The World Chess Championship Has Everything but Wins and Losses

Magnus Carlsen is defending his title against Ian Nepomniachtchi. Continuing a frustrating trend, the first five games have all been draws.

The fifth world championship game between Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia on Wednesday in Dubai ended as the first four did. With a draw.

Though the games so far have brought a Carlsen pawn sacrifice and a few minor complications and blunders to excite the hard-core aficionados, they have not come close to providing what more casual observers generally like to see at sporting events: a winner.

“It’s becoming clearer and clearer that it’s going to be hard for either of us to break through,” Carlsen said after the game.