GeneM wrote on 03/24/14 at 04:41:26:

http://www.fide.com/component/handbook/?id=124&view=article
C.13
The offer of a draw shall be marked as (=)

So fide already did but i notice that the sign is almost never included when the games are digitized and most players don't care much about this rule (myself included).

It is of course wishful thinking. I remember 2 years ago that I requested the arbiter even after some moves played, to change the board. The plastic board was so dirty, sticky and smelly of beer that it was disgusting.
Mechanical clocks are becoming rare but are still sometimes used as some clubs don't buy (sufficient) electronic clocks.

Axl wrote on 03/17/14 at 14:58:19:

I am strongly in favor of using more and better electronic boards so that we can abolish the traditional scoresheet. It would certainly improve the way of playing with the 30 second increment as now too much time is spent on recording the moves instead of actually playing good moves. However today only a small % is using electronic boards and there certainly exists resistance to oblige everybody using electronic boards.

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 08/15/12 at 00:55:58:


The trouble is it's hard to know with any precision how many of the draws by agreement are actually pre-arranged.

5 moves is better than a permanent offer because it avoids the problem of disincentivising the person in the marginally superior position from offering. He/she would just have to be confident not to blunder in the next 5 moves. The opponent in the inferior position will have to accept, in that case, or else they lose the option.

It increases dramatic tension in an otherwise lifeless position.

First of all, however, draw offers have to be clearly signaled, and shown by the electronic boards. It's not enough to put = on the scoresheet. This doesn't help anyone following online.

TalJechin wrote on 08/10/12 at 06:30:26:


That's the thing about chess organizers, you know?  Just like all librarians hate books, all chess organizers hate chess.  If they were any good at it, they wouldn't be organizers, would they?  Just like librarians can't write.

I once spoke to a woman who was corporate librarian to the company for which I worked; her husband and was a top librarian for the State of Ohio.  She said, "We have no books of our own; when we want a book, we check it out, and we return it on time".  That in a nutshell is the very attitude of the world's chess organizers; they have no idea how to play, but they will make damn sure that everything happens just so.

The soccer score with 3 points for wins and 1 for draw is the best way to prevent short draws. I don't believe in stupid rules like those suggested in this thread. Very often in order to win the players have to take risks, and if it is more to win and less to lose taking risk because of the scoring system then more and more players will do that. I agree that measures has to be taken to cut down the number of draws. Take the latest russian championship  for men for instance. The cross table is a tragic sight.

http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8408

Markovich wrote on 08/10/12 at 02:09:58:


Another memo from the Tiger Oil Company 

You could forward it to fide and other organisers who use the Sofia rules and similar draw-stopping ideas...