A dozen draws, all square in chess championship

Three-time defending champion Magnus Carlsen had been neck and neck with American Fabiano Caruana ahead of their latest match, which once again resulted in a tie. 

Game 12 of 12 ended in a draw after 31 moves, with Carlsen — who had been enjoying a clear time advantage — offering a draw that Caruana accepted.

Many observers were surprised that Carlsen offered a draw while appearing to have the upper hand, including former chess champion Gary Kasparov, who felt the Norwegian might be losing his nerve. 

The pair also eked out ties in their first 11 world championship games, meaning they stand level in the championship stakes on six points each (with half a point awarded to each player for each draw).

The 27-year-old Carlsen — nicknamed the "Thor of Chess" — has been seeking to cement his reputation as one of history's greatest players of the game. Caruana, aged 26, is the first American to compete for the title since chess legend Bobby Fischer in 1972.

In the playoff on Wednesday, the pair will face each other in the best of four rapid games. If still tied, they would compete in two "blitz games" in which each player would have only five minutes. Should the players still be level, the championship would go down to a single "Armageddon"  match, the format of which guarantees a winner. 

Carlsen could be favorite in the tie-break, considering that he also holds titles in speed and blitz chess, while Caruana's recent record in speed chess has been poor.

Read more: World Chess Championship: What's wrong with Magnus Carlsen?

In addition to the prestige of winning the title, the pair are also battling over a €1 million (£880,000) cash prize.

Caruana, an Italian-American from Miami, earned his shot to play Carlsen by winning the Candidates Tournament earlier this year in Berlin.