Free Online Chess Clock

Blitz, rapid or classical — pick the right time control

A time control is written as base + increment: "5+3" gives each player five minutes for the whole game plus three seconds back after every move. Bullet (1–2 minutes) is pure adrenaline; blitz (3–5 minutes) is the club and online standard where games stay sharp but sane; rapid (10–15 minutes and up) leaves room to actually calculate; and classical (30 minutes or more per player) is the slow-burn format of serious tournament chess. The presets above cover the controls people actually play — or set any base from 1 to 120 minutes with the custom fields.

What Fischer increment does

The increment — patented by Bobby Fischer in 1988 — is added to your clock after you complete each move. It changes the endgame completely: without it, a player with a completely winning position can lose simply because their last thirty seconds evaporate in a mad scramble. With even a two-second increment, moving quickly actually builds time back, so games are decided on the board rather than by whoever bangs the clock faster. If you are setting up a casual club game, 3+2 or 5+3 are hard to beat.

Not just chess: Scrabble, backgammon and board games

Any two-player turn-based game gets better with a clock. Tournament Scrabble is played at 25 minutes per player — overrunning costs penalty points — and a clock instantly cures the friend who studies the rack for five minutes per turn. Backgammon matches typically use a small base time plus increment. It works for draughts, shogi practice, Magic side games, or simply capping thinking time in Carcassonne so game night doesn't stall. Rename the players, set a custom control, and the same tap-to-switch rhythm applies.

Made for club nights

Lay a phone or tablet flat between the two players — on a phone the top zone flips upside-down so each player reads their own clock the right way up, exactly like a physical chess clock. Tap your own side when your move is done; the buzzer and the flashing flag settle any "you were out of time" argument. Hit the fullscreen button to lose the browser chrome, and pause between rounds without losing the times. Everything runs locally in the browser: no account, nothing uploaded, and your control and player names are remembered for next week.

Frequently asked questions

What does 5+3 mean?

It is shorthand for a time control: each player starts with 5 minutes, and 3 seconds are added to their clock after every move they complete. The first number is the base time in minutes, the second is the increment in seconds. So 3+2 is three minutes with a two-second increment, and 10+0 is ten minutes with no increment at all.

What is Fischer increment?

Fischer increment — named after world champion Bobby Fischer, who patented the idea — adds a fixed number of seconds to a player's clock after each move they complete. It rewards steady play and prevents a player with a winning position from losing purely in a frantic time scramble: as long as you move within the increment, your clock never runs out.

Can I use this for Scrabble or other games?

Yes. A chess clock times any two-player turn-based game: tournament Scrabble uses 25 minutes per player, backgammon matches commonly use a small base time plus a Fischer increment, and it works just as well to stop one player dominating the thinking time in Carcassonne, draughts or any board game. Set a custom time, rename the players, and tap after each turn.

What happens when a clock reaches zero?

That player's flag falls: their zone flashes, a buzzer sounds, and the clock shows that the other player wins on time. Both clocks freeze so the final times can be inspected, and the game stays locked until you press Reset. In chess, flagging loses the game outright as long as the opponent has enough material to deliver checkmate.