Eleven times, Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana have sat opposite each other on the chessboard. Eleven times, they thought about it, fiddled with it, put everything into practice that she and her secondaries had considered before. Eleven times, these games went out undecided. This has not happened in the history of the World Chess Championships.

There was a division of points yesterday in the Bundesliga, Bayern played 3: 3 against Fortuna Dusseldorf - probably it was the draw with the greatest possible distance to the duels at the World Chess Championship.

Eleven draws in eleven games between Carlsen and Caruana - and one can not even say that risk aversion was responsible. For example, the tenth game was a wild slugfest, say those who understand a lot of chess. In the first games there were the experts surprising openings. And yet: In the end, Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana shook hands and agreed on a draw. And after the fifth, sixth game, there was already a feeling that in the regular twelve encounters before the tiebreak no decision will be made.

An armada of digital and analogue competence

The draw orgy at the World Chess Championship is a good example of the fact that the sport reaches its limits when it becomes too perfect. That there was no winner in London so far, was not because the opponents have shown no weaknesses. But both are too good or too well prepared for these weaknesses to have been so striking that the opponent could have used them to victory.

On the chessboard sit two grandmasters who deserve this name. Ammunition also by a team of other chess sizes, supported by artificial intelligence, of everything that the chess computer can spit out. An armada of analogue and digital competence, and this on both sides.

There are sportspeople in the expression that two teams neutralize each other. This is often the case in top games when both teams adhere to the tactical concept, avoiding mistakes. For the viewer then often comes out a game that exudes boredom. Reporters then like to talk about the game being "something for gourmets", they also talk about "lawn chess". But the decisive kick is missing: Sport lives from winning and losing. From winners. And just like losers.

At the tennis tournament in Wimbledon this summer, opponents John Isner and Kevin Anderson hit each other in the fifth set of their semi-finals, until 24:24 it was balanced because they had become so specialized in the service, their hard-hitting service perfected so much that at some point you thought the game would go on forever. At some point the tension was exhausted for the audience. At the end of the second longest tennis match in Wimbledon history, there was still one winner, but those responsible changed the rules quickly, so that does not happen anymore.

The sporty drama needs winners and losers

Also at the World Chess Championship there will eventually be a decision. Previously until the 24th game was continued. If there was a draw until then, the defending champion had won in the end. That does not exist anymore. The tiebreaker is introduced, and this term suggests the parallel to the Wimbledon endless game.

The winner and the loser - they are the wood from which the sport carves its drama. It is the crucial mistake that goes with the sport and without which the beauty of the game is unimaginable. The draw only lights up if it equals a victory or a defeat.

At the same time that Carlsen and Caruana were on Saturday afternoon, their characters following a consistent plan on the board pushed back and forth, separated in the Bundesliga Bayern Munich and Fortuna Dusseldorf also draws: 3: 3. The 17th of the table brings a counter at the German record champion, the defending champion. A division of points, which is a victory for the newly promoted, for FC Bayern felt and real another defeat means that could cost the coach in the short or medium term job.

A draw, which could come about precisely because the aura of perfection of Bavaria is broken. Because the team shows weaknesses that are so manifest that the opponent uses them. Because a champion is staggering, about to tip over. A sporty drama outright, also perfectly choreographed by the equalizer of the outsider in the last minute.

The draw of Munich is thus the athletic antithesis to the draw of London. A draw is not just a draw.