12.1.21 Game 5 of the World Chess Championship ended in a draw. The opening was another Ruy Lopez Anti-Marshall System in which Carlsen tried what he thought would be the lesser-analyzed 8...Rb8. Unfortunately for him, Nepo was booked to the nines on this line and pressed the World Champion on a course of grim defense. The players shook on the draw when a threatened triple-repeat-of-position occurred after White's 43rd move.

Welcome to modern-day World Championship chess. The current state-of-the-art goes something like this: After choosing a super-solid opening system, follow bulletproof theory approaching the middlegame. Then, choose a line that may be the engine's third or fourth choice in hopes of catching your opponent in a less-analyzed line.

That was the World Champion's game plan today at Game 5 of the World Chess Championship being played in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. After proceeding down the well-trodden lines of a Ruy Lopez Anti-Marshall System, Carlsen played 8...Rb8 in an attempt to--as former World Champion Mikhail Tal was quoted as saying--"...take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one."

It was a valiant attempt but it didn't work against an opponent who has been more than ready to handle everything the Champion has thrown at him thus far. And in fact, it was Carlsen who was called upon to defend accurately from that point on until the position reached objective equality near the first time control.

The Match is tied at 2.5 points apiece.

Tomorrow is a rest day.

Game 6 begins at 7:30 a.m. eastern Friday, December 3rd.

Match Score

Watch The Games Live with Commentary on Chess.com

Games and Coverage from lichess

Official Site of the FIDE World Chess Championship

Game 5 Coverage on ChessBase.com

Regulations

The match will be played over 14 standard games.

The first player to reach 7.5 points wins.

At the opening ceremony, a drawing of colors determines who will start with the white pieces.

The time control is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 61.

If the scores are level after the regular 14 games, four tie-break games will be played. These are rapid games with 25 minutes for each player with an increment of 10 seconds after each move.

If it's still equal, two blitz games will be played (5 minutes plus 3 seconds increment). If it's still equal, a second pair of two blitz games will be played. If there is still no winner after five such matches, one sudden-death game will be played.
The player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the color. The player with the white pieces shall receive 5 minutes, the player with the black pieces shall receive 4 minutes whereupon, after the 60th move, both players shall receive an increment of 3 seconds starting from move 61. In case of a draw, the player with the black pieces is declared the winner.

The players cannot draw a game by agreement before Black's 30th move.

A claim for a draw before Black's 30th move is permitted only through one of the arbiters in
the cases of a threefold repetition.