What is threefold repetition and what is the right way to claim it in OTB chess?

Bernard Chan
Nov 22, 2023
2 min read

💨 3-Bullet Summary

Threefold repetition is having an identical position three consecutive times.
You MUST claim the threefold before you make your move.
How TO: 1) Pause the clock. 2) Call the arbiter. 3) Inform the arbiter of the move you want to make and that it is a threefold repetition.

⚓ Going Deeper

WHY IT MATTERS:

If you learn how to play chess online, you must have felt a massive difference when you are playing in person. The assistance to draw arrows and the instant feedback of a threefold repetition is something you have to keep track of and claim in OTB games. Let's get to it:

STORYTIME:

A threefold repetition is like taking a photo of the exact same position three times. It doesn't matter how many moves happen in between them; if you reach the exact same position, it can be claimed.

Don't fret. That does not mean you have to keep track of all your moves from the very beginning. There is a shortcut:

Whenever a pawn move is made, the position is effectively a new photo.

Now you know what it is, it's time to talk about how to claim it.

For this, I am going to assume you are playing on a regular board (not DGT) and have to write down your moves. If you are playing a blitz or rapid game where both players are not keeping track of moves, it is unlikely to claim a threefold repetition.

So here is what you have to do to claim the threefold: #1 Check if there is a threefold before you make your move.

I've seen many players (even those with titles) get this wrong. They made their claim after they moved. The logic is that it is now the opponent's turn, and they can deviate at that moment. So check your scoresheet if the same position has happened twice already. Please be careful when you claim this because your opponent may get additional time if you make a wrong claim (in most serious chess tournaments, but rules may differ for club matches).

#2 Pause the clock and call the arbiter to claim the draw

You don't want to let your clock run down while you get an arbiter. I made this mistake once. I left my board looking for the arbiter to make a claim and when I got back, I had 1-minute left on the clock. The arbiter paused the clock and told me that if my time ran out, I would have lost the game! Fortunately, I got the final step of making the claim right. I told him that I wanted to make a move that would lead to the same position three times. Handshakes, a draw was agreed.

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