How is chess timed

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If you're wondering how a chess clock works, how to set it, and what time settings are standard, or even timing etiquette, this article on How to Operate a Chess Clock will be helpful. Most tournaments and organized events now require a chess timer capable of "delay" timing. A set amount of time, usually 5 seconds is added before a player's move.

Black decides on which side to place the clock. An analogue clock. A digital clock pictures copyright T. When a person makes a move he stops his clock and thus starts his opponents clock. The clocks countdown how much time each player has left to make all their moves before reaching the time limit. At the beginning of the game the clock of the player who has the white pieces is started.

When the minute hand is pointing towards the 12 a small flag falls. In the picture above of the analogue clock the minute hand on the left clock has reached 12 and the flag has fallen. On the clock on the left the minute hand is just beginning to push the flag up. If a player has not made the specified number of moves when the flag falls he has lost the game on time unless the opponent has insufficient material to checkmate with.

Then the game is drawn. There are various rates of play in use. The following indicates the different options available:. Rapidplay is played with typical time limits of 30 minutes for each player for all the moves. Digital clocks have various setting methods and modes so we'll deal with the more standard setting procedure for the traditional analog clock instead.

Analog clocks can be battery powered but are more commonly powered by spring tension and need winding every so often. Never over-wind until they are tight or your timer may stop working as expected. A light snug wind is enough. Analog clocks have a dial and hands, counting up. The signal for a player's expired time is a small red flag. As the minute hand reaches 12 o'clock the red flag will rise. When it reaches 12, the "flag falls".

In a competition, the player whose "flag has fallen" loses the game with some exceptions! The time is set with two knobs on the back of the clock, one for each display. Turn this knob as you watch the clock face. To set the clock for a game that lasts no more than one hour "Game in 30" or 30 minutes per side , watch the face of the clock as you set, first one side to , and then the other side to Starting at in this case results in a completed time of 6 o'clock a helpful standard for games that range from 5 minutes to several hours in length.

An observer knows exactly how much time is left by adding the time from 6 o'clock to the time displayed. If you're playing with a friend and you have only 30 minutes to play, set both timers to You will each have 15 minutes before the time expires at and one of the flags has fallen.

Most players feel rushed when their time reaches less than 15 minutes or 5 minutes. Some competitions are built entirely on the 5 minute game.

It's called Blitz Chess. It's a form of chess that is very exciting and fun to play if you are already very comfortable playing the game. Chess tournaments would be impossible without chess clocks. They keep the whole place ticking and participants pleased with the timeliness of the event. These games can last as long as 7 or more hours! Many tournaments will have faster games at 1 hour per player, 30 minutes Action Chess , 15 minutes Quick Chess , or 5 minutes Speed or Blitz Chess.

With a friend, a fast game is 5 minutes per player. A slower game is 15 to 30 minutes, and a long game is an hour or more. In this photo, the digital timer is set to 1 hour and 30 minutes per player with a bonus time of 5 seconds per move. On which side of the board do you place the clock?

Most people favor it to their right. The player with black pieces gets preference on which side of the chessboard to place the timer. If both players bring a chess clock, the digital style is automatically preferred, or you can agree to use either. Here's one of the most common questions in timed chess games. What happens if you play checkmate at the same time your flag falls time expires?

If checkmate is on the board before your opponent verbally claims "flag", you still win! If your time is called before you've made the move you've lost the game, regardless if your next move could be checkmate.