The stakes were high at The Valley for both sides for very different reasons and both desperately fought to create the all-important goal that would land the three points but in the end that goal simply wouldn't come try as the 22 players on the pitch might.
Blues were looking to get back into second place in the table and in the end the 0-0 draw managed to do exactly that and could prove to be an extremely important away point as Alex McLeish's men edged a point in front of third-placed Sheffield United.
For Charlton only a win would do and a place in League One looks the likely outcome for them but they can be pleased with the energy and commitment shown in their performance, as can Blues as they look forward to a St. Andrew's fixture against Plymouth on Easter Monday (kick-off 3pm)
Midfielder Damien Johnson came back into the fray as one of two changes made by Alex McLeish. Jonty was back in the starting line-up, in place of the suspended Lee Carsley, and so was Hameur Bouazza who took up a berth in the first eleven instead of Kevin Phillips.
The two sides vied for possession early on as the game swung from end to end and it was eleven minutes before a serious chance - and when it came it came for Blues.
Lee Bowyer was tenacious in recovering the ball and started a move in a central position that resulted in Bouazza picking up possession inside the area, on the left, and, with home keeper Rob Elliot way out of position, he lofted a cross towards the advancing Cameron Jerome but it was cleared off the line by Nicky Bailey before the Blues striker could charge it down.
Jonjo Shelvey thrashed a shot over the bar with 13 minutes played, following a Danny Butterfield long ball forward, but the visitors had maintained an organised backline and would happily restrict the Addicks to 25 yard efforts like that one all afternoon.
Having said that the Blues defence stood off Shelvey three minutes later and the Charlton man curled in a shot that this time was on target but straight into Maik Taylor's outstretched arms.
On 18 a Jerome header hit the bar after a long David Murphy throw-in from the left was flicked on by Radhi Jaidi but had the effort ended up in the back of the net it wouldn't have counted as the assistant referee had flagged for a foul by the Birmingham striker on Elliot.
A minute later Murphy was first to react to a whipped-in Seb Larsson corner from the left and met his header with power but the ball flew well wide of target.
On 26 Jerome was on the end of a lovely crossfield ball by Bouazza and tussled with Kelly Youga on the right touchline.
Blues were awarded a free-kick and up stepped former Charlton loanee Bouazza to a barrage of boos and he swung in a swerving setpiece from a tight angle that Elliot was forced to fist away.
On the half-hour mark Charlton picked up a head of steam and from a Bailey cross from the left that evaded the Blues defence completely it was only total confusion between Tresor Kandol and Lloyd Sam and the fact they both went for the same ball that prevented a shot from six yards out and presented the visitors with the opportunity to clear.
Shelvey then curled a free-kick over the bar from the edge of the area on the right hand side as Phil Parkinson's men pressed once again but it was Blues who finished the first half the strongest.
On 44 Murphy fouled Sam close to the touchline and was booked.
Blues finished the half with a glorious opportunity, Bouazza swinging in a corner from the right perfectly onto the head of Jaidi six yards out but the giant centre-half could only steer the ball over the woodwork.
HALF-TIME: CHARLTON 0 BLUES 0
With just four minutes of the second half played and not a single chance created since the break by either side McLeish made his first change, bringing on Phillips for Larsson.
On 51 Sam produced an angle drive from the right which Taylor was forced to palm away at his near post before Jerome tried to hold his run and latch on to a lifted Johnson pass in behind the home defence but the Blues frontman was just off-side.
A couple of minutes later Sam tried another speculative effort, this time a curler that drifted wide but Blues were still restricting the hosts to long-range efforts in the main.
With an hour played Blues made another change, this time replacing Jerome with fellow striker Marcus Bent, a former Charlton player.
Taylor acrobatically pushed behind a Shelvey piledriver a minute later as the Addicks picked up a head of steam and the visitors found themselves under a short period of sustained pressure for the first time in the match.
With 65 played Stephen Carr produced a wonderful block to deny Sam on the edge of the Blues area and seconds later McLeish made his final change of the match in introducing James McFadden to the action in place of Bouazza.
Phillips looped a shot just wide and then McFadden picked the ball up on the right touchline, ran at the Charlton defence, cut inside his man and curled in a typical McFadden shot from the edge of the area that Elliot saved low down in the centre of his goal.
Ridgewell ventured forward on 69 and his shot from 25 yards was some six yards or so wide of target but the major plus point was that Blues were starting to exert some real dominance on proceedings. Up until this point the visitors hadn't created enough clear-cut chances but it was clear they were going to try to use the last 20 minutes to do exactly that.
On 73 Phillips grasped the nettle in the centre of the park held off three opponents before releasing McFadden down the right. The Scot's hanging cross was teasing and towards the back post but Hudson headed clear as both Bent and Fahey prepared to pounce.
Blues were well on top but almost immediately Charlton showed they were by no means out of the game and when Jade and Taylor got themselves all in a muddle eight yards out the ball broke to Zheng Zhi who tried to scoop the ball home from close range only to be foiled by a superb Carr challenge two yards from the line.
On 77 Jaidi brought down Kandol right on the edge of the area, left-hand side, and received a yellow card. More significantly it handed Charlton a great setpiece opportunity, but Shelvey wasted it completely by gently curling his effort straight into Taylor's arms.
With 80 played Fahey had the Blues fans behind the goal their side were attacking on their feet when he sent in a swirling shot from 30 yards that had Elliot scampering across his line to save excellently and then, as the game picked up momentum and swung from end to end, Charlton's Bailey forced Taylor into a low save.
Fahey held his head agonisingly in his hands when he broke clear of the Charlton defence again on 84 and was in the right place at the right time to get on the end of a Bent knock down from a Carr cross but although his great close range header was on target it was matched by an equally good save by Elliot at his right-hand post.
It felt as though the goal might never come but one thing is for sure and that is that both side were going to press right to the bitter end to try and get a winner, Kandol blazing over with an angled drive to prove that point.
In the 90th minute Taylor proved once again just how good a keeper he is with a world class save to prevent Charlton from landing all three points. Shelvey looked to have lifted the ball over the Blues keeper but from nowhere the stopper raised his trailing hand and pushed it away with what surely must be one of the saves of the season.
FULL-TIME: CHARLTON 0 BLUES 0
Charlton: Rob Elliot, Kelly Youga, Nicky Bailey, Zheng Zhi, Mark Hudson (C), Jonjo Shelvey, Darren Ward, Lloyd Sam (Darren Ambrose 90), Therry Racon (Chris Dickson 79), Danny Butterfield, Tresor Kandol. Subs: Matt Holland, Darren Randolph, Deon Burton.
Bookings: Bailey (25)
Blues: Maik Taylor, Stephen Carr, Liam Ridgewell, Radhi Jaidi, David Murphy, Seb Larsson (Kevin Phillips 50), Lee Bowyer, Damien Johnson, Keith Fahey, Hameur Bouazza (James McFadden 65), Cameron Jerome (Marcus Bent 60). Subs: Colin Doyle, Franck Queudrue.
Bookings: Murphy (44), Jaidi (77)
Referee: Lee Probert
Attendance: 20,022