View source for Threefold repetition

{{Short description|Chess rule}}
In [[chess]], the '''threefold repetition''' rule states that a player may claim a [[draw (chess)|draw]] if the same position occurs three times during the game. The rule is also known as '''repetition of position''' and, in the [[United States Chess Federation|USCF]] rules, as '''triple occurrence of position'''.<ref name="UscfLawsOfChess">Article 14K.2 in {{Cite web|title=US CHESS FEDERATION'S OFFICIAL RULES OF CHESS 7TH EDITION|url=http://www.uschess.org/docs/gov/chessrules/US_Chess_Rule_Book-%20Online_Only_Edition_v7.1-1.2.11-7.19.19.pdf|access-date=12 July 2020|website=The United States Chess Federation}}</ref> Two positions are by definition "the same" if pieces of the same type and color occupy the same squares, the same player has the move, the remaining [[castling]] rights are the same and the possibility to capture ''[[en passant]]'' is the same. The repeated positions need not occur in succession.

The game is not automatically drawn if a position occurs for the third time – one of the players, on their turn, must claim the draw with the [[arbiter (chess)|arbiter]]. The claim must be made either before making the move which will produce the third repetition, or after the opponent has made a move producing a third repetition. By contrast, the '''fivefold repetition rule''' requires the arbiter to intervene and declare the game drawn if the same position occurs five times, needing no claim by the players.

Similar rules exist in other abstract strategy games such as [[xiangqi]] and [[shogi]] (cf. ''[[sennichite]]'') whereas in [[Go (game)|Go]], repetition of the immediately previous board position is completely disallowed in the first place, and in some regional rule sets repetition of any previous board position is disallowed.

[[Internet chess server]]s differ in their handling of draw by repetition. For example, [[Chess.com]] draws the game automatically upon a position's third occurrence.

{{AN chess|pos=toc}}

==Statement of the rule==
The relevant rules in the [[Fédération Internationale des Échecs|FIDE]] laws of chess are summarized as:{{refn|Section 9.2 in FIDE Laws of Chess<ref name="FideLawsOfChess">{{Cite web|title=FIDE Laws of Chess taking effect from 1 January 2023|url=https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023|access-date=16 July 2023|website=FIDE}}</ref>}}

:The game is a draw if a position occurs (at least) three times during the game. (Intervening moves do not matter.) It must be claimed by the player with the turn to move.  The claim is made:

::(a) If the position is about to appear for the third time, the player making the claim first writes their move on their {{chessgloss|scoresheet}} and notifies the {{chessgloss|arbiter}} that they intend to make this move.

::or

::(b) If the position has just appeared for the third time, the player with the move can claim the draw.

: Positions are considered the same if
: (1) the same player has the move,
: (2) pieces of the same kind and color occupy the same squares, and
: (3) the possible moves of all the pieces are the same.

: Under (3) above, positions are not considered to be the same if:
::(a) in the first position, a pawn could have been captured ''[[en passant]]'' (by the ''en passant'' rule, in the subsequent positions, the pawn cannot be captured ''en passant'' anymore), or
::(b) either player has lost a right to [[castling|castle]], i.e. either king or one of the rooks has been moved, in between repetitions of the position.

Although a threefold repetition usually occurs after consecutive moves, there is no requirement that the moves be consecutive for a claim to be valid. The rule applies to positions, not moves.

[[Perpetual check]] is no longer specifically mentioned in the [[rules of chess]]; such a situation will eventually resolve to a draw either by repetition, [[fifty-move rule]] or (most commonly) by [[draw by agreement|agreement]].

