Bullet and blitz
In bullet, each player has less than three minutes, and it is mostly played online. Under FIDE rules, a game is blitz when each player's time, counting the increment for 60 moves, is 10 minutes or less, so 3+2 and 5+3 are blitz.
Online chess clock
A free chess timer for over-the-board games. Place your phone, tablet, or laptop between the players, pick a time control, and tap your side after each move.
Time control
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical
Custom time
Keyboard: Space ends the turn, P pauses or resumes, F toggles full screen.
Spend less clock time in the opening
Players who know their lines play the first moves quickly and keep their time for the middlegame. Chessmate trains each opening line on the board with spaced review, so the moves stay with you.
How to use the chess clock
Choose a time control
Pick a preset such as 5+3 or 10+0, or set a custom time. For handicap games, you can give each player a different time.
Black starts White's clock
When both players are ready, Black taps their side. White's time starts running, and White makes the first move.
Tap after every move
Make your move, then tap your side of the clock with the same hand. The clock shows a flag when a player's time runs out.
Pause, reset, or go full screen
Pause the clock to settle a question at the board. Full-screen mode hides the page around the clock, and on supported browsers the screen stays awake while the clock runs.
Time controls, increment, and delay explained
A time control is written as minutes plus seconds: 5+3 means five minutes for each player, plus three seconds added after every move.
Rapid and classical
Under FIDE rules, rapid gives each player more than 10 and less than 60 minutes, and classical games use 60 minutes or more. Online sites set their own cutoffs, so 10+0 counts as rapid on most sites but as blitz under FIDE.
Increment (Fischer)
Adds the same bonus after every move, so a player who moves quickly can build up time. Most online games and many tournaments use increment.
Simple delay
Common in US tournaments. On each move, the clock waits for the delay before it starts counting down. Unused delay is not saved, so your time never goes up.
Bronstein delay
After each move, the clock gives back the time you used, up to the delay. As with simple delay, your time never grows beyond what it was at the start of the move.
Chess clock FAQ
How do you use a chess clock?
Set the time control, then Black presses their side to start White's clock. After each move, the player presses their side: their own time stops and the opponent's starts. Press with the same hand you moved the piece with.
Which player starts the chess clock?
Under FIDE rules, the arbiter starts White's clock at the start of the round. In casual games, Black usually presses the clock to start White's time, and that is how this clock works.
What happens when a player runs out of time?
The player who runs out of time loses, unless the opponent cannot checkmate by any series of legal moves; then the game is a draw. This clock shows a flag on the side that ran out, and the players decide the result.
What does 5+3 mean in chess?
Each player starts with 5 minutes and gets 3 seconds added after every move they make. The first number is minutes, and the second is seconds of increment.
Should I use increment or delay?
Increment lets fast players bank extra time, and it is the most common choice online and in FIDE events. Delay only protects you in time trouble and never lifts your time above where the move started, which is why many US tournaments use it.
Can each player have a different time?
Yes. Turn on “Different time for each player” and give the stronger player less time. This handicap is called time odds.
Does the chess clock work offline and on phones?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no account or app install. Once the page has loaded, the clock keeps working without a connection, and your last time control is saved on this device.
Try another free chess tool
Opening Quiz
Answer five questions to find which openings to play with White and Black.
Open tool →Opening Trainer
Play an opening line with coach notes, then replay it from memory for a score.
Open tool →Chess Traps Trainer
Practice 32 opening traps for White and Black until you can play them from memory.
Open tool →Opening Explorer
Compare popular moves and results from Lichess and master games.
Open tool →PGN Viewer & Opening Identifier
Replay a PGN on the board and identify its opening.
Open tool →PGN to GIF
Turn a chess game into a downloadable animated board.
Open tool →