Friends ,

As of today, 719 fellow chess lovers have read this blog.  This is the most widely read blog that I have posted!  Also, 15 of my readers have left comments.  I am grateful that so many Chess.com players really want to learn to love chess the way that I do.  Chess is a search for truth in every position and it is so rich in complexity that even familiar positions constantly surprise me. 

I have neglected to respond to bobobbob who commented that he trusts Fritz more than Chess.com , even at the 2500 rating.  Fritz is supposed to have over a 2900 rating at the most advanced setting , so it should be more accurate.  However, Chess.com analyzes a whole game for me in just a few hours where I might take a week or more with Fritz to check all of the "important" positions that I have identified!  Chess.com is a tremendous time-saver for me since I do not use Fritz on any game that I have won! 

I hope that all of my fellow readers will learn to do extensive post-mortem analysis on all of their draws and losses, just as I have done for the last 15 years!  My chess mentor Israel Kutasov taught me that the most important method of gaining strength was to analyze your own games with a strong master , either human or a computer!  If you believe that you played a "perfect game," one that cannot be improved and you did not win , then you must be satisfied if you have a draw with black .  In all other cases, I switch to a different opening variation because I am playing to win all my games with white and at least draw all with black !

Sincerely,  Sam

the is is still early...everything can happen

I am happy to see from this that cheating still has apt punishment.  I play here because I learn here.  I just don't understand the cheat?! 

I like your analysis, very insightful.

However, when you say, according to chess.com computer, I am a bit skeptical because i don't think it is accurate at all. I trust Fritz a whole lot more!

sam_musil

I'm that that your mystery was solved. I would have been very confused too if someone thought that refusing a draw here was inappropriate. I mean, if this was Kasparov vs. Karpov, then yeah, I guess just go for the grandmaster draw after 20 moves. But for the rest of the world, the position is still unclear, even for a USCF Senior Master.

Lastwarrior2010 ,

Thank you for solving the mystery.  Stefanos account was closed because he was cheating!

Thanks to everyone for helping me to sovle the mystery!

Sincerely,  Sam

Henrylarrysadie ,

My refusal of the draw offer was not in jest, but my comment that "I expected this to be a long game because I thought white had winning chances! " was meant to decline his draw offer in a funny manner.

Sorry about the confusion,  Sam

He resigned all his games because his account was closed for cheating.

I think the refusal had little to do with it. His account was closed, hence the resignations I suspect.

Either im missing something or he is incredibly thin skinned.  He resigned because of you declined his draw offer?

At the beginning of this post you say, " My remark was meant in jest as that is my style."

Refusal of a draw is not a "comment."  I am inclined to believe that your opponent's dropping out of the tournament had nothing to do with a draw refusal, but instead either a real or perceived insult.  How well does this other player know your "style?"

I"m very confused with your analysis. why do you keep saying it "was in the main database", etc. Aren't you using intuition? or are most of your moves guided by the chess.com database?

I don't see how he could have possibly been offended by what you said. All you said was "No thanks, I'd rather play more chess!" What's wrong with that, eh?

I'm amazed at how in-depth your thinking goes on these moves, in such a complicated position. Crazy skills, indeed.

Just because a position is equal or approximately equal, that does not mean that any draw offer carries obligation. Equal is not drawish.  If you sit down to the chessboard, you should expect to win your wins and draw your draws.

Lurker88 ,

I thank you for your support in this matter.  I did not know that according to the Chess.com computer that I was slightly worse at the time of rejecting the draw offer.  I felt that I was better and would have winning chances.

Thanks again,  Sam

wetpaste ,

I agree that we were following my main line that I had analyzed previously, not the main line.

Sorry,  Sam

I think it is funny how you refer to a line that hasn't been played before as, "the main line". When its only the line that you have analyzed, more like, "your main line", then "the".

In my humble opinion there is a lot of play left in this position and a draw refusal cannot in any way be considered inappropriate.