If the claim for a draw is incorrect, the opponent is awarded an extra two minutes, the written move (if legal) move must be played and the game continues.{{refn|Rule 9.5.3 in FIDE Laws of Chess<ref name="FideLawsOfChess"/>}} Unreasonable claims may be penalized under rule 11.5, which forbids distracting or annoying the opponent.{{refn|Rule 11.5 and 12.6 in FIDE Laws of Chess<ref name="FideLawsOfChess"/>}} Even if the claim is incorrect, any draw claim is also a draw offer that the opponent may accept.{{refn|Rule 9.1.2.3 in FIDE Laws of Chess<ref name="FideLawsOfChess"/>}}

===Fivefold repetition===
In 2014 FIDE introduced a rule providing for a mandatory draw in the event of a fivefold repetition. If the same position occurs five times, then the game is immediately terminated as a draw. If an arbiter detects a fivefold repetition, they are required to intervene and declare the game a draw. If an arbiter does not detect a fivefold repetition or fails to intervene, a player may still make a claim for fivefold repetition. If the claim is verified, the game is declared a draw regardless of any subsequent moves or result, which are void.{{refn|Rule 9.6.1 in FIDE Laws of Chess<ref name="FideLawsOfChess2">{{Cite web|title=FIDE Laws of Chess taking effect from 1 January 2023|url=https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023|access-date=16 July 2023|website=FIDE}}</ref>}}

==Examples==

===1972 World Championship===
The [[World Chess Championship 1972#Game 17|seventeenth]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044731 |title=Spassky vs. Fischer, 17th game, 1972 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> and [[World Chess Championship 1972#Game 18|eighteenth]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044371 |title=Fischer vs. Spassky, 18th game, 1972 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> game of the [[world chess championship 1972|1972 World Championship match]] in Reykjavik between [[Bobby Fischer]] and [[Boris Spassky]] were declared draws because of threefold repetition. The [[World Chess Championship 1972#Game 20|twentieth]] game was drawn after an incorrect claim (see [[#Incorrect claims|incorrect claims]] below).

===Fischer vs. Petrosian, 1971===
{{Chess diagram
|tright
|Fischer vs. Petrosian, 1971

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pd|pd|  |  |  |pd|  |kd
|  |  |pd|  |  |qd|  |pd
|  |  |  |rd|  |pl|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |rl|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |pl
|pl|  |pl|  |ql|pl|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |kl
|Position after 30.Qe2, 32.Qe2 and 34.Qe2
}}
In the third game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1106921 |title=Fischer vs. Petrosian, 1971 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> of the 1971 [[Candidates Tournament|Candidates Final Match]] in Buenos Aires between [[Bobby Fischer]] and [[Tigran Petrosian]], Petrosian (with a better position) accidentally allowed the position after 30.Qe2 ({{em|see diagram}}) to be repeated three times. Play continued:
:'''30... Qe5'''
:'''31. Qh5 Qf6''' 
31...Qxf4 32.Qxf7+ also leads to threefold repetition.
:'''32. Qe2''' (second time) '''Re5'''
:'''33. Qd3 Rd5?'''
and then Fischer wrote his next move
:'''34. Qe2''' (third time) '''½-½'''
on his {{chessgloss|scoresheet}}, which is the third appearance of the position with Black to move, and he claimed a draw.<ref>Different sources give different moves near the end. Plisetsky & Voronkov and Kasparov give 32...Re5 33.Qh5 Rd5. ChessGames.com and ''Chess Life'' (11/1971 and 12/1971) give 32...Re5 33.Qd3 Rd5.  The December 1971 ''Chess Life'' also discusses how the intermediate moves were different, and that Petrosian seemed unaware that he was going to allow a three-fold repetition.</ref> At first Petrosian was not aware of what was going on.  Incidentally, this was the first time a draw by threefold repetition had been claimed in his career.<ref>{{Harvcol|Plisetsky|Voronkov|2005|pp=283–84}}</ref><ref>{{Harvcol|Kasparov|2004|pp=422–23}}</ref><ref>{{Harvcol|Byrne|1971|p=682}}</ref>  This also illustrates that the intermediate moves do not need to be the same – just the positions.

