offering a draw etiquette

[Ianbrownlee]

I know I'm showing a bit of ignorance here but here goes.
Query 1 When offering a draw to an opponent must it be that you make a move offer a draw and then press the clock and must it be in that order.

Query 2 Also if you write write down a move and play another move must you play the move you originally wrote down unless you change your scoresheet prior to playing the move?

With query 1 I have a personal interest I didnt know the rule and I lost a drawn ending because I got upset at my opponent becoming irritable at my lack of procedural knowledge. Dont get me wrong after the game my opponent and I were on good speaking terms but he was being put off by me offering a draw in his time Fair dues, my fault but then in a tournament I became aware of an adult putting off a young junior when she offered a draw in his time. I was personally upset because in my opinion it was blatent gamesmanship as the junior had a hugely advantagous position .

[Andy McCulloch]

Query 1

Yes, that is correct, make move - offer draw - press clock completing move.

Query 2

For some years it has been illegal to write down your move before making it, so I doubt whether you could be forced to make said move.

[Alex McFarlane]

Query 1 is correct but if a draw offer is made before the player makes his own move the offer remains valid until the opponent can reply to it.

Query 2 An arbiter will usually only give a warning after the game to a move written down before being played. If a written down move is changed then you can expect more severe action though you canot be forced to play the original move (though you could lose the game for multiple repeats.
You can write the move in advance only if claiming a draw by repetition or under the 50 move rule.

[Alan Jelfs]

How do you offer a draw if your opponent is away from the board, and don't want to run your clock down waiting for them to come back?

[robin moore]

Ian wrote,

Fair dues, my fault but then in a tournament I became aware of an adult putting off a young junior when she offered a draw in his time. I was personally upset because in my opinion it was blatent gamesmanship as the junior had a hugely advantagous position .

There was an incident at the Lothians congress recently that I wasn't all that happy about. Post-event I asked for clarification from arbiters, guys we know well and have complete confidence in. One of them said something that really hit the nail on the head. "If they want to play in adult tournaments, they have to be treated the same as everyone else".
He is 100% spot on. As part of my job while standing in temporarily for Paul, I am making it a priority at any future training day to invite along an arbiter to explain various scenarios properly to a junior audience.
Meantime, please try to be reasonably fair to younger juniors and ask for arbiter guidance in any over the board issues. Both sides benefit long term.

[Ian McLachlan]

Although not against the rules it's also 'bad form' to offer a draw when your position is worse.

[Clement Sreeves]

Although not against the rules it's also 'bad form' to offer a draw when your position is worse.

I disagree, I think it is only bad form to offer a draw when you are completely lost and it is obvious to both players. People often accept draws in clearly better positions.

[Hugh Brechin]

The stance I've always had on the 'don't offer draws when worse' question is basically 'don't offer a draw if your opponent is obviously the only one with winning chances'. So I will offer draws in positions I know to be worse for me (sometimes quite a lot worse), but not if it's very clear that my opponent is playing for two results.

[Hugh Brechin]

To add to that - I think it's the type of position rather than the evaluation that matters. I might offer a draw in a position where I suspect I'm totally, totally lost if it's complex, whereas I might not in an ending that I'm actually pretty sure is drawn, if it's clear that I'm only playing to hold.

[Calum MacQueen]

Agree with Sreeves. Although I would point out that, in general, if a much stronger player than you offers a draw start looking for the win...