Neither player has been able to force a victory so far with the 12-match series at the Fulton Market Building now at the halfway stage.

With each player earning half a point for each draw, the score in the final is now 3-3.

The situation is not unprecedented but it is unexpected, as Carlsen was widely tipped to defend his title and it is a surprise that he is winless at this stage.

Game five yesterday saw Karjakin miss a good opportunity to claim a victory, with Carlsen seeing strong positions go to waste in games three and four.

Today's contest lacked the same tension and drama with both players agreeing to shake hands after just 32 moves and one-and-a-half hours of play.

It came as both Carlsen, playing with black, and Karjakin, using white, could see few chances of creating a winning position.

After a rest day tomorrow, game seven is due to be played on Sunday (November 20).

The event is taking place without World Chess Federation (FIDE) President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov after the Russian was forced to miss out because he was refused a visa to the United States.

He was added to a sanctions list by the US Department of Treasury last November, after officials claimed he had been "materially assisting and acting for or on behalf of the Government of Syria, Central Bank of Syria".

Ilyumzhinov denies the claims. 

According to Russian news agency TASS, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss the issue.