Free tool

Online Chess Clock

A chess timer for games on a real board. Tap your side after each move.

Pick a preset or set your own time control with Fischer increment, Bronstein, or delay. The clock works on a phone laid between the players and on a laptop with the keyboard.

5+0 · Ready

Choosing a time control resets both clocks.

Bullet

Blitz

Rapid

Classical

Keyboard: Space switches the active side, P pauses or resumes, R resets after a confirmation.

How to use the chess clock

1.Pick a time control. Tap a preset such as 5+3, or type your own minutes, seconds, and increment and press Apply custom time.
2.Place the phone between the players, or keep the laptop where both can reach the space bar. In portrait, the Black half is turned round so the opponent reads it the right way up.
3.Black taps the Black half to start White's clock, as on a physical clock. From then on, each player taps their own half after they make their move.
4.Press Pause when you need a break, and Resume to continue. While paused you can add or remove time on either side, for example two minutes to the opponent after an illegal move. Press Reset for a new game; the clock asks you to confirm so a stray tap does not wipe a game.
5.When a side reaches zero it shows Flag and the clock stops. Reset to play again.

What the clock does

The two halves fill the screen, so a tap lands on the right side even in a fast blitz game, and the clock switches on the first touch rather than when you lift your hand. The active side is bright green, the waiting side is dark, and a flagged side turns red. Under thirty seconds the running side turns amber, under ten seconds it turns red and the display shows tenths, so both players can see how close the flag is.

1.Thirteen presets from Bullet 1+0 to Classical 90+30, and a custom form for minutes and seconds per side, increment, and increment type.
2.Fischer, Bronstein, and delay increment modes, plus a handicap option that gives Black a different starting time than White. In delay mode the active side shows the delay counting down, so nobody wonders why the main time is not moving.
3.A move counter under each clock, so you know when a move-based rule such as a 40-move time control applies.
4.Time adjustment while paused: -10 s, +10 s, and +2 min for either side, for illegal-move penalties or a clock that was started late.
5.Sound and vibration are off by default. Turn them on for a short click on each tap, one beep at 30 seconds, three beeps at 10 seconds, and a distinct falling tone when a flag drops.
6.The clock stores its state in your browser. If the page reloads or the phone locks, it subtracts the time that passed and comes back paused with a Resume button.
7.Keyboard control on a laptop: Space switches the active side, P pauses or resumes, R resets after a confirmation.
8.On phones that support it, the screen stays awake while a game runs, and a Fullscreen button hides the browser bars.

Time controls explained

A time control is written as minutes plus increment, so 5+3 means each side starts with five minutes and gets three seconds back after every move. The first number sets how long the game lasts; the second decides whether a player can survive on a few seconds by moving fast.

1.Bullet (1+0, 1+1): a game of one or two minutes. Every second counts, and the increment of one second in 1+1 keeps the game from ending in a pure flag race.
2.Blitz (3+0, 3+2, 5+0, 5+3): the most common club and casual controls. 3+2 and 5+3 give enough increment to finish a won endgame; 3+0 and 5+0 do not.
3.Rapid (10+0, 10+5, 15+10, 25+10): time to think for most of the game. 15+10 and 25+10 are typical for rapid tournaments.
4.Classical (30+0, 60+30, 90+30): long games. 90+30 is the standard for many club and open events.
5.Fischer increment adds the full bonus after each move, so your clock can go up. Bronstein adds back only the time you used, up to the bonus, so your clock never rises above the value it had before the move. Delay holds the clock still for the set seconds at the start of each move and then runs it normally.

If you are not sure which to pick, start with 5+3 for a quick game or 15+10 when both players want to think. The chess rules page explains what happens on the board when a flag falls and when a game is drawn on time.

Chess clock FAQ

Is this chess clock free?

Yes. The clock is free and runs in the browser. This page shows no ads and needs no account. Open the page and tap a side to start.

How do I set a custom time control?

Type the minutes and seconds per side, the increment in seconds, and pick Fischer, Bronstein, or delay. Tick the handicap box to give Black a different starting time. Press Apply custom time; both clocks reset to the new setting.

What is the difference between Fischer, Bronstein, and delay?

Fischer adds the full increment to your clock after every move, so your time can go up. Bronstein adds back only the time you used on the move, up to the increment, so your time never rises above what it was before the move. Delay waits the set number of seconds before your clock starts to run and adds nothing. Bronstein and delay give the same total thinking time; the difference is what the display shows. A 5-minute game with a 5-second delay is the same as a 5:05 game with a 5-second Bronstein bonus.

Does the clock show the delay counting down?

Yes. In delay mode the active side shows Delay 5, Delay 4, and so on under the time, and the main time stays still until the delay is used up. This is the part most clock apps hide, so players think the clock is broken.

Does the clock warn me when time is low?

Yes. The running side turns amber under 30 seconds and red under 10 seconds, and the display shows tenths under 10 seconds. With sound on, the clock beeps once at 30 seconds and three times at 10 seconds, and vibrates on phones that support it.

What happens when a player runs out of time?

That side shows Flag with zero time, the clock stops, and no more taps count. With sound on, a falling tone plays so both players hear the flag. Press Reset to start a new game with the same time control.

Can I add or remove time during a game, for example after an illegal move?

Yes. Press Pause; the clock then shows -10 s, +10 s, and +2 min buttons for each side. FIDE rules give the opponent two extra minutes after an illegal move, so +2 min on the opponent's side is one tap. Resume when both players agree.

Does a tap with more than one finger count?

Yes. The clock switches on the first touch, before you lift your hand, so a slap with the whole hand counts once. Extra fingers land on a side that is already waiting and are ignored.

Does the clock keep running if I switch apps or lock the phone?

The clock stores its state in your browser. When you come back, it subtracts the time that passed while the page was hidden and shows the clock paused, so you decide when to resume. On phones that support it, the page keeps the screen awake while a game is running.

Can I use the keyboard on a laptop?

Yes. Space switches the active side, P pauses or resumes, and R asks to reset. The keys are ignored while you type in the custom time fields.

Which time controls are common over the board?

Blitz games often use 3+2 or 5+3. Rapid games often use 10+5, 15+10, or 25+10. Long club games often use 90+30. Bullet is 1+0 or 1+1. All of these are one tap away in the preset list.

Zapp Chess is a free app for iPhone and Android. Read more on the download page.