Threefold repetition - chess rule
Threefold Repetition
Definition
Threefold repetition (sometimes called triple repetition or simply repetition) is a drawing mechanism in chess that allows a player to claim a draw when the same position with the same player to move and all the same possible moves (including castling and en-passant rights) has appeared on the board three times, not necessarily consecutively. It is codified in Article 9 of the FIDE Laws of Chess.
How the Rule Works
- Player’s claim: The draw is not automatic. The player whose move it is must stop the clock and inform the arbiter that they are claiming a draw because the position has occurred (or will occur after their next move) for the third time.
- Exact position: All pieces must be on the same squares with the same side to move; castling and en-passant rights must also be identical in each occurrence.
- Fivefold repetition: Since 2014 FIDE additionally decrees that the game is automatically drawn once the same position appears five times, even without a claim.
Strategic Uses
Threefold repetition serves both aggressive and defensive purposes:
- Saving a tough position: A player under pressure can force perpetual checks or repeated threats to reach the same position three times and bail out with a draw.
- Testing the opponent: A stronger side may repeat moves twice to reach time control, gauge the opponent’s reaction, or discourage risky continuations before shifting plans.
- Psychological weapon: Offering a potential repetition can tempt an opponent to accept a safe draw—or, if they decline, enter complications under time pressure.
Illustrative Examples
1. A Classic Perpetual: Fischer – Reshevsky, US Championship 1961
With his king exposed, Bobby Fischer forced a perpetual check beginning 30. Qb8+! and the same mating net appeared three times, earning a draw in a game he otherwise risked losing.
2. World Championship Practice: Carlsen – Karjakin, New York 2016 (Game 3)
The reigning champion used repetition as a practical tool:
[[Pgn| 1.d4|Nf6|2.Nf3|d5|3.c4|e6|4.Nc3|Be7|5.Bf4|O-O|6.e3|c5|7.dxc5|Bxc5 8.a3|Nc6|9.Qc2|Qa5|10.Rd1|Re8|11.Nd2|e5|12.Bg5|d4|13.Nb3|Qb6 14.Nxc5|Qxc5|15.Bxf6|gxf6|16.Ne4|Qe7|17.Ng3|dxe3|18.fxe3|Bg4 19.Be2|Bxe2|20.Qxe2|Qe6|21.O-O|Rad8|22.Rxd8|Rxd8|23.Nf5|Kh8 24.Qh5|Rg8|25.Nh6|Rg7|26.Qf5|Rg6|27.Qxe6|fxe6|28.Nf7+|Kg7 29.Nd6|b6|30.Rd1|Kf8|31.Nb5|Ke7|32.Nd6|–|The position after 29…b6 had already occurred twice; after 32.Nd6 the identical setup appeared for the third time. Carlsen claimed the draw, conserving energy for later games. ]]
3. Engine Precision: Kasparov – Deep Blue, 1997 (Game 1)
Facing relentless computer defense, Garry Kasparov repeated a queen check pattern to secure a draw, showing that even the world’s best sometimes rely on the repetition rule to escape.
Historical and Legal Notes
- The concept dates back to 19th-century European chess; early tournaments often used local variations (e.g., some required three consecutive repetitions).
- FIDE standardized the modern rule in 1928, clarified castling / en-passant conditions in the 1970s, and introduced automatic fivefold draws in 2014 to curb no-progress games.
- In correspondence and online play the server usually detects repetition automatically, but the over-the-board claimant must still stop their clock and record the claim correctly on the scoresheet.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The “perpetual staircase”: In some endgames a rook or queen can give checks that force the opposing king to march back and forth like climbing stairs—often ending in threefold repetition.
- Karpov’s time-pressure trick: Anatoly Karpov was famous for repeating moves twice just before move 40 to reach the time control, then deviating with the sealed 41st move (under old adjournment rules).
- Blurry Eyes: More than one grandmaster has forgotten they already repeated twice and accidentally blundered a draw, playing on into a lost position—proof that even simple rules demand clock-time clarity.
Key Takeaways
- The same position (same side to move, same rights) must occur three times.
- The draw is claimed, not automatic—except at fivefold repetition.
- Threefold repetition is a vital defensive resource and practical end-game tool.
- Understanding when to accept or avoid repetition can decide tournament standings.