How to use the chess clock
- Pick a time control above the clock. Blitz 5+0 is already set.
- Put the phone or tablet beside the board, one half facing each player.
- The player with Black taps their own half. That starts White’s clock, and the halves now say White and Black.
- After each move, tap your half with the hand you moved with. Your time stops and your opponent’s starts.
- Need a break? Press Pause. When a clock reaches zero, it shows Out of time; press New game to play again.
Time controls explained: 1+0, 3+2, 5+0, 10+5, 15+10
A time control reads “minutes + seconds added per move”. Rapid 10+5 gives each player 10 minutes plus 5 seconds after every move. Many players and online sites call games under 3 minutes per player bullet. FIDE’s Laws of Chess call a game blitz when each player has 10 minutes or less and rapid when it is more than 10 but less than 60 minutes, counting the base time plus 60 times the increment.
For a 40-move game, a rough guide to each player’s total time is the base plus 40 increments:
| Time control | About 40 moves |
|---|---|
| 1+0 | 1:00 |
| 3+2 | 4:20 |
| 5+0 | 5:00 |
| 10+5 | 13:20 |
| 15+10 | 21:40 |
Increment vs Bronstein delay vs simple delay
All three protect players from losing on time in a long endgame, in different ways.
- Increment (Fischer) adds the full bonus after every completed move, however quick. Unused time is banked, so your clock can climb above where it started.
- Bronstein delay lets your clock run during the move, then gives back the time you used, up to the delay. You never end a move with more time than you started it with.
- Simple delay holds your main time still for the first few seconds of each turn. The half shows a countdown badge such as “Delay 2.4” until the delay is used up.
Starting from 5:00 with a 5-second setting:
| Move takes | No bonus | Increment | Bronstein | Simple delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 seconds | 4:57 | 5:02 | 5:00 | 5:00 |
| 8 seconds | 4:52 | 4:57 | 4:57 | 4:57 |
Only increment banks unused seconds, which is why clocks with increment can go up during a game.
Playing on a phone, tablet or laptop
On a phone held upright, the halves sit one above the other and the top half is turned around so the second player reads it the right way up. Tablets and wide screens show the halves side by side. On a laptop, the left player presses Left Shift, A or Z and the right player Right Shift, L or M; Space ends whichever move is running. Play fullscreen hides everything but the clock, and the screen stays on where the browser allows it. If you switch apps, the clock pauses.
Low-time warning and flag fall
With Auto, a half turns amber with “Low time” at 10 seconds for games of 3 minutes or less, at 30 seconds up to 15 minutes, and at 60 seconds for longer games. Below 10 seconds the time shows tenths. When a clock reaches zero, that half turns red with Out of time and the clock stops. Under FIDE’s rules, the player who runs out loses, unless the opponent can’t possibly checkmate, which makes it a draw.
Chess clock rules worth agreeing on
FIDE’s Laws of Chess (Article 6) ask you to press the clock with the same hand you moved with and not to keep a finger on the clock or hover over it. Agree before the game who starts the clock and when you may pause; at events, only the arbiter pauses the clocks. Many events add the increment from move one, some prefer delay.
Options explained
- Time control bar: five presets and Custom… for any base time, unequal times and a bonus mode.
- Low-time warning: Auto (default), Off, 10, 20, 30 or 60 seconds.
- Rotate top player: on by default; turns the top half on phones.
- Press sound (on), Pause when the clock is hidden (on) and Announce each move (off, for screen readers).
- Volume, Keep screen on, Theme and Clear my data, as on every HugeTimer tool.
How this chess timer works
Each press is timed from the moment your finger touched the screen or your key went down, as the browser recorded it. Both clocks are worked out from those moments and the device clock, never by counting ticks, so a busy phone can’t slow a clock down. Delay and increment use the exact rules above. The game is saved on your device after every press: reload the page and it comes back paused. Once loaded, the clock works offline. More in how our timers stay accurate.
Tips and limits
- Charge the phone before a long game, and turn on Do Not Disturb so calls don’t pause the clock.
- On touch screens, the very first press sound after loading may be silent; later ones play.
- Use one device per board, and keep it flat so both players can reach it.
- Preparing for an event? Count down to your next tournament.
FAQ
How does a chess clock work?
A chess clock holds two countdowns and only one runs at a time. When you finish your move, you press your side, which stops your time and starts your opponent's. This online chess clock does exactly that on one phone or tablet, free, with no account, and it keeps working offline once loaded.
What does 3+2 mean in chess?
3+2 means each player starts with 3 minutes and gets 2 extra seconds after every move they complete. The bonus is added even if the move took less than 2 seconds, so a fast player can end up with more than 3 minutes. Choose Blitz 3+2 above the clock to play it.
What is the difference between increment and delay?
Increment adds time after each move; delay only protects time you'd otherwise lose. With 5 seconds of each and an 8-second move, increment leaves 4:57 on a 5:00 clock, and so do Bronstein and simple delay. After a 3-second move, increment shows 5:02, while both delays stay at 5:00.
Who presses the clock first, and which side does it go on?
In casual games the player with Black presses first, which starts White's clock. Put the phone beside the board where both players can reach it, ideally on the side away from the scoresheets. At events, the arbiter decides where the clock goes and how it is started.
Can you pause a chess clock?
Yes. Press Pause or P to stop both clocks, and Resume to carry on. While paused, Undo last press fixes a mis-tap. If you switch apps or the screen locks, the clock pauses by itself, so a phone call never costs anyone time. In rated events, only the arbiter pauses the clocks.
How do I set a custom time or give one player more time?
Choose Custom… and type a base time such as 5m, 1030 or 1h 30m. To give one player more time, untick Same time for both and enter a second time for the top or right player. Pick an increment or delay mode and the number of seconds, then press Apply.
Can a chess clock count up?
No. A chess clock counts down so a player can run out of time; that is the point of a time control. If you want to measure how long a whole game takes, run the online stopwatch next to the board, or check the move counter on each half of this clock.
Can I use it for other two-player games?
Yes. Any game where two players take turns works: board games, card games, word games or a timed debate. Set equal or unequal times with Custom…. For shared timing instead of turns, try the hourglass timer or, for party games, the random timer.
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