===Capablanca vs. Lasker, 1921===
{{Chess diagram
|tright
|Capablanca vs. Lasker, 1921

|  |  |  |  |  |kd|  |  
|pd|  |  |  |  |pd|  |  
|  |pd|  |  |qd|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |rl|ql|pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |nd|  
|  |  |  |  |pl|  |  |  
|pl|pl|  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |kl|  
|Position after 34...h5, 36...Kf8 and 38...Kf8
}}
As noted above, one of the players must claim a draw by threefold repetition for the rule to be applied, otherwise the game continues.  In the fifth game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1241495 |title=Capablanca vs. Lasker, 1921 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> of the [[World Chess Championship 1921|1921]] [[World Chess Championship]] match in Havana between [[José Raúl Capablanca]] and [[Emanuel Lasker]], the same position occurred three times, but no draw was claimed. After 34...h5 ({{em|see diagram}}), the moves were:

:'''35. Qd8+ Kg7'''
:'''36. Qg5+ Kf8''' (second time)
:'''37. Qd8+ Kg7'''
:'''38. Qg5+ Kf8''' (third time)

Capablanca had repeated the moves to gain time on the clock (i.e. get in some quick moves before [[time control]]). The game continued without a draw being claimed; Lasker [[blunder (chess)|blundered]] and [[resign (chess)|resigned]] on move 46.<ref>{{Harvcol|Kasparov|2003|pp=266–67}}</ref>  (Capablanca went on to win the match and become world champion.)
{{clear}}

===Two games between Alekhine and Lasker, 1914===
{{col-begin|width=auto; float:right; clear:right}}	
{{col-break}}
{{Chess diagram small
|tright
|Alekhine vs. Lasker <br />Moscow 1914
|rd|  |  |qd|  |rd|  |kd
|pd|  |pd|  |bd|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pd|nd|ql|pd
|  |  |  |pd|  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |nl|bl|  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|  |  |pl|pl|pl
|rl|  |  |  |  |  |kl|  
|Position after 16.Qg6
}}
{{col-break}}
{{Chess diagram small
|tright
|Lasker vs. Alekhine <br />St. Petersburg 1914
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |rd
|  |  |pd|  |bd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |pd|  |kd|  |  |  
|  |  |pl|  |nd|  |  |  
|  |  |  |ql|nl|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |qd|  |  
|pl|pl|  |  |  |pl|  |pl
|rl|  |bl|rl|  |  |kl|  
|Position after 21.Qd4, 23.Kg1 and 25.Kg1
}}
{{col-end}}

The game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1011905 |title=Alekhine vs.Lasker, 1914 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-02}}</ref> between [[Alexander Alekhine]] and [[world chess championship|world champion]] [[Emanuel Lasker]] in Moscow 1914 ended in a short draw. After 16.Qg6 ({{em|see diagram}}) the players [[draw by agreement|agreed to a draw]] because Alekhine can force the threefold repetition, for example 16...Qe8 17.Qxh6+ Kg8 18.Qg5+ Kh8 19.Qh6+.<ref>{{harvcol|Hooper|Whyld|1996|loc=p. 335. ''repetition of position''}}</ref> 

In the first game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1011925 |title=Lasker vs. Alekhine, 1914 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> between the two players in the St. Petersburg tournament 1914,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?page=3&tid=79286 |title=St. Petersburg (1914) |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-09-07}}</ref> Alekhine, this time with the black pieces, after 21.Qd4 ({{em|see diagram}}), forced a draw by threefold repetition using a similar process.<ref>{{Harvcol|Bott|Morrison|1966|p=14}}</ref>
{{clear}}

===Portisch vs. Korchnoi, 1970===
{{Chess diagram
|tright
|Portisch vs. Korchnoi, 1970

