English Chess Forum

Talk of rules has reminded me of a question I intended to ask this forum. What do you consider best practice when offered a draw?

Over the years I've developed a habit that I say "I'll think about it" when offered a draw, even if I accept almost immediately or intend to decline. I say "I'd like to play on thank you" when playing my next move if I decline. (assuming it is the first draw offer, I'm less polite if I get three or four ) I know some people say nothing, I'd always considered that a bit brusque.

However a few months ago I was offered a draw by a player from Kazakhstan. She looked confused when I said I'll think about it. I think I smiled, and she thought I was accepting for a moment. She also looked confused when I said I'd play on. I guess I was close to behaviour distracting the opponent, although she made no complaint.

It did make me think. I do write = on my scoresheet. Maybe that is enough to acknowledge?

I think you have to acknowledge that you heard the offer, particularly if you may not share the same first language. That can be done by writing (=) on the score-sheet. You don't agree the draw or commit yourself until you make a move or otherwise, so maybe it's better not to say anything until then.

Agreed that if you say "I think I'll play on" to the first offer, that you just ignore repeated offers unless the position has changed its nature.

My practice is similar to Paul's: if it is worthy of a long think I say "I will think about", or if not then an immediate "no thank you". My opponents tend to come from no further away than Northampton rather than Kazakhstan, so I have not hit what was perhaps a cultural or language difference.
I think there ought to be etiquette for offering draws as well. I think it is bad form if I am offered an early draw when I need to win the game but my opponent only needs a draw. Similarly in an ending say R+2 vs R+3 on the same side it is for the stronger side to offer the draw.
Perhaps I was guilty of bad form last season when I offered my opponent, who was winning easily, a draw during the quick play finish, when he was down to his last minute, and he turned it down to go on to lose on time.

I usually grab their hand with joy and disbelief - before they can change their mind.

I (perhaps rudely) don't verbally respond - I write a (=) on my scoresheet and then either play a move or extend my hand.

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If you want to accept but do not wish to be seen to accept very readily, then it is popular practise to get up from the board, stroll round to other boards in the match, stare at the positions knowingly one at a time and then return and accept the offer.

This has been my recent experience of opponents that I have offered a draw to.

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In its way it's quite polite as you are indicating your agreement to a 10.2 draw claim, should he wish to make one. The advice to players short of time used to tell them that they risked losing if they continued to play for a win.

Likewise.

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Is it wise to ascertain if your opponent has also written (=) before rejecting?

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Paul - nothing wrong with the way you reacted to the draw offer. If your opponent didn't understand, they could always ask the arbiter.

Perhaps FIDE should make a list of acceptable international languages, alongside stock phrases such as "I resign", "I offer a draw", "j'adoube", "I claim draw by repetition", "I am claiming a draw with the move recorded on my score sheet", "I claim a draw by the 50 move rule", "I claim a draw as you are not attempting to win by normal means", "I claim a draw as you cannot win by normal means", "That is an illegal move", "and I claim the game", "Your flag has fallen", "My flag has fallen", "and I lose", "and I win", "and it is a draw due to insufficient mating material", "You have touched your (king/queen/...) and must move it, otherwise I am going to knock your head into next week and then call the arbiter", etc. These phrases could be appended to the Laws of Chess as allowable - and clear - communication.

When I am offered a draw, I assume that my opponent knows that I may think a bit about it, so I usually look at my opponent, make some facial expression and don't verbally respond. When I refuse, I usually say "OK, let's continue". Unfortunately there are many players, mostly young boys, that don't know how to behave ... sometimes, when I don't respond, they keep asking me. The most funny thing happened to me when my rumanian opponent, not knowing what languages I spoke, offered me the draw in three languages ("Patta?" "Draw?" "Remis?") and then, believing that I still hadn't understood, told GM Istratescu to ask me in English ("Do you want to draw?"). Indeed he was a quite strange guy, all over the game he offered draw something like 12 times, and when at the end I said ("OK then, shall we draw?") he refused, only to re-offer the draw two moves later.

Besides this episode, there are many players that keep offering and offering. After 3 - 4 draw offers, I am likely to became rude, once I said to a 10 year old boy "I said you NO!". Even after that, he didn't give up, he even said "I beg you, I have to do my homework!!". After some moves, I got nervous and I lost a piece, after that he immediately forgot his homework and stopped to offer the draw ... I keep fighting desperately with Queen vs Queen and Bishop, I gave him some 30 checks until he went with his king toward my king and pawns and got checkmated!! That's also why I like chess, because you never get bored!

You should write (=), according to the Appendix of the Laws of Chess.

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You don't have to go as far as Northampton to encounter cultural or language differences!

Actually, it's probably best both to record the draw offer and to acknowledge verbally that you understood the offer and will consider it. It avoids the scenario given by Giulio in which a draw is repeated in case you didn't understand or are deaf. Which does lead on to how best to offer a draw to a deaf player.

The original question was about etiquette. I would have thought that it is not only good practice to acknowledge a draw offer verbally to avoid uncertainty, but it is also polite to do so.

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