Chess Clock A two-player turn timer for board games
A chess clock is a turn timer for any two-player game: each player has their own time bank that only runs on their turn. In Chess Clock you type any names and pick a time control that suits the game.
Why a chess clock works for other games
A normal timer resets every turn, which punishes a hard decision and rewards nothing. A chess clock gives each player a total budget instead, such as a 20-minute Simple Delay for a card game: you think long on a big turn and make it back on quick ones, and a slow player cannot hold up the whole evening.
How to set it up for your game
- Tap the + button on the home list to open New Preset and give it a Name, such as the game's name.
- Set the Base Time, for example 20 Minutes.
- Under Mode, pick Fischer Increment and set Increment (seconds) to 10, or pick Simple Delay for quick-turn games.
- Tap Save, then tap the new preset to open Setup.
- Type the players' names in the White and Black fields; they do not have to be chess words.
- Tap Start Game, place the device between you, and tap your own half at the end of each turn.
Two setups that work well
| Setup | How it behaves | Worked numbers |
|---|---|---|
| 20 min + 10 s increment | Each finished turn adds 10 s to that player | After 30 turns each: at most 25:00 of clock time per player |
| 10 min, Simple Delay 30 s | The first 30 s of each turn are free | A 25 s turn leaves 10:00; a 45 s turn leaves 9:45 |
The delay setup is the closest thing to a per-turn countdown: short turns cost nothing, and only the part beyond 30 seconds comes out of your bank. An hourglass on the active side shows the free seconds left.
Handy features during play
- Pause freezes the clock for rules questions or snacks, and shows Paused until you tap Resume.
- Undo takes back an early tap, including the time.
- A tap on the player who is not on turn does nothing, so bumping the screen will not skip a turn.
- When a bank reaches zero, that half shows FLAG and a single alert plays if Sound is on in Settings.
Limits to know first
- Two players only. For three or more, this is not the right tool.
- The fields and result screens say White and Black, and the White player always takes the first turn.
- Both players get the same time. You cannot give a newer player a head start.
- Running out of time is shown as a loss on time. In games where that is not the rule, treat it as a signal and carry on under your own house rule.
- There is no per-turn timer that resets to a fixed value; Simple Delay is the nearest option.
Questions and answers
Can I use a chess clock for board games?
Yes, for any game where two players take turns. Each player gets a time bank that runs only on their turn, and you tap your half to pass the turn.
Does it work with more than two players?
No. Chess Clock always has exactly two sides.
Is there a two player timer where each turn gets the same time?
Not as a resetting countdown. The closest option is Simple Delay: the first delay seconds of each turn, up to 60, do not come off your time at all.
You might also like
More Chess Clock guides
- How to use a chess clock, step by step
- Fischer increment in chess: what 3+2 and 15+10 mean
- Chess increment vs delay: Fischer, Bronstein and US delay compared
- Chess time controls explained, and how to set any of them
- See your time per move in chess, move by move
- What chess timer settings suit kids?
- Why is my chess clock counting up?
- How to pause a chess clock
- All questions about Chess Clock
- Back to Chess Clock