Clock Settings and Gameplay

A chess clock keeps track of the time each player has left in a game of chess. Clocks are used in chess so you have a time limit.

The DGT North American Chess Clocks have many different time controls for each number whether is manually or automatically set.

On the DGT North American Chess Clocks:

1: 5 minutes on each side and no delay or increment.

2: You can customize the time and there is no option for increment or delay.

3: 2 hrs and there is no increment and no delay.

4: You can customize the time and there is no option for increment but there is an option for delay.

5: It is 2 hrs time with no increment or delay.

6: You can customize the time and you can customize the increment and delay.

7: 2 hrs and there is no increment or delay.

8: You can customize the time and there is no option for increment but there is an option for delay.

9: It is 2 hrs time with no increment or delay.

10: You can customize the time and there is no option for increment or delay.

11: It is 2 hrs time with no increment or delay.

12: You can customize the time and you can customize the increment and delay.

13: There is three minutes and two seconds and there is a two second increment.

14: You can customize the time and you can customize the increment but not the delay.

15: There is 1 hr and 30 minutes with a 30 second increment.

16: You can customize the time and you can customize the increment and delay.

17: There is 5 minutes and a 2 second delay.

18: There is 25 minutes with a 5 second delay.

19: It is 2 hrs time with a 5 second delay.

20: You can customize the time and there is no option for increment but there is an option for delay

21: There is 1 hr and 55 minutes with a 5 second delay.

22: It is 2 hrs time with a 5 second delay.

23: You can customize the time and you can customize the increment and delay.

If you get this type of clock look on the back and you can see all the numbers and what they do.

When it has 1.59 seconds, it means 1 minutes and 59 seconds. When it says 1:59 minutes, it means 1 hour 59 minutes. So when there is ":" next to a number on the left, it means that it is in hours and minutes. If it has ".", then that means it has minutes and seconds.

A pre-move is when you play a move before they even play a move. This can be dangerous because you could blunder easily (Only used in online chess).

Chess tournaments can be held in several different formats, each with its own structure, advantages, and strategic implications. The three most common formats are Swiss, Round Robin, and Knockout.

Swiss System

Format:

• All players play a fixed number of rounds (often 5–11).

• Players are paired each round against opponents with similar scores.

• No player is eliminated, and everyone plays all rounds.

How Pairings Work:

• After the first round (random or seeded), winners are paired with winners, and losers with losers.

• A player never plays the same opponent twice.

Example:

If there were 10 people in a tournament:

• 1 would play 6

• 2 would play 7

• 3 would play 8

• 4 would play 9

• 5 would play 10

Advantages:

• Efficient for large tournaments.

• Everyone gets to play all rounds, ensuring full participation.

Disadvantages:

• Final rankings can be influenced by pairings.

• Tie-breaks are often needed to determine winners.

Common Uses:

• Scholastic tournaments

• Open tournaments with many participants (e.g., FIDE World Cup qualifiers)

2. Round Robin

Format:

• Each player plays every other player once (single round robin) or twice (double round robin).

• The player with the highest total score wins.

Advantages:

• Fairest format in terms of competition — everyone plays the same opponents.

• No luck involved in pairings.

Disadvantages:

• Time-consuming; not practical for large tournaments.

• Can lead to "dead rubbers" (games with no impact on final standings).

Common Uses:

• Elite-level events (e.g., Candidates Tournament, Tata Steel Masters)

• Club championships with few players

3. Knockout (Elimination)

Format:

• Players are paired in matches. The loser is eliminated, and the winner advances to the next round.

• Often includes a final match to determine the winner.

• May use multiple games per round, with tie-breaks like rapid or blitz if needed.

Advantages:

• High stakes and drama.

• Fast resolution for a champion.

Disadvantages:

• One bad game can eliminate a strong player.

• Less play time for those who are eliminated early.

Common Uses:

• FIDE World Cup

• Some national championships

• Online blitz and bullet tournaments

Time controls:

There is Sudden Death, Increment, and Time Delay.

