♔♚ Advanced Chess Clock
--:--
--:--
Record Result:
Match History
- No matches recorded yet.
🏆 Leaderboard (This Session)
- No matches recorded yet.
Chess Clock
Tournament chess uses more time-control formats than a simple countdown, delay systems, byo-yomi periods, two-stage controls that change pace partway through a game, and handicap games where each player runs a genuinely different clock. This chess clock supports all of them, with fully independent settings per side, full keyboard control, and a selectable keyboard layout for non-QWERTY setups.
How to use this chess clock
- For each side, select a Time Control Type: Fischer Increment, Bronstein/US Delay, Byo-yomi, or Multi-Stage.
- Enter Base Minutes and Base Seconds for that side.
- Depending on the type selected, fill in the relevant fields: Increment (seconds) for Fischer, Delay (seconds) for Bronstein/US Delay, Byo-yomi Periods and Seconds per Period for Byo-yomi, or Stage 1 Moves, Stage 2 Extra Minutes, and Stage 2 Increment for Multi-Stage.
- Repeat for the other side, using different settings if you’re setting up a handicap or odds game.
- Choose your Keyboard Layout if you’re using a non-QWERTY keyboard, so the physical key shortcuts map correctly.
- Start the clock, then tap your panel, or press your assigned key, immediately after each move.
- Use Pause/Enter to stop and resume both clocks together.
- Watch the move counter and time control details update as the game progresses, including any Multi-Stage transition once Stage 1’s move count is reached.
What this chess clock does
Rather than assuming one time-control format fits every game, this clock lets each side run its own independent time control, chosen separately from four supported types. This means it can run a standard symmetric game where both players use the same settings, or a genuinely asymmetric handicap game where a stronger player gives a weaker one extra time or a more forgiving delay system, a use case a simple shared-timer clock can’t represent at all.
The four time control types
| Type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Fischer Increment | A fixed number of seconds is added to a player’s clock immediately after each move they complete, letting fast play accumulate extra time over a game |
| Bronstein / US Delay | Before a player’s clock starts counting down on their turn, a fixed delay period passes first, time isn’t added afterward like Fischer, it’s simply not consumed during that initial delay window each move |
| Byo-yomi | After base time runs out, a player enters a set number of timed periods (e.g. 5 periods of 30 seconds); using a full period resets it, but exhausting all periods without moving in time loses the game, a format most associated with Go but used in some chess contexts too |
| Multi-Stage | The game starts under one time control, then automatically shifts to a second stage, extra minutes plus its own increment, once a specified number of moves (Stage 1 Moves) has been completed, mirroring classic tournament formats like “40 moves in 90 minutes, then 30 minutes plus a 30-second increment” |
Fischer Increment versus Bronstein/US Delay
Fischer: remaining time after move = remaining time before move − time used + increment (added regardless of how much time was used)
Bronstein/Delay: the delay period counts down first, un-consumed, before the player’s actual remaining time starts decreasing on their turn
Bronstein/Delay: the delay period counts down first, un-consumed, before the player’s actual remaining time starts decreasing on their turn
These two formats look similar but behave differently in one important way: Fischer Increment can let a player’s total time on the clock grow over the course of a game if they move quickly, since the increment is added regardless of how much time that move actually used. Bronstein/US Delay never lets a player gain time beyond their delay allowance, it only protects a fixed window from being consumed each move, so a player’s clock can shrink but never grow relative to where it started that move.
Byo-yomi: periods instead of continuous time
Once a player’s base time under Byo-yomi runs out, they enter a set number of timed periods rather than simply losing on time immediately. Making a move within a period resets that period’s timer for next time, without consuming one of the total periods available, but if a player fails to move before a period expires, that period is used up. Running out of all periods without completing a move on time loses the game. This format is most associated with Go, but this calculator supports it for chess games that specifically want to use it.
Multi-Stage: tournament-format time controls
Classic over-the-board tournament time controls often shift pace partway through a game, giving players more time (and often an increment) once they’ve survived the opening and middlegame moves. Setting Stage 1 Moves defines how many moves must be completed before the transition, at which point the clock automatically adds Stage 2’s Extra Minutes and begins applying Stage 2’s own Increment for the remainder of the game, without requiring either player to manually reconfigure anything mid-game.
Setting up a handicap or odds game
Because every setting, Time Control Type, base time, and all type-specific fields, is configured independently per side, this clock genuinely supports handicap chess, where a stronger player might run a fast Fischer Increment clock while a weaker opponent runs a more generous Bronstein/US Delay setup with a longer base time, or any other asymmetric combination. This is a meaningfully different capability from a clock that only supports one shared time control mirrored across both sides.
Keyboard control and layout support
Beyond tapping the on-screen panels, this clock supports full keyboard control, useful for a laptop-based setup or for players who prefer physical key presses over touch targets. The Keyboard Layout selector accounts for non-QWERTY keyboards (such as AZERTY or Dvorak), remapping which physical keys correspond to each side’s move-passing shortcut using layout-independent key code detection, so the assigned keys land in the correct physical position regardless of which layout your keyboard actually uses.
A note on scope
This clock is built for the full range of formal and casual chess time controls, including formats most simple chess clock tools don’t support. For a simpler, distraction-free clock focused on quick presets and a native full-screen display for over-the-board games, the Full Screen Chess Clock on this site covers Sudden Death and Fischer Increment with a more streamlined setup.
Frequently asked questions
Can both players use different time control types in the same game?
Yes. Every setting is configured independently per side, so one player could run Fischer Increment while the other runs Bronstein/US Delay, Byo-yomi, or Multi-Stage, whatever combination your specific game or handicap format calls for.
What’s the difference between Fischer Increment and Bronstein/US Delay?
Fischer Increment adds time to a player’s clock after every move regardless of how much time that move used, which can let total time grow over a game for a fast player. Bronstein/US Delay instead protects a fixed window of time from being consumed each move, but never adds extra time beyond that, so a player’s clock can shrink but not grow relative to its value at the start of that move.
How does Multi-Stage know when to switch time controls?
You set a Stage 1 Moves count when configuring that side. Once that many moves have been completed by that player, the clock automatically adds Stage 2’s Extra Minutes to their remaining time and begins applying Stage 2’s Increment from that point onward, without needing manual reconfiguration mid-game.
Why does the calculator ask for my keyboard layout?
Physical key positions differ between keyboard layouts (QWERTY, AZERTY, Dvorak, and others). Selecting your actual layout ensures the clock’s keyboard shortcuts map to the correct physical keys on your specific keyboard, using layout-independent key code detection rather than assuming a standard QWERTY arrangement.