When does your clock stop?
Follow the two-second increment
The clock below is a teaching sequence, advanced only when you choose the next step.
- White starts with 34 seconds; Black has 62 seconds.
- White spends four seconds and plays e4. White now has 30 seconds and is still responsible for stopping the clock.
- One more second passes before White presses. White’s remaining 29 seconds receive the two-second increment: 31 seconds. Black’s clock now runs.
This illustrates the existing clock’s increment mode. It does not imply that every tournament uses this setting. The allotted periods, move requirements and extra time must be announced in advance under 6.3.1.
Move, then press the clock
White has 34 seconds; Black has 62. This example uses a two-second increment.
Increment and delay are different
Scroll the table sideways to compare all columns.
| Setting | What happens | Can unused extra time accumulate? |
|---|---|---|
| Increment | Extra time is added for each move according to the control | Yes |
| Delay | Main thinking time starts counting down after a fixed allowance | The unused delay does not accumulate |
| Multiple periods | A move target leads to the next period | Saved time carries forward where applicable |
Article 6.3.2 describes delay: pressing before the fixed allowance expires leaves the main time unchanged. Do not label a delay clock as an increment clock merely because both give time on each move.
Clock handling at the board
- The arbiter places the clock. White’s clock starts at the scheduled start, even if White is absent. Articles 6.5–6.6.
- Press with the same hand used to move. Do not hover a finger over the button, press forcibly, lift the clock, or press before making a move. Articles 6.2.3–6.2.4.
- A player must be allowed to press after moving, even if the opponent has already replied. Making the next move also completes a previously uncompleted move. Articles 6.2.1.2–6.2.2.
- Pause the clock to seek justified arbiter assistance, for example when the promotion piece is unavailable. The arbiter decides when to resume. Article 6.11.
When time runs out
A flag fall counts when the arbiter observes it or a player makes a valid claim. Check the required move count and time period; the display alone does not decide every dispute. Articles 6.4 and 6.8.
Under 6.9, the opponent needs the possibility of checkmate by some legal sequence, not a forced win. With a bare King the opponent cannot mate; with other material, assess the actual position rather than using a casual material rule. A game already ended by valid mate or stalemate is not revived by a later clock press.
Two situations worth practising before a tournament
You have a five-second delay. A move completed in three seconds uses none of the main thinking time. A move completed in eight seconds uses three seconds of it. Unused delay is not saved for the next move. This is the delay described in 6.3.2; it is different from the two-second increment demonstrated above.
You reach the last rank but cannot find a queen. Do not use the missing piece as a reason to press the clock before completing promotion. Pause the clock and ask the arbiter for help. Article 6.11.2 expressly gives this kind of situation as a reason to seek assistance; the arbiter decides when play restarts.
For an ordinary move, build one consistent habit: move with one hand, press with that hand, then record the move when required. A move on the board and a completed move on the clock are related, but they are not always the same moment.
Faults and late arrival
An evidently defective clock is replaced by the arbiter. An incorrect setting requires the clock to be stopped and corrected; the arbiter uses judgment to reconstruct time and the move counter under 6.10. The special A.5 restrictions in insufficiently supervised rapid also matter.
Read the event’s default time. If none is specified, it is zero under 6.7.1; arriving after it normally loses unless the arbiter decides otherwise. Do not assume a universal grace period.
FAQ
Does releasing the piece stop my clock?
No. You normally complete the move by pressing the clock. The elapsed time before that press is yours; moves that end the game are a stated exception.
Is timeout always a win for the opponent?
No. Article 6.9 makes the result a draw if the opponent cannot checkmate by any possible legal sequence. Needing help from the other side is not the same as impossibility.
Can the arbiter remind me that I forgot to press my clock?
No ordinary reminder is allowed under 12.6. This is different from an agreed accessibility arrangement. Learn the move–press rhythm before your first event instead of relying on someone to prompt you.
Related rules
Sources and scope
FIDE Laws of Chess · 2023 · Article 6; 12.6.
Effective 1 January 2023. These guides explain over-the-board play. The official text and any event regulations permitted by it govern competition; teaching positions are not tournament records.