|  |  |bd|  |nd|rd|kd|  
|pd|  |  |pd|  |nd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |pd|  |  |  
|  |qd|nl|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |pl|  |  
|pl|  |  |  |  |  |pl|  
|  |pl|  |  |  |ql|bl|pl
|rl|  |  |  |kl|  |  |rl
|Position after 21...Qb5 with Portisch in a better position
}}
A famous draw for threefold repetition occurred in the fourth{{refn|"Lajos Portisch comments on the controversy surrounding his draw against Viktor Kortschnoi in their fourth and last game." per ChessBase article<ref name="ChessBasePortisch" />}} game<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1081983|title=Lajos Portisch vs. Viktor Korchnoi (1970)|publisher=Chessgames.com|access-date=2020-09-16}}</ref> between [[Lajos Portisch]] and [[Viktor Korchnoi]] in Belgrade in the [[USSR_and_Russia_versus_the_Rest_of_the_World#First_match,_Belgrade_1970|Russia (USSR) vs. Rest of the World 1970]] match.  After 21...Qb5 ({{em|see diagram}}), in a clearly better position,{{refn|"22. Bf1 White steers for a repetition and a draw. Modern engines evaluate the position as clearly better for White." per ChessBase article<ref name="ChessBasePortisch">{{cite web|last=Fischer|first=Johannes|date=14 April 2020|title=USSR vs. Rest of the World, 1970: Lajos Portisch comments|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/ussr-vs-rest-of-the-world-1970-lajos-portisch-speaks|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915112234/https://en.chessbase.com/post/ussr-vs-rest-of-the-world-1970-lajos-portisch-speaks|archive-date=15 September 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|publisher=Chessbase}}</ref>}} Portisch allowed this position to repeat three times and was criticized by teammate [[Bobby Fischer]] for allowing it.<ref>{{harvcol|Brady|1973|p=163}}</ref> If Portisch had won the game, the match would have been a tie. Play continued:

:'''22. Bf1 Qc6'''
:'''23. Bg2 Qb5''' (second time)
:'''24. Bf1 Qc6'''
:'''25. Bg2 ½-½'''
allowing Black to claim the threefold repetition with 25...Qb5.
{{clear}}

===Kasparov vs. Deep Blue, 1997===
{{Chess diagram
|tright
|Kasparov vs. Deep Blue, 1997

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pd|pd|  |  |  |  |pl|  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |kd|pd|  |  |nl|  |  
|  |nd|  |  |rl|  |pl|  
|  |  |  |rd|  |  |  |  
|  |kl|  |  |  |  |  |  
|Position after 49...Kb4
}}

In the [[Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov#1997 game 5|game]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1070916 |title=Kasparov vs. Deep Blue, 1997 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> between [[Garry Kasparov]] and [[Deep Blue (chess computer)|Deep Blue]] in New York 1997, the game ended with a [[draw by agreement]], because after 49...Kb4 ({{em|diagram}}), if White plays 50.g8=Q, Black can force perpetual check and claim a draw after 54.Kb1 by threefold repetition:<ref>{{Harvcol|Hsu|2002|pp=251–52}}</ref>

:50...Rd1+
:51.Ka2, Kb2 or Kc2 Rd2+
:52.Kb1 (second time) Rd1+
:53.Ka2, Kb2 or Kc2 Rd2+
:54.Kb1 (third time)
{{clear}}

===Khamparia vs. Bo, 2018===
{{Chess diagram
| tright
| Khamparia vs. Bo, 2018

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
|pl|kd|  |  |  |  |  | 
|  |  |  |  |  |pl|  | 
|  |kl|  |pd|  |  |  |pd
|  |  |  |bl|pd|  |  |pl
|  |  |  |  |pl|  |  | 
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
|  |  |rd|  |  |  |  | 
| Position after 60...Rc1, 62...Rc1, 68...Rc1, 73...Rc1 and 75...Rc1
}}
To detect fivefold repetitions can be challenging for the arbiter. In the game [[Akshat Khamparia]] vs. Li Bo, Budapest 2018, Li twice requested a draw, saying simply "repetition". Both times the request was rejected because it was not made correctly according to the threefold repetition rule. Li was later checkmated. Li disputed the result, indicating that the position had occurred five times. The arbiter was able to verify fivefold repetition at moves 60, 62, 68, 73 and 75.<ref name="FideArbitersMagazineSeptember2018" /> Had the fivefold repetition rule not been in effect, the result would have stood, as no correct claim for threefold repetition had been made. Under the fivefold repetition rule, however, the fifth occurrence of a position immediately terminates the game, and subsequent moves become irrelevant. The result was therefore overturned, and the game was declared a draw.<ref name="FideArbitersMagazineSeptember2018">{{Cite web|last=Saltamara|first=Efstathia|date=September 2018|title=FIDE Arbiter's Magazine|issue=Magazine 07, September 2018|url=https://arbiters.fide.com/wp-content/uploads/Publications/Magazine/ARBMagazine07.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006094128/http://arbiters.fide.com/images/stories/downloads/2018/FIDE_Arbiters_Magazine_No_7_-_September_2018.pdf|archive-date=6 October 2019|access-date=26 August 2020|website=FIDE|page=8}}</ref><ref name="KhampariaLiPgn">The PGN of the game is contained in the following FIDE rating page {{Cite web|title=PGN Chess Game First Saturday GM May 2018 (HUN)|url=https://ratings.fide.com/view_pgn.phtml?code=181399|access-date=3 August 2020|website=FIDE}}</ref>
{{clear}}

