Chess Clock Why is my chess clock counting up?
Your clock is almost certainly not counting up. It hands time back when you press. Fischer increment adds seconds after each move, and Bronstein delay refunds what you just spent, so the number jumps up on your tap.
It is easy to assume something is broken: a 5-minute clock reads 4:57 while you think, then snaps back to 5:00 the moment you tap. Nothing is broken. That preset uses Bronstein Delay, and this is what it does.
Which of the four modes makes the number go up?
Mid-move the clock only counts down. It can rise at one moment, the tap that ends your move, and two of the four modes do it.
| Mode | While you think (3 s in) | After you tap (3 s move) | Can end above 5:00? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sudden Death | 4:57 | 4:57 | No |
| Fischer Increment | 4:57 | 5:02 | Yes |
| Bronstein Delay | 4:57 | 5:00 | No |
| Simple Delay | 5:00, hourglass 2 | 5:00 | No |
Fischer is the only one that can leave you above your starting time. Bronstein looks like it counts up because the refund is visible: the display drops, then jumps back.
Worked example: Blitz 3+2
Blitz 3+2 is Fischer with a 2-second increment. Answer in 1 second and the clock does 3:00 minus 1 plus 2, which is 3:01. Do that ten times in a row and you are at 3:10, ten seconds above where you started.
On a slow move you will not see it. Think for 12 seconds and the same formula gives a net loss of 10. The clock only seems to climb when your replies beat the increment.
Check which mode your preset uses
- On the home list, the mode name sits under each preset. Read it before blaming the clock.
- Tap the preset to open Setup. Under Time Control the app prints the mode and one sentence about it.
- If the sentence says every move you complete adds the increment, it is Fischer Increment. If it says you get back whatever you spent, it is Bronstein Delay.
- To change it, tap Edit Time Control on Setup, open Mode under Timing Mode, and pick Sudden Death or Simple Delay. Built-in presets cannot be edited, so create your own time control instead.
A custom control also has Increment (seconds) or Delay (seconds), 0 to 60. Set it to 0 on Fischer and the clock never rises.
What it means for a game
If your opponent says the clock is cheating, show them the table. The rules are plain: Fischer is bank minus seconds spent plus the increment, and Bronstein gives back the smaller of the time spent and the delay.
What the app cannot do
It has no mode where the clock counts up like a stopwatch. If you want to see how long each player spent in total, finished games show Time Used in History, but that is a record afterwards, not a live display.
Nothing on screen announces the Bronstein refund. The digits just change, and unless you know the rule it can look like a glitch.
Questions and answers
Why does my chess clock add time?
Can a chess clock count up instead of down?
Why does my time go back up when I press the clock?
How do I stop my clock from going up?
You might also like
- Chess increment vs delay: Fischer, Bronstein and US delay compared · Chess Clock
- Fischer increment in chess: what 3+2 and 15+10 mean · Chess Clock
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
- A two-player turn timer for board games
- What chess timer settings suit kids?
- How to pause a chess clock
- All questions about Chess Clock
- Back to Chess Clock