort of apologising,why they wanted to continue the game.Why is that?It's just a proposal,you can accept or decline both are totally fine.It makes me wonder if there has been some huge uproar in the past about people declining draws?
it's just being nice I think.

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I do that OTB too, always with the same "excuse": "I'm not sure how I'm going to win here, but I'll give it a serious try". It's usually true, and I think it's nicer than just refusing the draw. My opponents always react positively to that.

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sorry to get off topic (kind of), but is it wrong to offer draw more than once in a game, if there has been a decent amount of moves past the first offer, and you really believe the position is drawn?

how many offers can this go up to? three maybe?

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OTB etiquette says that the person who refused the first offer should be the one to make the second offer. Until then, it's advised to just keep playing. I think it's a very reasonable principle, and I've been following it like an unwritten rule ever since an opponent complained about my second offer. 😛

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I try to give it a couple moves, often there is enough play for them to hang themselves...and I'm always happy to let them. However, if it is DEAD DEAD DEAD (pawns locked, kings stuck in opposition) then I will offer every move (however I do make sure to do it legally).

My favorite though is OTB you offer a draw one move, they say no thanks, blunder away, then try to argue why they should get the draw, offering one every 2 seconds...I love checking mating those idiots with 5 knights

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Originally posted by Heroic Metool
OTB etiquette says that the person who refused the first offer should be the one to make the second offer. Until then, it's advised to just keep playing. I think it's a very reasonable principle, and I've been following it like an unwritten rule ever since an opponent complained about my second offer. 😛
hmm, OK, thanks.


Originally posted by diskamyl
it's just being nice I think.
Diskamyl is correct.

They are simply being nice.

There are some nice people on this site. Some very nice people.

The great pity is you cannot say anything nice to anyone because
we, as chess players, are ultra paranoid.

Put 99 'non-chess players' in a line. Add a seasoned chess player.
I bet I could pick him out.

We all have the haunted 'everyone is after me' look.
It comes with years of looking out for tricks and traps on the chessboard.
Everyone IS out to get you.

Try this:

Pick a player a random, pick on of his wins and then post.

"Hey ???????? ref game 12345678, nice game, well played."

The chances are they will reply:

"What do mean nice game? you accusing me of cheating? Scumbag."

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Originally posted by Heroic Metool
OTB etiquette says that the person who refused the first offer should be the one to make the second offer. Until then, it's advised to just keep playing. I think it's a very reasonable principle, and I've been following it like an unwritten rule ever since an opponent complained about my second offer. 😛
From a USA perspective, this OTB etiquette is simply the practical application of USCF Rule 14B5. This rule does allow an exception, though. If, after you've made a draw offer, the position has changed substantially, you are allowed to make another draw offer. (Of course, you'd want to be reasonably certain that the TD would agree that the position had indeed changed substantially.)

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Originally posted by greenpawn34
Diskamyl is correct.

They are simply being nice.

There are some nice people on this site. Some very nice people.

The great pity is you cannot say anything nice to anyone because
we, as chess players, are ultra paranoid.

Put 99 'non-chess players' in a line. Add a seasoned chess player.
I bet I could pick him out.

We all have the haunted ...[text shortened]... are they will reply:

"What do mean nice game? you accusing me of cheating? Scumbag."
that's sad. The worse thing is, I feel I have really changed in that way. Not the "everyone is after me" mood necessarily, but more like seeing the worst in things. and I don't know if it actually has anything to do with chess, and more importantly, if that feeling is "accurate".

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Don't get depressed - it was tongue in cheek.

(Though it has minor elements of truth in it).

I think all good chess players, well the one's I know anyway,
and that is quite a lot. Are all barmy in their own cute way.
I feel at home in their company.

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I never even considered explaining why I decline a draw offer.Guess I'm not a nice opponent.I'll try to alter my asocial behaviour 😉
I asked about this at a club I sometimes visit.Most people there also give some short explanation when declining.They tell me some feel insulted if you decline their offer,they feel you insult their chessintellect.I found that rather funny.People are so strange.....

Thank you all for the response 🙂

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No need to explain your reasoning for declining the draw offer. Just politely say that you'd like to continue, and leave it at that. If you want to explain, that's OK, but it's not necessary - An explanation risks giving your opponent more information than he deserves.

Also, in OTB games, other people are often within earshot, and the less said the better, because you don't want to unnecessarily disturb your neighbors.

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As a further thought to the original comment, does anyway put an explanation when offering a draw on RHP?