Each player starts with 5 minutes and receives no extra time after a move.
Understand the chess clock
Chess Time Controls Explained
Chess time controls decide how long each player has to think. Learn what bullet, blitz, rapid, and classical chess mean, how increments work, and how to read clock formats such as 5+0 and 15+10.
What is a chess time control?
A chess time control sets the amount of thinking time available to each player. Both players normally begin with the same amount of time, and a player's clock runs while it is their turn. If a player runs out of time, the game can end even if the position on the board is not yet finished.
Faster controls reward quick calculation and pattern recognition, while longer controls give more time to compare candidate moves, calculate variations, and make strategic decisions.
What does 5+0 or 15+10 mean?
Online chess clocks are often written as initial time + increment. The first number is the starting time in minutes; the second number is the number of seconds added after each move.
Each player starts with 10 minutes and plays without an increment.
Each player starts with 15 minutes and receives 10 additional seconds after every completed move.
Bullet, blitz, rapid, and classical chess
These names describe the general pace of a chess game. Exact boundaries are not universal and can differ between chess organizations and online platforms, so the descriptions below are practical rather than a single official classification.
Bullet chess
Bullet is extremely fast chess, commonly played online with about one or two minutes per player. Quick decisions and clock management are essential.
Blitz chess
Blitz gives more thinking time than bullet but still keeps the game moving quickly. Three- and five-minute games are common online examples.
Rapid chess
Rapid provides enough time for deeper calculation while remaining much shorter than a long tournament game. Ten- to thirty-minute online games are common examples.
Classical chess
Classical chess is the long-form version of the game, giving players substantially more time to calculate and plan. It is especially associated with over-the-board tournament play.
What is increment in chess?
An increment adds a fixed number of seconds to a player's clock after each move. For example, in a 15+10 game a player begins with 15 minutes and gains 10 seconds whenever they complete a move.
Increment can reduce extreme time pressure because players may rebuild a small amount of clock time by continuing to move. It also changes endgame clock management: a player with only a few seconds remaining can sometimes continue playing accurately if the increment is large enough.
CHESSVOLA rated chess time controls
CHESSVOLA currently lets you choose from these time controls before entering rated online matchmaking.
3+03 minutes
5+05 minutes
10+010 minutes
15+1015 min + 10 sec
20+020 minutes
30+030 minutes
Which chess time control should you choose?
For quick games
Choose a shorter control when you want a fast game and are comfortable making decisions with limited calculation time.
For a balanced pace
A middle-length control gives you more time to calculate without turning the game into a long session.
For deeper calculation
Choose a longer control or one with increment when you want more time to evaluate positions, calculate tactics, and practice thoughtful decision-making.
Practice chess at your preferred pace
Use different CHESSVOLA modes depending on whether you want competition, practice, or tactical training.
Rated online chess
Choose a time control and enter matchmaking against another player.
Play the computer
Practice at your own pace against the computer without signing in.
Chess puzzles
Train tactical calculation, mating patterns, and best-move recognition.
Chess ratings
Follow player ratings, wins, games, and leaderboard positions.
Chess time control questions
Is 5+0 the same as five minutes per move?
No. It means five minutes for the entire game per player, with no increment after each move.
What does the +10 mean in 15+10?
The +10 is a ten-second increment added to a player's clock after each completed move.
Are bullet, blitz, and rapid definitions identical everywhere?
No. Exact time boundaries can vary between organizations and online chess platforms, although the general idea is always a progression from very fast to longer games.