Chess ClockCHESS CLOCK GUIDE · 5 MINUTE READ
Chess clock increment
vs delay.
Increment adds time to your clock. Simple delay gives you a short window before your clock starts counting down. They can feel similar, but they change your remaining time differently.
The difference in one turn
With Fischer increment, your clock gains the chosen bonus after each completed move. Time you do not use stays on the clock. This clock also adds the bonus once at initialisation, before the first move.
With simple US delay, each turn begins with a delay. Your base time only decreases after that delay runs out. Finishing quickly does not add the unused delay to your clock.
| What happens | Fischer +2 | Simple delay 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting clock | 3:02 | 3:00 |
| Think for 1 second, then tap | 3:03 | 3:00 |
| Think for 7 seconds, then tap | 2:57 | 2:55 |
The last two rows are separate scenarios from the same starting state, not consecutive moves. For increment, the seven-second example is 182 − 7 + 2 = 177 seconds. For delay, it is 180 − (7 − 2) = 175 seconds.
Why does 3+2 start at 3:02?
On this clock, Fischer increment is added before the first move and after every completed move. “3+2” means a three-minute base with a two-second increment, so each player begins at 182 seconds. Start and Resume do not add another bonus.
Confirm the initial display when using another clock: the chosen convention matters. The DGT 2010 manual describes bonus timing before the first move. We make this convention visible in setup rather than hiding it behind the shorthand.
What happens if I pause during a delay?
The unused portion is preserved. Suppose you choose a five-second delay, use three seconds, then pause. You still have two seconds of delay when you resume. If you think for four more seconds, two seconds come off your base time.
A pause does not grant a fresh delay. The full delay returns only when that player's next turn begins.
Which should we choose for a casual game?
Choose increment if you want time saved on quick moves to remain available later. Choose simple delay if you want a brief thinking window on each move without building a reserve. Choose no bonus when you both want a straightforward fixed amount of time.
These are ways to shape a casual game, not claims that one setting is universally better. For organised play, use the organiser's specified mode and clock policy. Simple delay is distinct from Bronstein delay; this clock supports simple US delay.
Set either mode on the browser clock
- Open the online chess clock and select Presets, then Make it your own.
- Enter the base time in seconds. Three minutes is 180; five minutes is 300.
- Choose Fischer increment or Simple US delay, then enter the bonus seconds.
- Use the time control, check both starting values, choose the first player and start.
For a ready-made increment game, select 3+2. Read the time-control guide for other familiar starting points.
Try increment or delay →