===Opening line===
{{Chess diagram
|tright
|Pirc Defense line

|rd|nd|  |nl|kd|  |  |rd
|pd|pd|  |  |pd|  |  |pd
|  |  |  |pd|  |  |pd|  
|  |bd|pd|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |bd|  |pl|nd|  
|  |  |nl|  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|  |  |  |pl|pl
|rl|  |bl|ql|kl|  |  |rl
|Position after 11.Nxd8
}}
An [[Pirc_Defence#5...c5|Austrian Attack line]] from the [[Pirc Defence]] has been analyzed out to a draw by threefold repetition. After the moves 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.e5 Ng4 8.e6 fxe6 9.Ng5 Bxb5! 10.Nxe6 Bxd4! 11.Nxd8 ({{em|diagram}}) Black can force perpetual check and so the draw by the following moves:

:11...Bf2+
:12.Kd2 (first time) Be3+
:13.Ke1 Bf2+
:14.Kd2 (second time) Be3+
:15.Ke1 Bf2+
:16.Kd2 (third time)

15...Bf2+ is only a twofold repetition, as White lost their castling right only after 12.Kd2. Threefold repetition will be in effect on the next occurrence of the position.
{{clear}}

===Grandmaster draws===
{{Chess diagram
|tright
|Carlsen vs. Nakamura, 2021

|rd|nd|bd|qd|  |bd|nd|rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|kd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pd|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pl|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|kl|pl|pl|pl
|rl|nl|bl|ql|  |bl|nl|rl
|Position after 2...Ke7, 4...Ke7 and 6...Ke7
}}
A [[Draw by agreement#Grandmaster draw|grandmaster draw]] is characterised as a short draw between high-level players, typically intended to hold position without the expenditure of mental energy. As short [[Draw by agreement|draws by agreement]] are sometimes frowned upon or outright banned in tournaments, some players circumvent such rules by playing out lines known to end in threefold repetition draws. The [[Berlin Defence (chess)#Berlin draw|Berlin draw]] in the [[Ruy Lopez]] is one of the more commonly used lines, while [[Magnus Carlsen]] and [[Hikaru Nakamura]] finished out a [[dead rubber]] at the [[Champions Chess Tour 2021#Magnus Carlsen Invitational|Magnus Carlsen Invitational]] with a variation of the [[Bongcloud Attack]] – Nakamura admitted that with both players secure in passage to the next round of the tournament he saw no value in attempting to force the win.
{{clear}}

==Repeating a position to gain time==
Players sometimes repeat a position once not in order to draw, but to gain time on the clock (when an increment is being used) or to bring themselves closer to the [[time control]] (at which point they will receive more time). Occasionally, players miscount and inadvertently repeat the position more than once, thus allowing their opponent to claim a draw in an unfavourable position. The game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1328803 |title=Ponomariov vs. Adams, 2005 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> between [[Ruslan Ponomariov|Ponomariov]] and [[Michael Adams (chess player)|Adams]] in [[Corus chess tournament|Wijk aan Zee]] 2005 may have been an example of this.<ref>{{Harv|Friedel|2005}}</ref>

==Incorrect claims==
Even top players have made incorrect claims of a draw under this rule.  The Karpov–Miles game is an example of the right to castle having to be the same in all positions.  The Fischer–Spassky game is an example that it must be the same player's move in all three positions.

