Online Chess Clock
Put your phone, tablet or laptop next to the board and tap your side after each move. Choose bullet, blitz, rapid or classical, add a Fischer increment or a delay, and the clock flags the player who runs out of time.
White to move. Press Start clock or tap Black's side to start White's clock.
Keys: Space ends the current player's move · Left Shift / Right Shift press the left / right clock · P pause · R reset.
How to use the Online Chess Clock
- Choose a time control such as 5+0 or 3+2, or enter your own times, bonus type and seconds and press Set clock.
- Start the game: Black taps their clock (or you press Start clock) and White's time starts running.
- After each move, tap your own clock. Your time stops, any increment is added, and your opponent's clock starts.
- Pause with the Pause button or P, for example to call an arbiter; tap the running player's clock to resume.
- When a clock reaches 0:00 it turns red and shows a flag. Press New game or R to reset.
Common chess time controls
| Control | Category | Per player for 60 moves* | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1+0 | Bullet | 1 min | Online and very fast casual games |
| 3+2 | Blitz | 5 min | Blitz tournaments and championships |
| 5+0 | Blitz | 5 min | Club blitz |
| 10+5 | Rapid | 15 min | Rapid events, casual club games |
| 15+10 | Rapid | 25 min | Rapid tournaments (used at the FIDE World Rapid) |
| 30+0 | Rapid | 30 min | Club and school games |
| 90+30 | Classical | 120 min | Standard FIDE classical events (often with 30 min added at move 40) |
*FIDE classifies time controls by the time each player would have for a 60-move game: base time + 60 × increment. For 3+2 that is 3 min + 60 × 2 s = 5 min. Blitz is 10 minutes or less, rapid is more than 10 and less than 60 minutes, and classical is 60 minutes or more. "Bullet" (under 3 minutes) is a popular online category rather than a FIDE one.
Increment and delay explained
| Method | What happens on each move | Example with 5 s bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Fischer increment | The bonus is added after the move is completed. | You think 2 s: your clock goes up by 3 s net. |
| Bronstein delay | After the move, the time you used is given back, up to the bonus. | You think 2 s: no time lost. You think 8 s: you lose 3 s. |
| Simple / US delay | The clock waits for the bonus period before your main time starts counting down. | You think 2 s: no time lost. You think 8 s: you lose 3 s. |
Bronstein and simple delay give the same result; the difference is only in what the display shows during the move. Simple delay is common in US Chess events, where the delay is shown counting down before the main clock starts.
Tips for using a phone as a chess clock
- Turn on Face-to-face mode and lay the phone flat between the players, so the top clock faces the player across the board.
- Use fullscreen so the browser's address bar and other tabs cannot be hit by accident.
- Press with the same hand that moved the piece, as required by FIDE rules.
- Keep the screen on by plugging in the device or extending its auto-lock time for long games.
Frequently asked questions
What does 3+2 mean on a chess clock?
The first number is the starting time per player in minutes and the second is the increment in seconds added after every move. 3+2 means each player starts with 3 minutes and gains 2 seconds each time they complete a move.
What is the difference between increment and delay?
With a Fischer increment the bonus seconds are added after each move, so your time can grow if you move quickly. With a delay, the clock waits for the delay before your main time starts counting (simple or US delay), or gives back the time you used up to the delay (Bronstein), so your time can never grow above where it was at the start of the move.
Which side should the clock be on?
Under FIDE rules the arbiter decides where the clock is placed; in casual games the player with the black pieces usually chooses. Use Swap sides so the White clock is next to the player with the white pieces.
Who presses the clock first?
In over-the-board chess, Black starts the game by pressing their clock, which starts White's time. You can also press Start clock, which does the same.
What happens when a flag falls?
The player whose time runs out loses the game, unless their opponent cannot possibly checkmate with any series of legal moves, in which case it is a draw. The clock only shows the flag; deciding the result is up to the players or arbiter.
Can I give one player more time?
Yes. Untick Same time for both players, enter different times for White and Black and press Set clock. This is useful for time-odds games between players of different strength.
Can I use the keyboard instead of tapping?
Yes. Left Shift presses the left clock and Right Shift the right one, so each player can use the key on their side. Space ends the move of whoever is running, P pauses and R resets.