Fivefold repetition

Fivefold repetition occurs when an identical position appears for the fifth time in the same game. At that moment the game is automatically a draw: neither player needs to make a claim.

An identical position means more than the same pieces appearing on the same squares. The same player must be due to move, pieces of the same type and color must occupy the same squares, and the same moves must be available. A position that looks unchanged can therefore be different if castling rights changed, meaning the right to make the special king-and-rook move, or if en passant availability changed. En passant is a special pawn capture available only immediately after a qualifying two-square advance.

The five occurrences do not have to be consecutive or come from repeating exactly the same move sequence. The rule compares complete positions. This differs from threefold repetition, which allows a draw claim from the third occurrence but does not automatically end the game when nobody claims.