• Sudden Death is when there is no increment or Delay. So like 25 minutes or like 1 hr.

• Increment is when you play a move and you get added time. For example, 30 minutes + 10 second increment. So there is 30 minutes and every move you make you get 10 seconds.

• Time Delay means the clock does not start ticking until the delay has passed. For example, 10 minutes and a 5 second delay. This means there is 5 seconds until the clock actually starts ticking.

There are six types of game modes in chess:

1. Classical or Standard

2. Rapid

3. Blitz

4. Bullet

5. Hyper Bullet & Ultrabullet

1. Classical / Standard

FIDE:

• Time per player: 60 minutes or more for the entire game (typically up to 120+ minutes).

• Often includes increments (e.g., 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move).

• Used in: World Championships, Candidates Tournaments, most official high-level events.

• Rating category: FIDE Classical rating.

USCF:

• Time controls where each player has at least 30 minutes (sudden death or overall).

• Includes formats like G/60, G/90, G/120 (G = Game in minutes).

• Rated as: Regular (or Dual if time control is borderline with Quick).

2. Rapid (FIDE) / Quick (USCF)

FIDE:

• Time per player: More than 10 minutes but less than 60 minutes, including increment.

  • E.g., 25 minutes + 10 seconds per move is still Rapid.

• Rating category: FIDE Rapid rating.

USCF:

• Called Quick Chess.

• Total time per player between 10 and 29 minutes, excluding delay or increment.

  • E.g., G/25, G/15, G/10.

• Rated as: Quick (or Dual-rated with Regular if it's close to 30 minutes).

3. Blitz

FIDE:

• Time per player: More than 3 minutes, but less than 10 minutes, including increment.

  • E.g., 3+2 (3 minutes with 2-second increment) is Blitz.

• Rating category: FIDE Blitz rating.

USCF:

• Each player has more than 5 minutes but less than 10.

• Rated as: Blitz.

• Must use a clock. Illegal moves may result in penalties or loss under strict blitz rules.

4. Bullet (Unofficial Term)

General (Not formally recognized by FIDE or USCF as a separate rating class):

• Games where each player has less than 3 minutes, typically:

  • 1|0 (one minute, no increment)

  • 2|0 or 2|1 (two minutes, or two minutes with 1-second increment)

Exception:

• 2|1 (2 minutes + 1 second increment) is classified by FIDE as Blitz, not Bullet.

• Bullet is commonly recognized only on online platforms (e.g., Chess.com, Lichess).

5. Hyperbullet and Ultrabullet (Online / Informal only)

These are not recognized by FIDE or USCF, but are popular in online play:

Hyperbullet:

• 30 seconds per player, often 0|30 or 15|15 formats.

Ultrabullet:

• 15 seconds or less per player, such as 10|0 or 10|1.

Tips in USCF and FIDE tournaments:

1. Know the Rules

• USCF and FIDE have similar but slightly different rules. Read the USCF Official Rules of Chess or FIDE Laws of Chess before your event.

• Be aware of how draws, illegal moves, time controls, and touch-move are enforced.

• Understand notation, flag-fall, and how pairings and tiebreaks work.

2. Bring the Essentials

• Chess clock (fully charged/set).

• Pencil or pen for scorekeeping.

• Notation book or scoresheet (most tournaments provide, but bring your own just in case).

• Snacks & water, especially for long events.

• Jacket or hoodie — venues can be cold.

3. Practice the Time Control

• If it's G/90 +30, practice with a digital clock set for 90 minutes with 30 seconds increment.

• Learn to manage your time in all phases of the game: opening, middlegame, and endgame.

4. Play OTB (Over-the-Board) Beforehand

• If you mostly play online, adjust to the slower, more focused pace of OTB games.

• Practice physically writing notation and using a clock.

When playing chess tournaments, make sure to be quiet and rest in-between games.