===Karpov vs. Miles, 1986===
{{Chess diagram
|tright
|Karpov vs. Miles, 1986

|rd|  |  |  |kd|bd|  |rd
|  |  |  |  |  |pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |pd|  |  |  
|  |nl|  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pl|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|nd|  |bl|kl|  |pl|pl
|rl|  |  |  |  |  |  |rl
|Position after 22.Nb5
}}
The clause about the right to [[castling|castle]] is a subtle but important one. In a game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1068512 |title=Karpov vs. Miles, 1986 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> between grandmasters [[Anatoly Karpov]] and [[Tony Miles]] in Tilburg 1986, Karpov had less than five minutes remaining on his [[game clock|clock]] in which to finish a specified number of moves or forfeit the game.  He claimed a draw by repetition after checking his scoresheet carefully, whereupon it was pointed out to him that in the first occurrence of position, Black's king had had the right to castle, whereas in the second and third it had not. Tournament rules stipulated that a player be penalized with three minutes of their time for incorrect claims, which left Karpov's flag on the verge of falling. By then, Miles had taken the draw.  (Miles should have readily accepted a draw in that position, but Karpov was close to losing the game because of [[time control]].) After 22.Nb5 ({{em|diagram}}), play continued:

: '''22... Ra4''' (Black loses queenside castling right)
: '''23. Nc3 Ra8'''
: '''24. Nb5''' (first time only, Black lost queenside castling right) '''Ra4'''
: '''25. Nc3 Ra8'''
: '''26. Nb5''' (second time only, Black lost queenside castling right) '''½-½'''

Black was able to [[castling|castle]] {{chessgloss|queenside}} the first time the arrangement of pieces in the diagram occurred, but not when the arrangement was repeated.
{{clear}}

===Fischer vs. Spassky, 1972===
{{Chess diagram
 |tright
 |Fischer vs. Spassky, 1972
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 |  |  |  |kd|  |  |bd|  
 |  |pd|  |  |pd|  |  |pd
 |pd|  |  |nd|  |  |pd|  
 |pl|  |kl|  |nl|  |pl|  
 |  |pl|pl|  |  |  |  |pl
 |  |  |  |  |nl|  |  |  
 |Position after 48.Kc3, 50.Ne1 and 54...Nd4 (different turn)
}}
In the [[World Chess Championship 1972#Game 20|twentieth game]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044372 |title=Fischer vs. Spassky, 20th game, 1972 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> of the [[World Chess Championship 1972|1972 World Chess Championship]] between [[Bobby Fischer]] and [[Boris Spassky]], Fischer called the {{chessgloss|arbiter}} [[Lothar Schmid]] to claim a draw because of threefold repetition.  Spassky did not dispute it and signed the scoresheets before the arbiter ruled.<ref>{{Harvcol|Gligorić|1972|p=119}}</ref> After the draw had been agreed, it was pointed out that the position had occurred after White's 48th ({{em|see diagram}}) and 50th moves, and again after Black's 54th move.  So the claim was actually invalid because it was not the same player's turn to move in all three instances, but the draw result stood.<ref>{{Harvcol|Alexander|1972|pp=137–38}}</ref><ref>Alexander says that it appears that the arbiter approved the draw but Gligorić says that Spassky signed the scoresheet before the arbiter could rule on the claim.</ref>
{{clear}}

==History of the rule==
{{Chess diagram
|tright
|Pest vs. Paris
|  |rd|  |  |  |rd|kd|  
|pd|  |bd|  |  |  |pd|pd
|  |nd|pd|  |  |  |  | 
|  |  |nl|  |  |bd|  |  
|  |  |pd|pl|  |  |  |  
|  |  |nl|  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|  |  |rl|pl|pl|pl
|rl|  |bl|  |  |  |kl|  
|Position after 19.Nc5, 21.Nc5, 23.Nc5, 25.Nc5 and 27.Nc5
}}
The rule has been variously formulated at different times in chess history. In [[Tim Harding (chess)|Tim Harding]]'s MegaCorr database (a collection of [[correspondence chess]] games), the notes to a game between the cities of [[Pest (city)|Pest]] and [[Paris]] played between 1842 and 1845 state that a sixfold repetition was necessary to claim a draw. The game went: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.c4 Be6 9.Qc2 f5 10.Qb3 dxc4 11.Qxb7 c6 12.Bxe4 fxe4 13.Ng5 Bf5 14.Nc3 Qd7 15.Qxd7 Nxd7 16.Ngxe4 Bc7 17.Re1 Rab8 18.Re2 Nb6 19.Nc5 ({{em|see diagram}}) 

