Fivefold repetition - Chess draw rule
Fivefold_repetition
Definition
Fivefold repetition is a draw condition in chess: if the same position occurs five times during a game, with the same player to move and the same rights and possibilities (castling and en passant), the game is immediately drawn. Unlike the better-known threefold repetition, which requires a player to claim the draw, fivefold repetition is automatic under the FIDE Laws of Chess.
How it is used in chess
Fivefold repetition functions as an automatic safeguard. If a position repeats five times at any point (the repetitions need not be consecutive), the arbiter declares the game drawn without either player needing to claim it. This rule pairs with the 75-move rule (automatic draw after 75 moves without a capture or pawn move), complementing the claimable threefold repetition and 50-move rules.
- Threefold repetition: claimable draw if the same position appears or is about to appear for the third time.
- Fivefold repetition: automatic draw once the same position has occurred five times.
- 50-move rule: claimable draw after 50 moves without a capture or pawn move.
- 75-move rule: automatic draw after 75 such moves.
What counts as “the same position”
For any repetition rule, two positions are considered the same if all of the following match:
- Same arrangement of pieces of both sides on the same squares.
- Same player to move.
- Same castling rights (e.g., if one side has lost the right to castle in one position but not the other, they are not the same).
- Same en passant capture rights (i.e., an en passant capture must be legal in both positions or in neither).
Note: The positions do not need to be consecutive. The full-move number and the 50-move counter are not part of the identity of a position for repetition purposes.
Strategic and practical significance
- Time scrambles: Players often repeat moves to reach time control or to gain increment; fivefold repetition makes it impossible to loop indefinitely without consequence.
- Perpetual check: While “perpetual check” is an informal term, the draw is formally recorded via repetition or the 50/75-move rules. If checking continues and the same position repeats five times, the game ends automatically.
- Claim discipline: In practical play, most draws by repetition are claimed at the third occurrence. Waiting for fivefold is rarely necessary, and counting to five is error-prone over the board.
- Arbiter intervention: In official events, arbiters (and increasingly, electronic boards) monitor for automatic conditions like fivefold repetition and the 75-move rule.
Examples
Basic example from the standard starting position using knight shuffles. After each four-ply cycle, the initial position reappears; after the fifth appearance, the game is drawn automatically by fivefold repetition.
Notes:
- Occurrence 1: the initial position before 1. Nf3.
- Occurrence 2: after 2... Ng8 the starting position is reached again.
- Occurrence 3: after 4... Ng8.
- Occurrence 4: after 6... Ng8.
- Occurrence 5: after 8... Ng8, triggering the automatic draw.
Subtlety: en passant and castling rights
Two positions that “look the same” may not be identical for repetition purposes:
- En passant: If Black has just played d7–d5 and White has a pawn on e5, an en passant capture e5xd6 e.p. is available in that position only. If a similar-looking position occurs later without e.p. being possible, those two positions are not the same.
- Castling: If a rook or king moved and returned to its original square, castling rights are lost. Positions before and after such a move are not the same for repetition counting, even if the board otherwise looks identical.
Historical notes
FIDE formalized automatic draws by fivefold repetition and by 75 moves without a capture or pawn move in modern revisions of the Laws of Chess. The intent was to reduce disputes and remove the need for a claim in extreme, obvious repeat or no-progress scenarios. While threefold repetition claims are common in master play, fivefold repetition is rare at the top level because players normally claim at threefold or avoid allowing that many cycles.
Common pitfalls and tips
- Don’t assume “looks the same” is enough—always consider castling and en passant rights.
- If you want a draw by repetition, claim on the third occurrence rather than waiting.
- In a time scramble, keep a mental count or repeat a short, clear loop; fivefold is automatic, but you may not reach it before flags fall.
- Checkmate overrides everything: if a mate occurs before the fifth repetition is reached or acknowledged, the game ends immediately.
Interesting facts
- Fivefold repetition is much rarer than the 75-move automatic draw; long fortress defenses or stubborn maneuvering are more likely to trigger 75 moves without pawn moves or captures than five repetitions of an identical position.
- Many online platforms already auto-declare draws on threefold repetition; fivefold remains a theoretical backstop and is seldom seen in practice.