Fivefold repetition in chess

Fivefold repetition

Definition

Fivefold repetition is a draw condition in which the same position occurs five times during a game. Under the current FIDE Laws of Chess (in effect since 2018), this is an automatic draw: once the same position has appeared for the fifth time, the game is immediately declared drawn without the need for a player to claim it.

“Same position” means all of the following are identical across the compared positions:

• The same side is to move.
• All pieces of the same type and color occupy the same squares.
• All possible moves are the same, which specifically requires that castling rights and en passant rights are the same.

Importantly, the occurrences do not need to be consecutive; they can be separated by any number of moves.

How it is used in chess

Fivefold repetition functions as a safety net against endless repetition in cases where neither player claims a draw earlier. In practice:

• Threefold repetition remains a draw by claim—either before making the move that would create the third occurrence (by writing it down and notifying the arbiter) or immediately after executing the move that creates it. See also: threefold repetition.
• Fivefold repetition is automatic—no claim is required; the arbiter (or the server, in online play) stops the game and records a draw.
• Online platforms typically auto-adjudicate a draw at fivefold repetition; most will also allow a threefold claim through an interface action.

Strategic and historical significance

Repetition is a core drawing resource in defense. If the attacker cannot escape a cycle of checks or a forced sequence that returns to the same position, the defender can secure a draw. The term “perpetual check” is the classic motif that often leads to a repeated position, but note that modern rules recognize the draw via repetition rather than a separate “perpetual check” rule. See also: perpetual check.

Historically, FIDE recognized threefold repetition as a draw by claim for decades. In 2018, FIDE added the automatic fivefold repetition (alongside the automatic 75-move rule, complementing the claimable 50-move rule) so that games would be drawn even if neither player claimed. See also: 50-move rule.

Examples

Example 1: Pure fivefold repetition of the initial position

White and Black shuffle their kingside knights back and forth, restoring the initial position repeatedly. After the final move shown, the initial position has appeared five times (initially, and after each 2...Ng8, 4...Ng8, 6...Ng8, and 8...Ng8), so the game is automatically drawn.

Try stepping through the moves:

Example 2: Why “same position” depends on castling and en passant rights

Here, the board can look identical to the start, yet the position isn’t “the same” if castling rights changed. After both kings move and return, castling rights are lost forever, so positions that look like the start are not counted as the same as the original initial position.

Play through this short illustration:

• After 2...Ng8, the initial position has appeared again (same pieces, same rights, White to move).
• After 4...Ke8, both sides have moved their kings and returned; castling rights are permanently lost for both sides. Later appearances that “look identical” are now identical only to each other under the new (no-castling) rights, not to the very first initial position.

Example 3: High-level play

Top grandmaster games often end in repeated positions (usually via threefold claim before reaching fivefold). For instance, several games in Magnus Carlsen vs. Fabiano Caruana, World Championship 2018, concluded by repetition after careful maneuvering when neither side could improve without risk.

Procedural notes (OTB and online)

• Threefold: To claim before making the move that creates the third occurrence, write the move on your scoresheet, inform the arbiter, and pause the clock. To claim after making the move, execute it, then claim immediately.
• Fivefold: No claim is needed; the arbiter (or server) stops the game as soon as the fifth occurrence arises.
• Repetition counts even if the occurrences are not consecutive.
• En passant and castling rights must be identical; if an en passant capture was possible in one occurrence but not another, those positions are not the same.

Common uses and tips

• Defensive resource: Force repetition to draw against superior opposition or to neutralize dangerous attacks (often via checks or repeated threats).
• Time management: Players may repeat once or twice to reach a time control or gain increment before deciding whether to deviate; just be aware that a fifth repetition ends the game automatically.
• Record-keeping: In OTB chess, accurate notation helps you notice when a third or fifth repetition is near.
• Know your rights: If you intend to avoid a draw, you must deviate before the fifth occurrence; once it happens, the game is over.

Interesting facts

• Fivefold repetition draws are relatively rare in over-the-board chess because players typically claim a threefold draw earlier. They are more often seen as automatic adjudications online.
• The automatic fivefold rule was introduced alongside the automatic 75-move rule to prevent practical complications when players forget or decline to claim a draw.
• Perpetual check remains a colloquial term; formally, the draw is achieved through repetition (or, less commonly, by the 50/75-move rules), not by a separate “perpetual” article.