:'''19... Bd6'''
:'''20. N5e4 Bc7'''
:'''21. Nc5''' (second time) '''Bd6'''
:'''22. N5e4 Bc7'''
:'''23. Nc5''' (third time) '''Bd6'''
:'''24. N5e4 Bc7'''
:'''25. Nc5''' (fourth time) '''Bd6'''
:'''26. N5e4 Bc7'''
:'''27. Nc5''' (fifth time)
and now instead of taking the sixfold repetition draw with 27...Bd6 28.N5e4 Bc7, Paris diverged with 27...Bd3 and went on to lose the game.

The first use of such a rule was in a tournament in London in 1883, but was stated vaguely: "... if a series of moves be repeated three times the opponent can claim a draw." The rules for the first official [[World Chess Championship 1886]] match between [[Wilhelm Steinitz]] and [[Johannes Zukertort]] stated: "... if both players repeat the same series of moves six times in succession, then either player may claim a draw." In two of the games the same position was repeated three times. The rule was modified soon afterward to be based on positions instead of moves, and for three repetitions.<ref>{{Harv|McCrary|2004}}</ref> Draws by this method used to be uncommon.<ref>{{Harvcol|Brace|1977|p=236}}</ref>

The first edition of the FIDE rule from 1928 already defines the threefold repetition rule without considering castling and ''en passant'' capture rights.{{refn|Par 15.C in FIDE Laws of Chess 1928<ref name="FideLawsOfChess1928">{{Cite web|title=AUTHORISED EDITION OF THE OFFICIAL CODE COMPILED BY THE FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES ECHECS.|url=http://aekphotography.co.uk/CAA/laws1931.pdf|access-date=9 July 2020|website=CCA - Chess Arbiters’ Association Britain|quote=By recurrence of position when the same position occurs three times in the game, and the same person is Player on each occasion, and if such Player claim the draw before the position is altered by further play, otherwise no claim can be sustained.}}</ref> from [http://aekphotography.co.uk/CAA/laws1931.pdf "1931 - 1st FIDE Laws (BCF version)"] on the Laws historic page<ref name="LawsHistoric">{{Cite web|title=Laws historic|url=http://aekphotography.co.uk/CAA/html/laws_historic.html|access-date=9 July 2020|website=CCA - Chess Arbiters’ Association Britain}}</ref> of the CCA Britain.<ref name="CCAB">{{Cite web|title=CCA Britain|url=http://www.chessarbitersassociation.co.uk|access-date=9 July 2020|website=CCA - Chess Arbiters’ Association Britain}}</ref>}} To additionally consider castling and ''en passant'' capture rights was implicitly introduced in 1975{{refn|Article 12.3 in Fide Laws of Chess 1975<ref name="FideLawsOfChess1975">{{Cite web|title=Fide Laws of Chess 1975, translation|url=http://aekphotography.co.uk/CAA/Laws75.pdf|access-date=9 July 2020|website=CCA - Chess Arbiters’ Association Britain|quote=The position is considered the same if pieces of the same kind and colour occupy the same squares and if the possible moves of all the pieces are the same.}}</ref> from [http://aekphotography.co.uk/CAA/Laws75.pdf "1975"] of the Laws historic page <ref name="LawsHistoric"/> of the CCAB<ref name="CCAB"/>}} and explicitly worded in 1985.{{refn|Article 10.5 (b) in Fide Laws of Chess 1985<ref name="FideLawsOfChess1985">{{Cite web|title=Laws of Chess 1985|url=http://aekphotography.co.uk/CAA/1985_Laws_of_Chess_Final.pdf
|access-date=9 July 2020|website=CCA - Chess Arbiters’ Association Britain|quote=The position is considered the same if pieces of the same kind and colour occupy the same squares and if the possible moves of all the pieces are the same, including the right to castle or to take a pawn en passant.}}</ref> from [http://aekphotography.co.uk/CAA/1985_Laws_of_Chess_Final.pdf "1985"] of the Laws historic page <ref name="LawsHistoric"/> of the CCAB<ref name="CCAB"/>}}  Prior to that, a 1964 FIDE interpretation established the same.<ref>{{Harvcol|Harkness|1967|p=49}}</ref>

