Both sides were well below-par, but Spurs can be the happier as they started the game rooted to the bottom of the table.
The Blues took the lead through Juliano Belletti, but were pegged back seconds from half-time when Darren Bent was gifted the chance to tuck the ball home under Petr Cech's body.
Frank Lampard had the first effort of the match in the second minute, but his trademark long-range effort from 25 yards was well wide of Heurelho Gomes' goal.
Seconds later, a deft chip by Lampard almost caught the Spurs keeper out but he managed to scramble backwards and tip the ball over his crossbar.
Spurs countered immediately and they forced a corner when Bent saw his left-foot effort from six yards out deflected away from goal by John Terry.
Chelsea had a great chance to open the scoring on 26 minutes when Belletti curled and inch-perfect ball to Nicolas Anelka, who smashed the ball inexplicably over the crossbar from eight yards out.
A minute later and Michael Essien walloped the crossbar with a vicious right-foot drive from 25 yards.
But on 28 minutes, Chelsea edged ahead when Belletti was in the right place at the right time to prod home a Deco left-wing corner from six yards out after Bent had failed to clear the ball at the near post.
Right on half time and Spurs snatched an equaliser when Bent ran onto an unforced error by Lampard which flat-footed the Chelsea rearguard.
The striker was quickest to react and squeezed the ball home under Cech's diving body.
Within a minute of the restart, Chelsea signalled their intent with a fine attack which saw Ashley Cole free inside the Spurs area, but he flashed his left footer across Gomes' goal.
Lampard attempted a repeat of his first-half chip on 54 minutes, but this time the ball cleared the crossbar comfortably.
Spurs boss Juande Ramos made the first changes of the game, bringing on Aaron Lennon for the ineffectual Giovani Dos Santos on 58 minutes and Tom Huddlestone for Chris Gunter three minutes later.
Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari matched this by bringing on Florent Malouda for Joe Cole on 66 minutes.
Salomon Kalou was on for just a couple of minutes when he found himself just inside the Spurs penalty area, but the Ivory Coast hitman hit a weak shot horribly wide.
Chelsea's desperate attempt to get a late winner saw the introduction of Franco di Santo for Anelka with two minutes remaining.
But it did no good as Spurs shut up shop at the back and gratefully took a point.