Chess clock

The Interesting Adventures of the Chess Clock

It's hard to imagine a chess tournament without a clock these days. But it wasn't always like that. 

Until the middle of the 19th century 

Chess games were played without regard to time. Games could last for several days. It often happened that a player who was in a losing position would "wear out" his opponent, prolonging the game. At the first international tournament in 1851, the assistant arbiter, who recorded the moves in the Williams-Mucklow game, made a historical note: "The game remained unfinished, as both opponents fell asleep..."

It couldn't go on like this

In 1843, observers described the match between Howard Staunton and Pierre Saint-Amand as more of a test of endurance than a chess game. Their 21 games were reported to have consisted of 66 moves and lasted 14.5 hours. The average game lasted 9 hours.

In 1852, an unknown amateur proposed the use of an hourglass. He described his idea as follows: "Let us give each player a three-hour hourglass and an assistant to turn it over. When the player thinks, the sand in his hourglass should fall; when the opponent thinks, his hourglass should be placed horizontally on the table, thus stopping time." The idea was supported by Howard Staunton. This was first tested in 1853 in the Harvitz–Löwenthal match, where the opponents were limited to ten minutes per move. And in the Andresen–von Kolisch match in London in 1861, the hourglass measured two hours over 24 moves.

Another idea was to use two clocks and record the time spent after each move. This is how tournaments were held from 1866 to 1873. In 1867, in the Paris tournament, the organizers introduced a fine of 5 francs for exceeding the time control by 15 minutes. In 1870, the first timers were used in the Baden-Baden tournament, the control was already 20 moves per hour. In this case, the participants had the option of choosing between a timer and an hourglass.

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🕰️ The advent of the mechanical clock (1883)

Experiments with hourglasses and separate timers were inconvenient. The decisive breakthrough came in 1883, when the British Thomas Wilson presented his invention, the double mechanical clock.

Physical description of an analog clock

The mechanical clock consisted of two independent dials, combined in a single wooden case. The key physical elements were:

1. Dials: Two hands (hour and minute) for visual time tracking.

2. Switch lever (Button): On the top of the case was a lever that worked like a "rocker". When pressed on its side, the player stopped his clock and simultaneously started his opponent's clock.

It is worth noting that one of the first manufacturers to make mechanical clocks standard was Fattorini & Sons of Bradford. It was their models that became widely used in tournaments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, solidifying the use of double mechanical clocks in the chess world.

Introducing a check mark (checkbox)

To accurately indicate when a player's time was completely up, in 1899 the Dutch chess player B. G. D. Lehmann invented the so-called "flag". This small flag would rise as the minute hand approached twelve, and fall down exactly when the allotted time was up. This put an end to arguments about whether a player had made a move at the last second.

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💻 The era of digital watches and FIDE standards

The advent of microelectronics ushered in an era that completely changed time management. The first electronic model was introduced in 1973.

Digital watches quickly replaced mechanical ones due to their accuracy, programming flexibility, and the ability to implement new modes:

• Bronstein Mode (Delay): Named after Grandmaster David Bronstein. A fixed delay (e.g. 5 seconds) is given at the start of each move. The player's time starts counting only after this delay has expired.

• Fischer Mode (Increment): Named after World Champion Bobby Fischer. After each move, the player is added a certain amount of time (e.g. 2 seconds). This mode is the basis of modern FIDE tournaments, as it allows players to avoid time pressure.

Modern models in use today

The modern chess clock used in FIDE tournaments is a high-tech electronic device. International competitions and club tournaments are dominated by brands that meet FIDE standards, in particular DGT (Digital Game Technology). The most popular models are the DGT 3000 and DGT 2010.

In addition to the market leaders DGT and Chronos, watches from the Leap brand are also very popular in clubs and among amateurs. These models are known for their affordability, reliability, and full functionality, supporting all the necessary FIDE modes (Fisher and Bronstein), making them one of the most common at the local level.

Physical features of a modern watch:

• Buttons: Uses a single wide rocker button (rocket) that is pressed from both sides, or two separate buttons. This ensures reliability and precise response.

• Display: A large digital display (LCD) that clearly shows not only minutes and seconds, but also additional parameters such as added time (increment) or the number of moves made.

Main FIDE time control formats

Using these digital clocks with the time addition function is mandatory.

• Classic: 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes until the end of the game, with a 30-second increment for each move (Fisher Mode).

• Rapid: 10–60 minutes per game, with a 10-second increment per move (Fisher Mode).

• Blitz: Less than 10 minutes per game, usually 3 minutes + 2 seconds added per move (Fisher Mode).

Thus, the modern FIDE clock completes the long history of the chess clock's evolution from an hourglass to an electronic chronometer.