Games / Clock
Chess Clock
A free online chess clock for two players on one phone or tablet: blitz, rapid, and classical presets, Fischer increment, Bronstein or simple delay, different times for each player, and big buttons to tap.
Chess Clock: The clock keeps two times and runs only the side to move. With a Fischer increment, the seconds are added after each of your moves; with a Bronstein delay you get back the time you used, up to the delay; with a simple delay your clock waits for the delay before it starts counting down. Under ten seconds the time is shown in tenths. The top half is turned round so both players can read their own time across a table, and the screen is kept awake while the clock runs. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
- Category
- Health & sport tools
- Runs
- In your browser
- Cost
- Free · no sign-up
- Availability
- Ready to use
Runs entirely in your browser
To start, the player with Black presses their clock, which starts White's time. Then press your own side after each move; Space presses the running clock and P pauses.
Using a phone as a chess clock
Lay the phone flat beside the board, across from both players, with the screen set not to rotate. Each player presses only their own half. Turn the sound off for quiet clubs, and use full screen so a stray tap cannot leave the page.
For timing other games, the stopwatch and online timer cover single timers; to run an event, make a tournament bracket.
Choosing a time control
Bullet games of one or two minutes test speed; blitz, around 3 to 5 minutes, is the most popular online; rapid, 10 to 60 minutes, leaves time to think; classical games take hours. An increment of a few seconds stops a game from being lost on time in a winning position.
How to use it
- Choose a time control, or set the minutes and the increment or delay.
- Lay the phone between the players; the player with Black presses their side to start White's clock.
- After each move, press your own side to start your opponent's clock.
Privacy & limitations
Everything runs in your browser.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
What does 3 + 2 mean?
Three minutes each for the whole game, plus two seconds added after every move you make: a Fischer increment. 3 + 2 is a common blitz control; 15 + 10 is rapid.
What is the difference between increment and delay?
An increment adds time after each move, so you can build up a bank of time by moving quickly. A delay never adds to your time: it only stops the clock from counting down for the first few seconds of each turn.
Who starts the clock?
In chess the player with Black starts White's clock at the start of the game. Here, pressing either side starts the other player's clock.
Can players have different times?
Yes, set different minutes for each player to give a stronger player a handicap, such as 5 minutes against 2.
Free tool · runs in your browser · no account required