Over The Board Etiquette: How to offer and accept/reject draws

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💨 3-Bullet Summary

How to offer a draw

1. Make your move

2. Offer the draw - say, "I offer a draw" or "Would you like a draw"

3. Press your clock

It must be in this order.

How to accept a draw

• Extend your hand to shake your opponent in sign of agreement.

How to reject a draw

• Say "No" politely

• Silent draw rejection: You make your next move.

Knowing this would suffice for your next OTB game. But if you can spare another 5 minutes, I want to share three stories about offering draws which will help you become more prepared.

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⚓ Going Deeper

STORYTIME:

#1 You don't have to make a decision immediately

I was playing in a team event, and my opponent offered me a draw. I said to my opponent, "Give me a moment" got up from my seat, looked at how my teammates were doing and then decided to play on. I managed to win the game, and it turned out my decision helped the team draw the match.

You don't have to give your opponent an immediate answer. Even in individual events, you have every right to ask for a moment to think about the offer and recollect your thoughts before making a decision.

#2 You can ask your opponent to move first before thinking about the draw

One of my students had a league match. I wasn't there to watch it but he told me afterwards that he was worst throughout the entire game, and his opponent offered a draw in the end before he made his move. Not sure how to access the position, a draw was agreed.

I told him that at that moment, he could have said, "Please make your move first and I will think about the offer." That way, he gets the best of both situations. If the opponent found a good move, then he could have accepted the draw. If a bad move was played instead, then he could have decided to play on.

#3 You are wrong to offer it at your opponent's time

In this situation, I was the one who made the mistake. I made my move and pressed the clock but forgot to offer the draw I intended. So I offered it immediately after that. My opponent at that moment called the arbiter and told him what had happened. I was given a warning for distracting my opponent when it was their turn. I was in the wrong.

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, wait for your next turn to offer the draw.

#4 Bonus: Be polite

In all of these situations, it is extremely important to remain respectful and polite towards your opponent. Please don't harass your opponent with insistent draw offers at every possible turn. This had never happened to me personally, but I have seen it before. I can say that it is not pleasant to be the one on the receiving end.

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