HOW TO USE A CHESS CLOCK

HISTORY OF THE CHESS CLOCK
Chess clocks and timers are used to control the amount of time that each player uses per game. People used to play chess without clocks. There was no time limit on how long one person could think about their move. That made for some very long and boring games! In the mid-1800s they started using sand hourglasses to time each player. They soon graduated to mechanical clocks that were connected together so that only one clock can run at a time.

CHESS AND TIME
Chess clocks give each player a certain amount of time to make all of their moves in a game. Quick blitz games are usually five minutes per player per game. Rapid games are usually between 30-60 minutes per player per game. Tournament games can last up to 3 ½ hours per player per game! There is not a time limit per move – instead players may ration their time however they want. Time is counted down until it runs out. Each player has their own amount of time that runs down while it is their turn to move. The game ends if one player runs out of time, is checkmated, there is a draw, or if a player resigns. It doesn't matter if you are one move away from checkmate – if your time runs out before you checkmate your opponent, you lose the game!

TWO TIMERS IN ONE CLOCK
Chess clocks have two separate timers – one for each player. Only one timer counts down at a time. Each player also has a button on their side of the clock that they press when they are done with their turn. When a player pushes their button it stops their time and starts their opponent's time. At the beginning of the game the player one player sets the time for both players with buttons in the neutral position so no time is running. Then the player with the black pieces presses their button to start the other player's timer. Then, once the player with the white pieces has made their move, they press their button and the other player's clock starts to run. That happens over and over until the game is finished.

CHESS CLOCK RULES
The player with the black pieces gets to decide on which side of the board they want to have the clock. This is a small advantage because you are required to hit the clock with the same hand you use to move the pieces. So, if a player is right-handed it is generally easier to have the clock on the right side so they don't have to reach across their body to hit the clock button. If there is ever a dispute in the game one player should stop the time for both players and get immediate help. For more advanced rules on clock use please consult your national chess organization. For US Chess Federation Rules please visit: http://www.uschess.org/tds/clockrules.php

HOW TO USE AN ANALOG CHESS CLOCK
Analog (or mechanical) chess clocks were the first clocks to be invented. They use mechanical parts like levers, gears, and springs to control the time. Analog clocks are much easier for kids, beginners, and those who don't want to read a huge manual to understand the digital clocks! Almost all analog clocks are the same, so if you understand one you understand them all.

Analog clocks use a regular clock face. Each side also has a small flag on it. When the long hand of the clock starts to approach the 12 position it will pick up the flag and raise it as it moves. When it passes the 12 position the flag will fall. Therefore, you always set an analog clock backwards with the amount of time you want per player. So, if you wanted a 15 minute game, you would set the long hand to be on the 9 – exactly 15 minutes before the straight-up 12 position. If you wanted to set the clock for one hour per player you would set the long hand to the 12 position so that one full hour would pass before the flag would fall. Remember to set both sides equally. The short hand of the clock is generally set back from the 6 o'clock position. A 2 hour game would start at 4 o'clock. You use small knobs on the back of the clock to manually move the hands on the face, just like you would adjust the time on a clock that hangs on your wall.

How to Use a Digital Chess Clock
Digital chess clocks and timers use LCD displays and digital components to tell time. They are more fully-featured than analog clocks (supporting more advanced features like time delay, move counters, etc), but can be very complicated for users. Each digital clock is different, so you will need to learn the specifics about each clock you use.

Instead of a clock face and hands that travel around it, digital chess clocks and timers use a digital display to show the amount of time left. Time is usually shown in the hours:minutes:seconds format. For example: 1:23:45 means the player has one hour, twenty three minutes and forty five seconds before their time runs out. Both players still have buttons to start and stop time. Instead of a visual flag falling, digital clocks may have an audible beep, or the display might start flashing. Also, each clock has a different way of being set by pushing a combination of buttons. You will need to consult the instruction manual that comes with your digital chess timer for its specific operational details.