{{clear}}

===Pillsbury vs. Burn, 1898===
{{Chess diagram 
|tright
|Pillsbury vs. Burn, 1898
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |pd|kd|  
|  |pd|  |  |  |  |pd|  
|pd|  |  |  |pd|  |  |pd
|pl|  |  |  |  |  |  |pl
|  |pl|  |  |qd|pl|pl|  
|  |  |ql|  |  |  |kl|  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|Position after 42...Qe3, 46...Kg7 and 50...Kg7
}}
In this 1898 Vienna tournament game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1035959 |title=Pillsbury vs. Burn, 1898 |publisher=Chessgames.com |access-date=2020-07-03}}</ref> between [[Harry Pillsbury]] and [[Amos Burn]], the same position occurred three times, but no draw could be claimed under the rules at the time. The tournament was played under the rules of [[Paul Rudolf von Bilguer|Bilguer's]] ''[[Handbuch des Schachspiels]]'' (1843, with later editions), in which the three-fold rule was stated as the repetition of moves or a sequence of moves, not a position. After 42...Qe3 ({{em|see diagram}}), the game continued:

:'''43. Qb2 Kh6'''
:'''44. Qc2 Kh7'''
:'''45. Qb2 Kg8'''
:'''46. Qc2 Kg7''' (second time)
:'''47. Qb2 Kh7'''
:'''48. Qc2 Kh6'''
:'''49. Qb2 Kh7'''
:'''50. Qc2 Kg7''' (third time)
:'''51. Qb2'''
Under modern rules, Black could claim a draw by informing the arbiter of their intention to play 50...Kg7, producing the same position as had occurred after 42...Qe3 and 46...Kg7. Alternatively, after 51.Qb2, Black could claim a draw immediately because White has repeated the position after 43.Qb2 and 47.Qb2. Burn went on to win the game.<ref>{{Harvcol|Giddins|2012|pp=166–67}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Other games==
{{Main|Sennichite|Xiangqi#Rules}}

In many abstract strategy games there are rules to cover repetition of position. In some games this results in a draw, in others it is forbidden to repeat a position.

Currently, shogi employs a [[sennichite|fourfold repetition]] ([[:ja:千日手|千日手]] ''sennichite'') rule, which is required to end in a draw.  Each player must have the same pieces in hand as well as the same position on the board.  The result is a draw. However, a fourfold repetition with [[perpetual check]]s is illegal, and results not in a draw but in a loss by the checking player. 

In [[Xiangqi]], rules about repetitions vary between different sets of rules, but generally ''perpetual attacks'' ([[:zh:長打_(象棋)|長打]]), including perpetual check, perpetual [[threatmate]], and perpetual chase, are forbidden. 

[[Arimaa#Rules|Arimaa]] does not allow threefold repetition of the same position with the same player to move.

In [[Go (game)|Go]], a player may not make a move which repeats the previous position, as would occur if a player were to immediately recapture a stone in a [[ko rule|ko]] situation. Creating [[ko fight|ko threats]] is an important strategic consideration in Go.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

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==External links==
*[https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012018 FIDE laws of chess]
*[http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/repetition.html "Repetition of Position or Moves in Chess" by Edward Winter]

{{chess}}

[[Category:Rules of chess]]

[[he:תיקו (שחמט)#חוק שלושה מסעים חוזרים]]